Penguins, Wings look poised for fine Finals
NHL roundup
This shouldn't come as a surprise as the Red Wings were first overall in the NHL and the Penguins finished second overall in the Eastern Conference. Yet at season's end, some observers doubted if the two clubs had what it took to make it this far.
Neither was considered to have strong postseason goaltending. Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury was dismissed as too young and inexperienced while Detroit's Chris Osgood was expected to warm the bench behind a fading Dominik Hasek.
The Penguins defense was said to lack the experience and depth to handle the rigors of postseason competition, while the Red Wings were considered lacking the physical offensive talent needed to go far.
Now, with the two clubs all but certain to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, their perceived weaknesses are among their strengths.
Fleury and Osgood have silenced their critics. The Penguins have proven adept at playing a strong defensive game and the Wings forwards have proven more than a match for their opponents with their physical offensive style.
Another factor has been the ability of their top forwards to lead the way offensively. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins are currently first and third in overall playoff scoring while Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk rank second and fourth.
Opponents have tried to slow these four in hopes of shutting down their teams' offensive power but thus far it's only proven to be exercises in futility.
Perhaps the main reason for the Red Wings and Penguins success is their team speed.
The Penguins have relied upon it to power their offensive game but it's also proven equally effective in their aggressive defensive play.
The Red Wings have been continually praised this postseason for their puck possession game, where speed has proven to be the critical factor.
Of course there are other factors that have been unique to the two teams. The Red Wings are a veteran-laden club well experienced in postseason success, and their scoring depth received an unexpected boost from secondary players like Johan Franzen and Jiri Hudler. The Penguins are a predominantly young team with little experience at this level of the playoffs, but they have been bolstered by the play of veterans such as Marian Hossa and Sergei Gonchar.
Still, it's been the similarities of the two teams — steady goaltending, solid defense, a balanced offense powered by superstars and team speed — that has led both to the verge of the Stanley Cup Finals, setting the stage for what could prove to be one of the most evenly matched and exciting Finals in years.
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