For the first time since 1992, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in a thrilling Game 7 victory over the reigning champs, the Detroit Red Wings.
When it comes to naming heroes in Stanley Cup Finals, the name Maxime Talbot usually doesn’t come to mind. But that’s a name many hockey fans will be talking about for weeks, because the quiet Pittsburgh Penguins forward scored the only two goals the Eastern Conference champions netted in a 2-1 Game 7 win over Detroit.
In Joe Louis Arena, the Red Wings couldn’t muster a comeback against an aggressive Penguins squad. The Penguins’ triumph was the first time in the series that the road team was able to win a game in the opposing team’s rink. Detroit had been almost perfect at home, but the Pens were able to crack the Red Wings early and eventually win the Stanley Cup on the road.
Evgeni Malkin was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as the top performer in the post-season. Star forward Sidney Crowsby of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia was the first Pens player to hoist the Cup over his head during the post-game celebration.
Detroit fans might want to blame defenceman Brad Stuart for the Pens’ first goal. He coughed up the puck directly behind his own net, and Malkin then passed to Talbot in front, who continued his trend of scoring momentum-swinging goals to give the Penguins the lead with his seventh goal of the post-season and third of the final.
The Wings peppered goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury with shots, but the netminder was quick to deflect any point shot with a blocker or kick save. He was severely tested in the first few minutes of the third period, but he weathered a storm thanks to some nifty shot-blocking by his forwards.
Talbot later scored his second goal on a two-on-one. He kept the puck the whole way and shot a zinger top-shelf on Chris Osgoode. The Detroit goalie notably looked rattled and frustrated when the Pens leapt out to a 2-0 lead.
But the Wings didn’t curl up in defeat in the third. With almost four minutes left in the game, blueliner Jonathan Ericsson took a cross-ice feed and beat Fleury high glove side to get the Red Wings on the board. Detroit had some life. The fans started cheering wildly.
But Fleury made the save of the Finals with a leap across the crease when a rebound found its way on a Red Wings stick. The save came with three seconds left in the game, and it sealed the deal for the excitable Pens.
Pittsburgh has been enjoying a superlative sports year. The Pens’ victory comes on the heels of the Steelers win in Super Bowl XLIII.
