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Final Preview by Josh Brewster May 23, 2008 -- Mike Ilitch bought the Detroit Red Wings for $9M in 1982. Shortly thereafter, he hired Jimmy Devellano. A tradition of winning was born, despite many false starts. Mario Lemieux bought the Penguins for entirely different reasons than normal. In the process, he rescued the franchise. It was the second time he'd done so, the first being during his playing days. It's hard not to root for either of these clubs. One, a Pittsburgh club in rebirth. The other, an Original Six team that has proven remarkably resilient and triumphant in the modern era. Now, with Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby ready to do battle, a great modern matchup is before us.
Overview/Background Jimmy Devellano was named the Wings’ General Manager in 1982, the first hire of Mike and Marian Ilitch, who purchased the club for $9M that summer. He declared that he wouldn’t trade draft picks, and in his first draft, he wisely chose Steve Yzerman. Devellano made the center position a priority in Detroit, and made extensive inroads in Europe, hiring European scouts regularly as far back as 1984. In later years, he’d be bumped upstairs to Senior Vice President while Bryan Murray, and later, Ken Holland, succeeded him as GM. Devellano’s practice of holding on to talent developed in-house has been one of the most vital pieces to the puzzle that the Wings have solved over the years, leading to three Stanley Cup Championships in the modern era, 1997, 98 and 2002. GM Ken Holland, whom Devellano groomed during the mid-1990s, exclaimed upon Holland’s hire in 1997, “He’ll probably be around here for another ten to fifteen years.” If so, it’s certainly in keeping with Detroit tradition. A look at the Wings’ roster includes an amazing six (count ‘em!) players who were with the club when Holland was hired, 11 years ago. Kris Draper, Chris Osgood, Tomas Holmstrom, Nicklas Lidstrom, Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty are still key cogs in the Detroit machine. In a league where you’d be hard-pressed to name five clubs who have five players that have been in the lineup for five years in a row, a look at the Red Wings is inspiring. Pre-Salary Cap, Post-Salary Cap, no matter. Some thought that Wing success was due, in the pre-lockout days, only to Mike Illitch’s wallet. They were dead wrong. The team’s success is due to the club’s loyalty to the players it develops and its excellent record at the draft table. Big spenders from the pre-lockout age, such as the New York Rangers or Toronto Maple Leafs, have earned nothing over the past 10 years, despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars on salaries. While Illitch’s pockets are huge, it’s the brain power at work behind the scenes that has put the club back into the Cup Final once more. Offense Without Johan Franzen, the Wings still managed to back Dallas up against the wall, throttling a very solid opponent, three games to none, before the Stars mustered two wins, delaying Detroit’s eventual victory. Nonetheless, the raw power and depth of the Wing lineup was stunning in its ability to recover from Franzen’s loss. Those most chiefly responsible for the recovery from Franzen’s absence have been Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, who make for the most dynamic pairing in the Cup Final, and that’s quite an accomplishment, considering the offensive cast in Pittsburgh. Datsyuk (9-10-19) and Zetterberg (11-10-21) are both nominated for the Selke Trophy, which, when added to their superstar status on offense, makes for a mix for which Pittsburgh may have no answer. While the Wings feature Kris Draper at center, and he’s certainly expected to draw shutdown duty against either Crosby or Malkin, Detroit Coach Mike Babcock might just surprise us all by putting Datsyuk up directly against Evgeni Malkin. If that happens, it might be the first time this postseason that Malkin falters. Fellow countryman Datsyuk would be formidable against him, as would Draper. Draper leads the NHL postseason in face-off win percentage, winning 154 or 243 draws for a 63.4%. The Wings have a tradition of rolling four lines, each line featuring guys with defensive capabilities and offensive prowess. Way down the lineup are players with the potential to chip in, big-time. They have beefed up the lineup by reclaiming Darren McCarty, who has managed some memorable playoff goals for the Wings in years past. Babcock is giving Kirk Maltby some ice time, and Dallas Drake and Darren Helm are coming from nowhere to assist. Jiri Hudler (4-9-13) has come alive in Franzen’s absence. Tomas Holmstrom (3-7-10) makes life a lot easier for linemates Zetterberg and Datsyuk by parking himself in front of the opposition’s net. Defense Adding Brian Rafalski after subtracting Mathieu Schneider and forward Robert Lang has pushed the Wings back to contention. Rafalski has all of the offensive upside of Schneider, he’s defensively responsible, and much younger. A great partner for soon-to-be-sixth time Norris winner Lidstrom, the Penguins will contend with the most mobile, smart defense they’ve faced thus far. Coach Babcock has long been a fan of Nick Kronvall, and Kronvall has returned the enthusiasm this postseason, delivering rollicking hits and being defensively responsible. Brad Stuart has been excellent at times, and can move the puck, but is generally unspectacular, yet effective. Whether Brett Lebda and Andreas Lilja can handle the swarm of Pens will likely prove to be a key subplot of the series. Goaltending Some critique Chris Osgood (13GP; 10-2; 1.60GAA; .931SV%) due to the fact that he often faces a low shots against total in the postseason, sometimes less then 20 a night. Tough luck for the critics: The Wings are just that good on defense. As for Osgood himself, the critics have it wrong, anyway. “I’ve never been a guy that needs 40 shots to feel good,” said Osgood after the Dallas series. “I think I can play well in any situation, whether it’s 15 shots or 30 or whatever. I don’t think about stuff like that…I try to win (the games) regardless what the score is.” Having wrestled the starting job from Dominik Hasek, Osgood now prepares to backstop his original club and win his third Cup after being out of the organization, with the Islanders and Blues, from 2001-2005. Positionally sound, he makes things look easy, and similar to the Ducks’ J-S Giguere, he’s often less than spectacular while he swats the puck aside, or absorbs it with his perfectly placed body, pads, stick and catching glove, save after save. Coaching Mike Babcock, Jack Adams Trophy nominee, is the first coach in league history to guide his club to 50 or more wins in his first three seasons with an NHL team. He has now won two President’s Trophies in three seasons. In his rookie season with the Anaheim (then-Mighty) Ducks, he guided the team to its first Cup Final, losing in game seven to the Devils (2003). Babcock remembers that while watching the team lose in game seven, he realized that the Cup was rewarded on an “as-earned basis,” he recalled to the media after the Stars series. “I remember looking over at (Devils Coach Pat Burns) and thinking, he deserves it more than me anyway.” Now, it’s Babcock’s time.
Overview/Background Mario Lemieux’s script couldn’t have been written more eloquently. Labors of love, labors for money. Sacrifice, heart, desire. Two championships. Cancer, remission. This story has it all, and everything you’ve heard is true. As much as any one person could be, Lemieux has been a savior—albeit a human one—for the club for 24 years. No way on God’s good earth would this club have continued to play in Pittsburgh if not for Lemieux. When it was warranted, he came back as owner, saving the club just as surely as he did in 1984, as the first overall selection in the entry draft. As owner, he made a tough decision, letting go of old friend Craig Patrick, after three decades with the club. He hired buddy Ed Olczyk as coach, and bit the bullet when he had to fire his friend. The club struggled in the pre-salary-cap age, but Lemieux and bosses made the right move in keeping salaries low and stockpiling draft picks. Most recently, in May of 2006, Lemieux chose wisely, hiring Ray Shero, son of The Late Great Fred, as GM. With Sid Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in hand, Shero made a bold move this season, acquiring Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from Atlanta. He paid dearly, surrendering first round picks Colby Armstrong (’02) and Angelo Esposito (’07), plus third round choice Erik Christensen (’03). Shero also tossed in this June’s first round pick (’08). While Hossa has turned into a very pricey rental, he not coincidentally has two game winning goals amidst his nine postseason tallies and his ticket to the Final. Hossa’s been an integral part of the club, as has Petr Sykora (5-3-8), who Shero signed last summer. The club has a new crop of “Lemieux’s” in Crosby and Malkin, a new building negotiated by Super Mario, the Savior, and a shot at a third title. Pittsburgh loves Lemieux, the two are inseparable, it’s a great NHL story, one that warms the heart, and doesn’t come along too often. Offense Hard not to think of the young, early 1980s Edmonton Oilers when you see this team. A young goalie, some young defensive bright spots, a few veteran snipers and an amazing pair of MVP caliber centers in Sid Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Reminds us of Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky. Remember, though, Mess and Gretz had to lose a final before winning their first. Can The Kid and Company get it right the first time? When Evgeni Malkin got in Derrian Hatcher’s face, throwing punches with his gloves on during a scrum in the Eastern Final, you got the sense that Malkin was elevating his Hart Trophy nominated game to the stratosphere, and just in time for a Cup Final. Malkin had already given the Flyers, Senators and Rangers a clinic on puck protection, his 6’3” frame maneuvering through traffic with abandon. The potential for Malkin dominating this series is there, but he’ll have to face some formidable forwards, and likely, Nick Lidstrom. Therein lies a problem for the Wings. Nick Lidstrom can’t cover Malkin and Crosby simultaneously. Sid the Kid leads his team with 21 points, and he’s recorded a couple of remarkable goals that turned into assists when they bounced off a teammate or two this postseason. Either Malkin or Crosby will make life very tough for centers Pavel Datsyuk, Valteri Filppula or Kris Draper. Petr Sykora (5-3-8) is just the sniper that a team with young, gifted centers wants. He doesn’t hesitate, he shoots. Just what linemates Malkin and Ryan Malone (6-9-15; 2GWG; 3PPG) need. Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis (2-4-6) have been excellent with Crosby, and Dupuis has a better physical game than he showed in Atlanta. Down the lineup, Maxime Talbot (2-5-7; 1GWG), rookie Tyler Kennedy and pest Jarkko Ruutu (2 goals) bring some mustard and the occasional big goal. Can they handle the pressure of solid Wing depth charges McCarty or Maltby? Jordan Staal, with six goals including one game winner, could draw the assignment of shutting down Datsyuk, and his play, at the ripe old age of 19, could be pivotal in the series. If he draws Datsyuk as his shutdown responsibility, it’ll be all he can handle. If he somehow draws Filppula, his offensive skills could have some room to breathe. Defense Sergei Gonchar made a game-saving defensive play roughly halfway through the second period of game three, denying the Flyers a sure breakaway goal. The Pens went on to win the game, and the series in five. Gonchar offers a world-class defensive foil for Lidstrom and Rafalski. From there, the Penguins rely on an impressive mix of homegrown talent, including emerging veteran Brooks Orpik, of San Francisco, California, now in his fifth season with the club. Lemieux has been high on Orpik’s ability for years and now, Orpik has become a physical force. Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi provide a very physical knockout blow, Gill the veteran, Scuderi a 29 year-old, four-year veteran. How well Gill and Scuderi handle the Wings’ 7-12 forwards, the guys lower on the depth chart, will go a long way toward determining whether Pittsburgh can be successful. Rookie Kris Letang can skate and move the puck, but he could become a question mark quickly against the Wings, the most formidable group of opposition skaters he and the Pens have faced. Goaltending Injured in early December, 23 year-old Marc-Andre Fleury (12-2; 1.70GAA; .938SV%) sat on the sidelines and watched as Ty Conklin made fools of the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres, the last two clubs to give up on him. Conklin even shared the limelight at the Winter Classic in Buffalo, where the Pens won the regular season’s biggest game, on the NHL’s biggest TV stage in a decade (at least). Conklin won his first nine starts with the club. It’s just another bitter pill that Fleury had to swallow, similar to when he swallowed the harsh reality of playing for the pre-Crosby, pre-lockout Penguins prior to his 20th birthday. As always, though, the smiling Fleury battled through, and the young netminder is a legit veteran now, making save upon save this postseason, some of the biggest variety. Coaching Winner of the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL Coach of the Year in 2007, Michel Therrien’s status as a top coach is cemented with this trip to the Cup Final. After finishing fifth in the Atlantic division and missing the playoffs after taking over as coach in 2005-06, Therrien has the numbers to prove that the Pens’ turnaround is one of the most impressive in hockey. While the stockpile of top draft picks was essential, Therrien’s coaching and emphasis on defense has made an enormous difference. Prediction Lidstrom a force, his leadership matters most at crunch time. Slew of Wing vets with rings will support Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Despite the legitimate hype surrounding Malkin and Crosby, Datsyuk and Zetterberg will be the real stars of this series. While Malkin and Crosby, plus Hossa and Sykora, promise to make this a long series, in the end, Detroit has the edge in experience, and like the Oilers of 1983-84, the Penguins will take a tough Cup Final loss before ascending to a championship. Cup number 11 for Detroit and the first Cup to be presented to a European captain. Red Wings in 6
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*Each Detroit player has appeared in 16 games unless otherwise noted - Special Teams PP: 21.0% PK: 87.3 - Goal Scorers, Postseason Johan Franzen 12 (11GP) Henrik Zetterberg 11 - Points, Postseason Henrik Zetterberg 11-10-21 Pavel Datsyuk 9-10-19 - Game Winning Goals Johan Franzen, 5 Henrik Zetterberg, 3 - GAA / SV%, rank (Goalie) Chris Osgood (13GP; 10-2; 1.60GAA; .931SV%) - Shots on goal leader(s) Henrik Zetterberg, 84 Mikael Samuelsson, 58 - TOI leaders: Offense, Defense Offense: Henrik Zetterberg, 21:24 Defense: Nicklas Lidstrom, 25:42 - PPG leaders Johan Franzen, 5 Henrik Zetterberg, 3 Pavel Datsyuk, 3 - Shorthanded Goal leaders Johan Franzen, 2 Henrik Zetterberg, 2 - Trophy Nominees Selke: Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom Jack Adams: Mike Babcock (*Franzen has been limited to 11 playoff games due to injury)
*Each Pittsburgh player has appeared in 14 games unless otherwise noted - Special Teams PP: 24.6% PK: 87.3% - Goal Scorers, Postseason Marian Hossa, 9 Evgeni Malkin, 9 - Points, Postseason Sidney Crosby, 4-17-21 Marian Hossa, 9-10-19 Evgeni Malkin, 9-10-19 - Game Winning Goals Evgeni Malkin, 3 Marian Hossa, 2 Ryan Malone, 2 - GAA / SV%, rank (Goalie) Marc-Andre Fleury (12-2; 1.70GAA; .938SV%) - Shots on goal leader(s) Evgeni Malkin, 59 Marian Hossa, 58 - TOI leaders: Offense, Defense Offense: Evgeni Malkin, 20:22 Defense: Sergei Gonchar, 24:45 - PPG leaders Evgeni Malkin, 4 Marian Hossa, 3 Ryan Malone, 3 - Shorthanded Goal leaders Evgeni Malkin, 1 - Trophy Nominees Evgeni Malkin, Hart
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