Gotta wonder if the economy in Michigan has affected ticket sales in Detroit. I agree though-they have won so often--it becomes a bit anti-climactic.

However, I think that Pavel Daytsuk is perhaps the most underrated player in the NHL. Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, Kovalchuk etc get the headlines, but watch that guy --his skills and hockey sense are just incredible.

A.B.

Why is the hiring of Patrick Roy B.S.? He is arguably the greatest goalie ever to play, he coached the Memorial Cup Champs, and is passionate about hockey.

He has the pedigree of a great NHL coach. I'm not saying he is a guaranteed to be successful, but he's certainly a logical and deserving choice.

I agree--Roy would seem to have the qualitites of a good coach in the NHL...

Yeah when the media critiques him he can just (in my best French Canadian Accent), "stick my two stanley cup rings in my ears, and I cannot hear them."

I never like Patrick Roy for some reason. I guess living in Colorado and watching them win 2 cups while I lived there, as a Flyers fan was a bit of torture. Particularly when you get heckled by fans who couldn't make an Icing call.

I don't like some of the things I have heard he has done with the team he is coaching currently, and to be honest, I think he has a child like attitude. My opinion only, I am sure most of hte Av's fans would gladly welcome him as their coach. It is a mute point, as he asked not to be considered yet, since he still wants to coach his son.

What he does, the way he coaches, is standard practice in the QMJHL, or it used to be.

Don cherry would be proud of him.

That may be the case in the QMJHL, I just don't see him fitting in well as an NHL coach.

I agree about Daytsuk, his stick handling is amazing, and he always seems to be in the right spot.

I think its going to be a great series.

On a side note, I was at a hockey shop in Detroit this morning, and stumbled onto a Konstantinov jersey, which surprised me, so I snatched it up.

I think Roy is smart enough to know what works where. Old time hockey worked for the Ducks last year. They were first in fights, penalty minutes and major penalties.

Sometimes you have to lose a battle to win the war.

4-0 should have been 5-0.

The Pens will have to step it up quite a bit as Detroit is way more skilled team...or it will be a short series and time to work on the putting game.

I don't know if I agree with the 'more skilled' part but the Wings certainly did look it last night. I will say their SC experience did show and the Pens youth also showed. So, they got one under their belts, we'll see.

Good game by the wings. Nobody here is concerned. If the Pens win the next game, there immediate goal is done.

As I said on 5/18, Detroit will take this one. Especially if Ozzy keeps playing as he has. It's not to say that the Pens aren't a great team but when the Red Wings are firing on all cylinders they have such control of the game. On top of all that, people like Samuelsson are scoring. To win a series, you have to have your 2-4th lines step up and not just the superstars.
Side note: Kronvall's hits have been devastating (as in "did someone get the license plate of the truck that just hit me?").

Buckterrier...when i say 'more skilled'... really no team in the NHL can equal what the Wings do...and this is no offense to the Pens or anyone else. Skilled to me means the tick tack toe way that the Wings move the puck...from the way they break out of their own zone to the forecheck and movement inside the blue line...no team can match what they do. This is not only an offensive philosophy but it is also a defensive philosophy "you cant score if we have the puck".

It is about controlling the play and "tilting the ice" and the Wings do this just about every game... the highly skilled Swedes and the other grittier players make the perfect combination which is tough to beat. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are every bit as good as any combo in the league, really.

Now the Pens can win this series, but they will need to get a) way more physical and b) put more shots on Osgood... c) knock Det. off of their game, which will be tough to do.

Where are the Fleury boosters today? He was outplayed by Osgood.

The Redwings out played the Penquins plain and simple. Game 2 this evening ;)

But a good, okay great, game by Fleury would have made it close. He mis-handled the puck and played poorly.

Most even average goalies will stop most shots if they see them coming. What makes goalie greatness is NO fat juicy rebounds! (and of course the incredible diving replay reel saves). A good defense (to mop up the rebounds and not allow snipers to be left alone) makes a fair goalie good and a good one look exceptional. Fleury is great but Ozzy has been exceptional and the defense cleaning up made game one a shutout.
I don't think the Pens will go down in 4 but barring some major turnaround or injury the Wings will have it.

Give a goalie a few goal lead in his own building and anyone can look great. Credit the wing defense for letting him not see many shots. Like I said, no one here is concerned, at least yet. The Pens have a tendancy to turn some pretty good goalies inside out. Go Pens.

Another big Detroit win. They are not letting the Pens have much. It was disappointing to see Gary Roberts take that cheap shot on Franzen... It cost the Pens 2 make up calls later on and that was that.

From ESPN

• Penguins veteran Gary Roberts has enjoyed a great career, but his (amazingly) unpenalized head shot on Wings forward Johan Franzen in third period was a gutless act. If the league wants to send a message about such plays, they should suspend Roberts. On this one, Roberts earned it. When a vet like Roberts loses his composure, it doesn't send a good message to his younger teammates. As the game wore on, the Pens seemed to melt down.


It was particularly disturbing since Franzen has missed the last 8 games with concussion symptoms and Roberts took a goon-like shot at his head which appeared to be on purpose...following Franzen's sweet feed to Fillipula for the 3rd goal.

The Pens are showing signs of a team that is frustrated and getting chippy. They may be done.

You know, the Wing are THAT good. After watching the Pens all year, I can see that they have no answer to the Wings. I really doubt that home ice is going to provide any benefits. Maybe a win. One side note is how come no Wings lovers are actually from Detroit. What's thay about?