im from Detroit....obviously :) The team has a lot of displaced fans all over the country, and since they have been so good for the last 15 years or so...., they pick up the casual hockey fan who is looking for a team to support in the US...also huge in Europe with the big presences of Sweds and Russians recently.

Ozzie is playing solid -making the big saves when he has to-and Fleury has been good -not scintillating, but over-all good--the first goal tonight (gm 2) wasn't great--but you can't pinpoint Fleury as the issue right now.

Right now, it doesn't matter who is in goal for Pitt--the Wings are smothering Pitt's offense. They are shutting the Pens down--reminds me of the Islanders and Oilers--the 80's Oilers first run in the finals against an experienced and selfless Islander team--they got shut down in a very similar fashion.

Pitt has to generate some offence --soon...

1. Gary Roberts has played 'on the edge' his entire career. It got him this far don't expext any changes now. A cheap shot from him, but not an unexpected act.

2. Franzen did himself no favours by lying on the ice for five minutes then playing the next shift. He appeared to be malingering.

3. His previous head injury is not relevant. You can't expect players to be concerned about the opponents past medical history.

4. The Wings are superior in offence, defense, goal, self-control, puck control, positional play, power-play, penalty kill and face-offs. That leaves the Penguins with no hope.

You funny funny man. The New York football Giants had no hope either ;)

No one said the Giants had no chance at half-time in the Superbowl, they said that a week before the game.

It's half-time for the Penguins now, and they can barely get a shot on goal let alone score.

Stick a fork in 'em....:(

The Penguins might have had a chance if they were playing Dallas, but they are not. Detroit is head and shoulders above every team in the league this year, as they are most years. This is going to be a 4 game sweep unless Detroit plays empty net for the rest of the series, which would make it closer to fair, the edge still slightly tilted towards the Wings. However, they won't. It was a good run for Pitt, but this year they get the runner up prize.

Its really impressive to watch the poise and discipline the Wings play with. Unlike in the Flyers series the Pens just cant get to the net. In last nights game they didn't get to the rebounds or get the bounces they got vs Philly simply because the Wings played a much higher level then Philly.

I also was disapointed with Roberts head shot on Frazen. I think it was cheap and deliberate.

I also think that Michele T. should stop whining like a little baby. You get some calls, and some go the other way. He needs to stop blaming the refs. Its happend to Holmstrom a couple of times in the play offs. I didn't see Osgood making any dives last night, and the hit at the end of the game was on purpose.

I am surprised and pleased to see Pavel D. stepping up and getting rough....

I think one of the best way to sum up the series so far is, to look back at one of the Pitsburgh Power Plays (I don't remember which one exactly, but it was near the end of the game) and Zetterberg went down and blocked a shot from the point. When you have your players like him doing that, its a good sign.

Bill

What you're seeing is the same thing you saw when the Pens played the Flyers. The better team is playing smothering hockey with great team D, no give aways in their zone and making the best of their offensive chances.

They said that until 1 second before kickoff my friend.

The flyers best defensive players were hurt. That sure doesn't help in trying to clear your zone.

Believe me I know...


Still the Wings are putting it to the Pens in the same way the Pens put the strangle on the FLyers

What about at half time? Go to Vegas, you'll get 50-1 money for the Penguins.

I thought he dove twice. Once on the crease penalty and the second time behind the net at the end. Yes he got bumped, he didn't get shot.

He showed what he's made of on the Ribero slash. First he butt ended him in the face, then he faked an injury. It's not soccer, and there is no place for it in the game.

I didn't see the one in the crease, but the Pen's player definitley leaned in with his shoulder on the hit or whatever the hell you want to call it at the end of the game. He might have been leaning who knows, there was no reason for the Pen's player to bump / hit him. You don't hit the goalie, its that simple.

The Ribero slash / hit was both of their faults.

In the end, if you are blaming the Pen's losing on what Osgood is doing (except stopping shots and shutting them out) you are missing the rest of the game.

Yea, the dumb thing was the Penguin player (Malone?) standing in the crease face-to-face with the goalie, on a power play no less. You're just asking for a penalty.

And you're right, they're not gettnig shut-out becausde Osgoode is unbeatable, they simply aren't getting enough shots/chances/rebounds.

They're getting shut out because the Wings team D is just fantastic right now. Almost no second chances for the Pens, they are not getting to the net, and they're not forcing turnovers in the Wings zone.

Wings D collapse down low, and the center is usually there also, it works fine as long as Osgoode controls the rebounds.

As long as he does not kick the rebounds out far then that is working fine. I didnt notice 5 guys that low. To me it just looks like the Wings D and centers can handle the Pens forwards.

Lets be realistic, the Sens were shot by the time the Pens played them. The Rangers were 24th in the league in scoring and once they blew that lead in game one they had nothing left. The Flyers were in way over their head and losing their top Defensemen was just too much for them to overcome.

I dont mean to take away from the Pens, they have a good young team and they went for it adding guys like HOssa and Gill but some of those parts are gone after the series is over and they didnt face anyone including my Flyers in the first 3 rounds.

3 Guys low.

Realistic? Okay, the West is far superior to the east. Hands down. I bet four (or more) teams from the West could beat the Penguins.

And Hall Gill (aka Hal Skill) is good in limited applications (i.e. penalty kill) and when he plays within his limitations. Last night he got exposed.