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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 6/3/2009</description>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:21:12 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[It's a series: Penguins beat Wings 4-2 in Game 3]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- The Detroit Red Wings applied so much pressure
and were so in control at times while pushing for the victory
that would have effectively ended the Stanley Cup finals, the
Pittsburgh Penguins could have used an extra man.

Turns out they had one for nearly 30 seconds during their 4-2
comeback win in Game 3 on Tuesday, an advantage the on-ice
officials didn't spot despite some frantic stick-pounding by
those on the Red Wings' bench.

Need any more proof the Penguins were willing to do anything to
save the series?

"We were going, huh?" forward Max Talbot said, laughing at how
the Penguins inadvertently created their own power play. "It was
great. Yeah, we got some breaks."

In reality, it was more like bend but don't break for the
Penguins as the Red Wings took a 2-1 lead during a frantic first
period, then were so dominating during the second period that
they ended it with a 26-11 advantage in shots.

One more goal, one more power play might have ended it, until
the Penguins suddenly found themselves and recovered to take a
3-2 lead on Sergei Gonchar's power-play goal with 10:29 gone in
the third.

Just in time, too, as the Penguins understood what falling
behind Detroit 3-0 in the best-of-seven series would mean - a
potential Stanley Cup-clincher as early as Thursday in their own
arena, where the Red Wings raised the Cup in Game 6 last spring.

"I don't want to say it was a must win, but I think everybody
knows that we needed to win this game," said Talbot, whose two
goals while shifting between several lines included an empty-net
score in the final minute.

In winning, the Penguins had everything they lacked in losing
twin 3-1 decisions in the first two games in Detroit, including
start-to-finish confidence, resiliency and scoring from
throughout their lineup. A sense of desperation, too.

"No team wants to go down 3-0," forward Jordan Staal said. "I
think we're starting to understand the way we have to play and
it seemed like everyone really came together and did the right
things out there."

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury didn't allow any soft goals and, during
Detroit's second-period surge, played better than he has since
making 45 saves during a key first-round game in Philadelphia.
He also outplayed Chris Osgood, who lost for only the third time
in 13 finals games.

"I know in the first and second game, maybe he got criticized a
little bit," Talbot said of Fleury, who made 27 saves. "Tonight,
he was definitely first."

Sidney Crosby still didn't find the net as Henrik Zetterberg
shadowed him whenever possible - Crosby has one assist in three
games - but playoff scoring leader Evgeni Malkin set up the
first three goals. Malkin, almost invisible at times during last
year's finals, has 33 points in 20 games - the most since Joe
Sakic had 34 for Stanley Cup champion Colorado in 1996.

Pittsburgh also went 2 for 3 on the power play, with Red Wings
coach Mike Babcock calling the interference penalty on Jonathan
Ericsson that led to Gonchar's game-winner.

"They got the power play in the third period and we didn't,"
Babcock said.

Most of all, the Penguins stood up to the Red Wings even after
the defending champs answered Talbot's first goal with scores by
Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. Those goals briefly quieted an
all-in-white crowd that could sense it might be watching the Red
Wings effectively secure their fifth Stanley Cup since 1997.

"They were desperate. They played hard," Detroit's Brad Stuart
said. "They took it up a notch - they had to."

So far, the finals have featured the same scenario as last year.
Detroit wins the first two at home, then loses a tight Game 3 in
Pittsburgh. Last year, the Red Wings took a 3-1 lead by winning
Game 4 in Pittsburgh, which allowed them to survive a
three-overtime Game 5 loss at home before they finished off
Pittsburgh in Game 6.

But the Penguins have played better in each of the three games
than they did last spring and, the Red Wings understand the hard
part is yet to come.

"I think in the two at home, one of them could have gone the
other way," Babcock said. "I think this series is where it
should be. These are two good teams going at it."

Or, as Marian Hossa said, "It's the Stanley Cup finals and it's
a grind."

A noisy one, too, for Hossa, who disappointed the Penguins by
leaving them after last year's finals to sign with Detroit. He
was booed repeatedly by Pittsburgh fans, although Hossa said he
was so focused on playing that he barely noticed.

Especially not with the Penguins sneaking back into the series.

"We knew it wasn't going to be easy," Hossa said.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/100600-Its-a-series-Penguins-beat-Wings-4-2-in-Game-3</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/100600-Its-a-series-Penguins-beat-Wings-4-2-in-Game-3</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:31:16 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Red Wings-Penguins Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

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

PITTSBURGH (AP) --  Sidney Crosby was nowhere to be found, hidden
from sight before the Pittsburgh Penguins play the game that
likely will tell them if they have any chance of overtaking the
Detroit Red Wings and winning the Stanley Cup.

At the rink? Sorry, no Crosby sighting there as the Penguins
rested Monday after losing two games in two nights in Detroit,
putting themselves into a deep, deep hole from which only one of
32 teams has previously escaped during the finals.

Doing interviews? Nope, it was a rare Crosby-free day for
reporters curious to find out if being shut out on consecutive
nights frustrated or, conversely, further motivated the NHL's
most visible player going into Game 3 on Tuesday night.

"Every day doesn't need to be Sidney Crosby day," Penguins coach
Dan Bylsma said of keeping his captain away from probing minds.

Oh, but every day is Crosby day for the Red Wings. Their twin
3-1 victories in Detroit on Saturday and Sunday were created in
part by the blanketing defense of Henrik Zetterberg, who has
stayed so close to Crosby during the finals that he probably
knew where Sid the Kid was hiding out during Pittsburgh's day
off.

Zetterberg went over the boards for all but one of Crosby's
shifts in Joe Louis Arena, holding him scoreless and creating
some visible frustration as the Red Wings closed to within two
victories of winning their fifth Stanley Cup since 1997.

Me and my shadow, indeed.

"I've been in different roles, different situations and this one
is a pure challenge and it's fun," Zetterberg said.

The question is whether the fun stops for the player known
simply as Z by his Red Wings teammates once the venue changes
Tuesday night. The Penguins can make the final line change at
home, and Bylsma won't have to be as concerned with Zetterberg
hitting the ice a moment after Crosby does.

Crosby didn't score in consecutive playoff games for the first
time since Games 1 and 2 of the finals against Detroit last
season, but he wasn't invisible. Crosby hit the inside of a post
among five shots in Game 2, and he had enough scoring chances to
worry Mike Babcock, especially now that the Red Wings coach must
be creative to pair Zetterberg and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom
against Crosby.

"They're going to make it hard for us," Babcock said. "We're
going to do what we can. We've won a lot of games this year on
the road and we did it because we're willing to move people
around and have good balance and come at teams."

The Red Wings know they'll see plenty of Crosby and playoffs
scoring leader Evgeni Malkin, and a lot of desperation, as the
Penguins try to avoid going down 3-0 to the defending champs - a
loss that would likely make the rest of the finals a mere
formality.

The Penguins' task is hard enough; of the 32 teams to previously
win the first two games 2 on home ice, 31 won the Stanley Cup.
Only Chicago failed, against Montreal in 1971.

"Hey, crazier things have happened," forward Bill Guerin said.

Pittsburgh pulled off a 2-0 comeback earlier this spring,
rallying to beat the Washington Capitals in seven games despite
losing Game 6 at home. But the Capitals lacked the depth,
maturity, goaltending and playoff know-how of the Red Wings, who
may be even better than the team that took out Pittsburgh in six
games last spring.

Detroit, for example, got insurance goals in each of the first
two games from rookie Justin Abdelkader, who spent all but two
games this season in the minors, while defenseman Jonathan
Ericsson had the pivotal goal in Game 2 only a few days after
having his appendix removed.

Hart Trophy finalist Pavel Datsyuk has missed five games with an
injured foot and, still limping around the rink, doesn't look
close to being ready to play. So far it hasn't mattered, and
Detroit's goal is to keep it that way.

"The Zetterberg line is doing a phenomenal job against Sid and
we try to do the same thing against Malkin," Marian Hossa said.
"They're dangerous players, they're getting great chances and
but we try to eliminate them."

Hossa, perhaps better than any of his teammates, knows what
awaits the Red Wings in Pittsburgh. Hossa surprised the Penguins
last summer by turning down a $49 million, seven-year offer to
stay in Pittsburgh and instead signed with Detroit for $7.5
million and one season, saying the Red Wings offered the best
chance of winning the Stanley Cup.

So far, it looks like he's made the right decision, which should
further anger the fans who booed him whenever he stepped onto
the ice during Detroit's 3-0 win in Pittsburgh on Feb. 8.

"It's going to be loud in Pittsburgh," Hossa said. "They show
you what they think. ... Nothing is going to change on my part.
I just try to use it to my advantage, that booing, (and) play my
game."

The Penguins know they can't keep playing Detroit's game and
hope to succeed, but they're confident that going home will help
them slip more pucks behind Chris Osgood. They also hope it
steadies goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who was shaky in Game 1 and
was beaten by a long, knuckleball-like shot by Abdelkader in
Game 2.

To win, Pittsburgh probably needs contributions from someone
other than Malkin (1 goal, 1 assist), who displayed some of his
frustration by fighting with Zetterberg late in Game 2.
Similarly, Crosby flashed his discontent by ramming his stick
into Kirk Malby after Game 1. Now, in so desperate a situation,
the Penguins need their stars to score, not to scrap.

They also aren't getting any offense from center Jordan Staal's
third line or from Chris Kunitz, who plays alongside Crosby yet
has only one goal in 24 games. That won't get it done against
these fast-rolling Detroit wheels.

"I don't think we should be frustrated," defenseman Sergei
Gonchar said. "I don't think we are frustrated because the
series is not over."

Lose Tuesday, and it might be.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/100435-Red-Wings-Penguins-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/100435-Red-Wings-Penguins-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:28:07 GMT</pubDate>
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