They’re at it again. The NHL team Detroit Redwings has taken a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup finals against the NHL team Pittsburgh Penguins for the second straight year. So far in the series, the Redwings have scored a combined six goals to the Penguins’ two and are poised to repeat as Cup champions in 2009.
Of the thirty-two teams that have dropped Games 1 and 2 on the road in the Stanley Cup finals only the 1971 Montreal Canadiens managed to come back and win it all. The odds are clearly in NHL team Detroit’s favor. A huge part of their success in this finals series has been the solid play of veteran goaltender Chris Osgood. Osgood was Detroit’s first line goalie when the team won the Cup in 1998, so he understands what it takes to win in big games. With the victory in Game 2, Osgood improved his record to 10-2 in the playoffs and knocked down his goals-against average to 1.42 in the Stanley Cup finals. If the NHL team Pens can’t figure out a way to get the puck around Osgood, they might as well kiss Lord Stanley’s Cup adios right now.
With the series headed back to Pittsburgh, Pens fans are certainly hoping that some home ice advantage will come into play. NHL team player Sidney Crosby, who hasn’t scored a point yet in these finals, has to find a way to put the puck in the net if the NHL team Pens are to have a shot at making history.
