Late, last laugh belongs to Penguins

Tuesday, June 03, 2008
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Penguins center Maxime Talbot reaches to shoot the tying goal against the Red Wings in the third period.

DETROIT -- It all sounded so hollow at the time, strictly false bravado from a team that looked to be little more than a speed bump on the Detroit Red Wings' way to their Stanley Cup parade. I'll admit it. I had to stifle a sneer Saturday night, in those agonizing moments after Detroit's 2-1 win at Mellon Arena, when Penguins winger Marian Hossa said the guys would make things "miserable" on the Red Wings when they attempted to shut down the Penguins for the summer in Game 5 here last night. I had to do the same thing yesterday at the morning skate when teammate Gary Roberts promised "our best game."

Well, guess who had the last laugh on their doubters on this amazing Detroit night and morning?

Not that Hossa, Roberts and the rest of the Penguins did much reveling after their 4-3 triple-overtime victory at Joe Louis Arena extended their season for at least one more game and spoiled Detroit's best-laid party plans. For one thing, they were too tired after leaving everything on the ice. For another, there was no time for it. There's still too much work to be done. To win the Cup, the Penguins must beat the Red Wings in Game 6 at Mellon Arena tomorrow night, then again in Game 7 here Saturday night.

The odds still heavily favor the Red Wings, make no mistake about that.

But, at least, Detroit's big red machine no longer looks quite so invincible.

Not after the Red Wings blew a 3-2 lead in the final minute of regulation.

"We still believe in here that we can get it done," Penguins defenseman Darryl Sydor insisted yesterday. "We really think we have a chance."

Winger Petr Sykora got the winning goal at 9:57 of the third overtime and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was absolutely sensational all game, but, if you ask me, the real hero was winger Max Talbot.

NHL officials were shining up the Cup and getting ready for its presentation after Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk and Brian Rafalski scored within a 2:40 span midway through the third period for a 3-2 lead. And why not? The Red Wings had been so dominant defensively throughout the series. To that point, they had outscored the Penguins, 8-1, in the third period of the five games. Surely, they could protect that one-goal lead and set off a massive Detroit celebration.

Or not.



Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Evgeni Malkin and Maxime Talbot celebrate the tying goal against the Red Wings in the third period.

Talbot, known as one of the Penguins' top energy guys, saw his hard work rewarded when he scored with 34.3 seconds left in regulation to tie it and force the overtimes. He whacked the puck once off Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood, then whacked it by him on his second crack.

You would expect such heroics from Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin or Hossa, but Talbot?

"I used to be so awesome in juniors. I was sick as a goal scorer," Talbot said, grinning.

So what happened?

"A coach told me that I wasn't going to make it in the NHL on my skills," Talbot said. "He said, 'You've got none. You've got to focus on defensive hockey.'

"He was right. My role is to work hard and make things happen."

Talbot couldn't have picked a better time than last night.

Talk about silencing the bedlam in the ancient arena.

Fleury kept the Penguins in the game as the Red Wings dominated much of the first two overtimes with a 20-10 edge in shots. Through that second overtime, they had outshot the Penguins by a staggering 54-28.

But Sykora had the only shot that really counted.



Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Petr Sykora gets the game winning goalin the third overtime.

Long-time observers said it was one of the all-time great Cup final games.

Who am I to argue?

Now, that precious Cup has been packed back in its box, and is returning to Pittsburgh for Game 6.

The Penguins hope it has to travel one more time, back to Detroit for Game 7 Saturday night.

"We put ourselves in this position," Roberts said, shrugging. "It's up to us to dig our way out."

The man who has become such a cult hero in our town sounded so matter-of-fact.

Trust me on this:

There was nothing hollow-sounding about his words.

Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
First published on June 3, 2008 at 1:21 am