Recap: Detroit vs. Pittsburgh
Sports Network | November 11, 2008
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Jordan Staal used a natural hat trick to ignite a Pittsburgh rally in the third period and then set up Ruslan Fedotenko's goal 3:49 into overtime, as the Penguins overcame a three-goal deficit and captured a dramatic 7-6 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in a rematch of last season's Stanley Cup final series at Joe Louis Arena.
The Penguins trailed 5-2 in the third period, but Staal scored three goals in the stanza, including the game-tying tally with 23 seconds remaining, to help the Penguins to their fourth consecutive victory. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Maxime Talbot also scored for the Penguins, who will open a three-game homestand on Thursday against Philadelphia. Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 28 saves in the win.
Jiri Hudler scored twice, while Johan Franzen, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg were among the goal scorers for Detroit, which defeated the Penguins in six games last spring but failed to close out this one. Chris Osgood was solid through two periods, but allowed four goals on 16 shots in the third and ended with 27 total saves for Detroit, which saw its two-game win streak halted but still earned at least one point for the 12th time in 14 games this season.
Following the furious third period in which Staal and the Pens rallied from deficits of 5-2 and 6-4 to tie the contest, the visitors carried the momentum into overtime. Datsyuk took the puck from his own end and headed for the neutral zone, but Staal stole the disc from Datsyuk's blind side and turned the other way on a 2-on-1. From the left side, Staal fed a pass across the high slot before Fedotenko's one-timer sailed into the back of the cage for the 7-6 win.
A Detroit power-play tally near the five-minute mark of the third period made it 5-2. The give-and-go play was set up by Zetterberg, who streaked over the blue line and, from the high slot, passed to Hudler near the left half-wall. Hudler took several strides and passed back to Zetterberg, whose redirection at the back-side post lit the lamp at 5:03.
The visitors got back into the game during a 5-on-3 advantage. Franzen and Valtteri Filppula were whistled for minor penalties only five seconds apart and the deadly Penguins' power play went to work. At 6:57, Malkin fired a wrister from the slot that Osgood never saw.
Only 72 seconds later, this time skating 5-on-4, the Pens scored again to climb within one on Staal's backhander from the top of the crease.
Hudler, however, tallied with 9:46 to go in regulation. He crossed the blue line down the right-wing side and released a blazing slap shot from the top of the circle. Fleury made the save, but the puck skipped behind him and trickled over the goal line just inside the far post for a 6-4 Detroit edge.
With over four minutes to go, Staal scored for the second time in the period when his wrist shot from the slot -- after a long rebound was allowed by Osgood following a shot from the right point by Kris Letang -- made its way through traffic in the crease.
Fleury was pulled for the extra skater inside the final minute and it paid off. Malkin held control atop the right circle and ripped a slap shot that never made it to the net. Detroit's Nick Lidstrom could not gain control to clear the puck, and Staal kept poking at it until it slid under Osgood with 23 seconds remaining.
The Red Wings held a 2-1 lead after the opening 20 minutes. After Crosby's fourth goal of the season 4:34 after the opening faceoff, a pair of Detroit goals within a 1:58 span -- one by Darren McCarty and the other a power-play marker by Tomas Holmstrom -- gave the hosts the one-goal lead.
Detroit moved ahead 3-1 with a power-play goal 1:09 into the second period. Mikael Samuelsson held control along the left half-wall and centered the puck, which deflected off the skate of Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik and caromed onto the stick of Hudler in the low slot. Hudler then passed across for an easy one-timer by Franzen, who lit the lamp from near the right post.
Shortly after, at the 4:14 mark, the Pens drew within 3-2. Petr Sykora held the puck along the rear boards and slid it toward the goal mouth. Detroit's Brad Stuart was in the crease trying to ward off Talbot, but the puck appeared to bounce off Talbot's skate and slid over the goal line behind Osgood.
With under two minutes remaining before the second intermission, the Red Wings regained their two-goal lead. Datsyuk wound up and ripped a one-timer after a soft pass from Marian Hossa that beat Fleury with help from a screen in front by Holmstrom.
Staal now has five goals this season... The Red Wings finished 3-for-5 on the power play while the Pens were 1-for-5 with the extra skater...The Pens improved to 5-2-1 on the road this season...The Wings had won three straight homes games...Miroslav Satan posted two assists in the win...Attendance was 20,066.
