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		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 6/5/2009</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2006-2007 areyouwatchingthis.com</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:29:35 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:29:35 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Fleury flourishes in the face of critics]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By IRA PODELL
AP Hockey Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Maybe now the questions about Marc-Andre
Fleury's ability on the big stage will stop.

After rescuing Pittsburgh with a 14-save second period in Game
3, Fleury came back two nights later and stopped 37 shots
overall to lift the Penguins to a 4-2 win over the Detroit Red
Wings on Thursday that knotted the Stanley Cup finals at two
games apiece.

"From a distance, I always saw the questions from the media,"
said coach Dan Bylsma, who took over behind the Penguins bench
in February. "His record and the times he stood up for this team
both at the end of the season and the playoffs is pretty
significant."

The Penguins played what they called their worst period of the
playoffs Tuesday night in Game 3. That second period was
scoreless, but only because of Fleury.

While he was stopping all the shots he faced in that period of a
game his team couldn't lose, the offense generated only four on
Detroit's Chris Osgood.

The landscape changed in dramatic fashion in Game 4, but it sure
looked like much of the same in the first minute of the second
period.

Pittsburgh held a 1-0 lead for much of the first before Darren
Helm tied it with 1:41 left. The Red Wings needed only 46
seconds of the middle frame to go ahead and quiet what had been
a celebratory crowd.

Fleury went back into shutdown mode from there. After making 18
saves in the first, he came back with eight in the second and
nine more in the scoreless third to hold off the Red Wings.

Quite a turnaround from last year when Detroit won three of the
first four games from Pittsburgh in the finals and closed out
the Penguins in six - earning the final two victories on enemy
ice.

"We want to make sure we make life on him as easy as possible,"
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said of Fleury. "We don't always
do that, but you know we try to. We did a good job of putting a
lot of pressure in the offensive zone and creating some good
chances. That's a big key for our team. That's where we want to
play.

"We definitely owed him one for sure."

While Osgood is shooting for his fourth Stanley Cup ring - third
as the Red Wings' starting goalie - and adding to his impressive
resume, Fleury is trying to live up to the fanfare he got when
he was chosen with the first pick in the 2003 draft.

Overall in these playoffs, Fleury is 14-7 with a 2.60
goals-against average and a save percentage of about 91 percent.

"Fleury has been there for us throughout the whole season," said
Jordan Staal, whose short-handed goal tied it at 2 in the second
period. "It's great as a player to be confident in the way he's
playing. He always seems to find a way to win games and make
those big saves at the right time.

"That's what good goaltenders do, and Flower has done a great
job of that so far."

Osgood helped the Red Wings build a 6-2 goals advantage in the
first two games and created the impression he was outplaying his
Pittsburgh counterpart. That wasn't hard to do considering he
owned the best career winning percentage in the finals of .833.

After back-to-back losses in Pittsburgh, in which the Penguins
outscored Detroit 8-4, Osgood is down to .714 (10-4) and not the
clear-cut top goalie in the series anymore.

Fleury also has backstopped his club to consecutive appearances
in the finals.

"I prefer my team, I prefer my teammates," said Fleury, 4-6 in
Stanley Cup finals games. "No matter what people say or write
about me doesn't matter. Every night I'll try my best. I'll try
to stop pucks.

"There will be some rough nights, but the most important thing
is to forget about it as quick as possible and to start over
again in the next one."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/100938-Fleury-flourishes-in-the-face-of-critics</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/100938-Fleury-flourishes-in-the-face-of-critics</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:38:28 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Red Wings-Penguins Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

Detroit At Pittsburgh, Game Four, 8:00 p.m. EDT

PITTSBURGH (AP) --  Brand-new locker room humorist Evgeni Malkin
is making fun of his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates in two
languages, and they're loving it.

Coach Dan Bylsma is pleased because Malkin is laughing at his
dry-humor witticisms. Sidney Crosby doesn't have a goal in the
Stanley Cup finals, yet he's smiling, too.

The yuk-it-up Penguins trail the defending champion Detroit Red
Wings 2-1 going into Game 4 on Thursday night, but it was
difficult to tell from their off-day levity that they weren't
ahead.

They're not acting at all like they did when they were down a
game in this same situation last year, against the same
opponent. And it's certainly not because Red Wings star Pavel
Datsyuk, who is capable of winning a game at both ends of the
ice, expects to play after sitting out six games with a foot
injury.

"It's a lot different than last year, that's for sure," Penguins
defenseman Brooks Orpik said Wednesday.

That was evident as Malkin repeatedly made fun of teammate Max
Talbot, whose two goals during Pittsburgh's 4-2 victory in Game
3 on Tuesday included one into an empty net.

Malkin did it in English, too, rather than the native Russian
that the NHL regular- season scoring champion used before this
season, with defenseman Sergei Gonchar acting as his
interpreter.

Malkin: "I'm seeing how Max plays, it's a lot of emotion ... and
a little bit bad hands. He has a lot of scoring chances, but
(does) not score. Just empty net."

Talbot: "I'm speechless right now, thanks Geno."

Later, teammate Bill Guerin said, "That's one side that I don't
really think people understand. I think people think he (Malkin)
is a quiet guy. But he's got a great sense of humor to him,
yeah."

A pretty good set of hands, too, as Malkin has 33 points, the
most in the NHL playoffs since Joe Sakic had 34 for Colorado in
1996.

Malkin's upgraded play is one of the reasons the Penguins are
optimistic they can pull off a comeback after losing the first
two games on the road, despite the fact only one of 32 teams has
previously overcome such a deficit in the finals.

Malkin, badly off his game while being shut out in the first
four games against Detroit last year, has a goal, four assists
and the look of a player who could take over a series. Crosby,
who trails only Malkin in playoff scoring with 29 points, has
only one assist in three games and has yet to take off. Goalie
Marc-Andre Fleury settled down after two shaky losses to make 27
saves on Tuesday.

"I'm learning how to play now, it's the second final - it's the
same team," Malkin said. "I know how to play Detroit, and I try
to play a little harder."

The Penguins also believe they are better prepared to take
anything Detroit can throw at them after weathering a
thrill-a-minute second period of Game 3 in which they were
outshot 14-4. The Penguins also trailed Washington 2-0 in the
second round before winning four of the last five, as they now
must do to win the Stanley Cup.

"Last year, we weren't happy at all," Crosby said. "We knew we
had a lot of work to do. We hadn't found our game yet. But I
feel at this point we know what it takes."

Of course, the Penguins wouldn't be the first team to be wrongly
convinced it was ready to take down hockey's most accomplished
and consistent winners, a team that would likely make its fifth
Stanley Cup since 1997 a mere formality by winning Thursday
night.

A year ago, the Red Wings lost Game 3 in Pittsburgh, bounced
back to take Game 4, then returned to win the Stanley Cup on the
Penguins' ice in Game 6.

"We look at it like, `Hey, they won one game and played real
well, but ... we can put ourselves in a great position by
winning,"' defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom said.

The return of Datsyuk, the Hart Trophy finalist and shutdown
defender, has the potential to alter the series. Getting Datsyuk
back might allow coach Mike Babcock to trim Zetterberg's ice
time; he played 24-plus minutes while all but accompanying
Crosby to the bench between shifts in Game 3.

What Datsyuk didn't lose during his absence was his sense of
humor, which was in abundance on both sides - especially by the
Russians.

"Oh, I tell you, this is not fun to watch," Datsyuk said of
sitting out. "I take in lots of beer."

What is this, the Stanley Cup finals or tryouts for David
Letterman?

Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood also is wearing the no-big-deal
look of a relaxed player who's won three Stanley Cups and knows
how to deal with the occasional loss.

"The games have been played at a higher competition level and a
lot closer than they have been before," Osgood said. "They've
gained experience and added some key elements. ... But it's
ironic that all three games have gone exactly the same as they
did last year."

Notes: Detroit is 3-1 after a loss. ... The last five teams to
lose Game 3 won the Stanley Cup. ... Most of the Red Wings
practiced, while most of the Penguins did not. ... F Kris Draper
(groin), held out despite being healthy for Game 3, will play
Thursday, according to Babcock. ... Red Wings F Marian Hossa has
six goals in the playoffs, all in Game 4.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/100706-Red-Wings-Penguins-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/100706-Red-Wings-Penguins-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:26:49 GMT</pubDate>
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