The 2008 Stanley Cup Finals was the
championship series of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
's (NHL)
2007–08 season, and the culmination of the
2008 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 9, 2008, after the 2007–08 regular season. The 16 teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series for conference quarterfinals, sem ...
. It was contested between the
Western Conference champion
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and are ...
and the
Eastern Conference champion
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
. This was Detroit's 23rd appearance in the Finals, and its first since winning the Cup in
2002. This was Pittsburgh's third appearance in the Finals, and its first since winning consecutive Cup championships in
1991 and
1992. The Red Wings defeated the Penguins four games to two to earn the Stanley Cup. Detroit's
Henrik Zetterberg was awarded the
Conn Smythe Trophy as the
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a partic ...
of the playoffs.
This was Detroit's 11th Stanley Cup title and was also the first Cup Finals between two United States-based NHL teams since
2003.
In the United States,
Versus televised games one and two, and
NBC broadcast the rest of the series. It was broadcast in Canada on
CBC in English and on
RDS in French. In the United Kingdom, all games were aired live on
Five
5 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
5, five or number 5 may also refer to:
* AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era
* 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era
Literature
* ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram
* ''5'' (comics), an awa ...
, and on the cable sports channel
NASN. The series was also broadcast by NHL Radio via
Westwood One.
Paths to the Finals
The
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and are ...
entered the Finals after winning the
Presidents' Trophy as the team that had the best record during the regular season. Led by forwards
Henrik Zetterberg,
Pavel Datsyuk, and
Johan Franzen, Detroit scored 55 goals in the first three rounds of the playoffs. With struggling goaltender
Dominik Hasek being replaced mid-series by
Chris Osgood, the Red Wings defeated their division rival
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, in six games. The team swept the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...
in the Western Conference Semifinals, in which Franzen scored nine goals – tying with the entire Avalanche squad, who also scored nine goals in the series. The Red Wings then defeated the
Dallas Stars in six games to win their fifth
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in franchise history.
The
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
entered the championship series after winning the
Atlantic Division and earning the second-best regular season record in the
Eastern Conference. The team was led by
Sidney Crosby; missing 29 games throughout the regular season because of an ankle injury, the captain returned to lead the first three rounds of the playoffs in assists, and to tie for the lead in points heading into the Stanley Cup Finals. Goaltender
Marc-Andre Fleury recorded three shutouts throughout the playoffs, to lead the league in that category.
Evgeni Malkin and
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
each recorded nine goals and ten assists throughout the playoffs. The Penguins swept the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...
in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, a reversal of
the series of the previous season when Ottawa beat Pittsburgh 4–1. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Penguins defeated division rival the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
, in five games. The team won the
Prince of Wales Trophy
The Prince of Wales Trophy, also known as the Wales Trophy, is a team award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL). Named for Prince Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and then Duke of Windsor), it has been awarded for diffe ...
by defeating another division rival, their
in-state rivals, and another fierce
rival of the Rangers, the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
, also in five games.
Game summaries
The 2008 Stanley Cup Finals marked the first time that the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins met in postseason play, and the first time since the
1909 World Series that professional sports teams from
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
and
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
met in a postseason series or game. The Red Wings and Penguins did not play each other during the 2007–08 regular season.
Game one
Pittsburgh's
Gary Roberts and Detroit's
Chris Chelios
Christos Kostas Chelios (born January 25, 1962) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He was one of the longest tenured players in the National Hockey League, and is a three-time Stanley Cup champion—one with the Montreal ...
were both healthy scratches for game one. Prior to the game, a ceremonial
faceoff
A face-off is the method used to begin and restart play after goals in some sports using sticks, primarily ice hockey, bandy, floorball, broomball, rinkball, and lacrosse.
During a face-off, two teams line up in opposition to each other, and ...
featuring former Pittsburgh captain and current team chairman
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux (; ; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played parts of 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1984 and 2006, and he assumed ownership of the ...
and former Detroit captain and team vice president at the time
Steve Yzerman
Stephen Gregory Yzerman (; born May 9, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player currently serving as executive vice president and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he spent all 22 seasons of his NHL playing ...
. Each dropped a puck to their current captains
Sidney Crosby and
Nicklas Lidstrom Nicklas is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include the following:
Given name Sports Football
* Nicklas Bärkroth (born 1992), Swedish footballer
* Nicklas Bergh (born 1982), Swedish footballer
* Nicklas Carlsson (born 1979), ...
, respectively.
At 15:20 into the first period, a goal scored by Lidstrom was waved off after
Tomas Holmstrom was called for goaltender interference. The remainder of the first period went scoreless, as Pittsburgh failed to capitalize on four consecutive power plays. At 13:01 into the second period,
Mikael Samuelsson
Karl Mikael Samuelsson (born 23 December 1976) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey right winger. Samuelsson began his career in Sweden, starting with small town team IFK Mariefred, followed by Södertälje SK as a junior in 1994. He ...
gave the Red Wings the unassisted game-winning goal, on a wrap-around. Just over two minutes into the third period, Samuelsson added his second unassisted goal of the game. At 17:18 into the third period,
Dan Cleary
Daniel Michael Cleary (born December 18, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings. He currentl ...
scored shorthanded to give the Red Wings a 3–0 lead.
Henrik Zetterberg scored on the power-play with 13 seconds remaining.
Chris Osgood recorded his second shutout of the playoffs, to give the Red Wings a 4–0 victory in game one. The Red Wings outshot the Penguins 36–19.
;Game one summary
*First period:
**Scoring: ''None''
**Penalties:
Kris Letang
Kristopher Joseph Pierre Irwin Letang (born April 24, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played juniors in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey ...
, Pittsburgh (
Interference) 3:51;
Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit (
High sticking
High may refer to:
Science and technology
* Height
* High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area
* High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory
* High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift ...
) 4:02;
Nicklas Lidstrom Nicklas is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include the following:
Given name Sports Football
* Nicklas Bärkroth (born 1992), Swedish footballer
* Nicklas Bergh (born 1982), Swedish footballer
* Nicklas Carlsson (born 1979), ...
, Detroit (
Hooking) 10:15;
Darren Helm, Detroit (
Tripping) 12:38; Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit (
Interference) 15:20;
Hal Gill, Pittsburgh (
High sticking
High may refer to:
Science and technology
* Height
* High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area
* High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory
* High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift ...
) 19:00
*Second period:
**Scoring: (1) Detroit:
Mikael Samuelsson
Karl Mikael Samuelsson (born 23 December 1976) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey right winger. Samuelsson began his career in Sweden, starting with small town team IFK Mariefred, followed by Södertälje SK as a junior in 1994. He ...
(unassisted) 13:01
**Penalties:
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh (
Slashing) 1:55;
Ryan Whitney, Pittsburgh (
Holding) 13:13;
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh (
Tripping)
*Third period:
**Scoring: (2) Detroit: Mikael Samuelsson 2:16 (unassisted); (3)
Dan Cleary
Daniel Michael Cleary (born December 18, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings. He currentl ...
(
Brad Stuart
Bradley Stuart (born November 6, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 career games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, ...
) SHG 17:18; (4)
Henrik Zetterberg (Tomas Holmstrom, Nicklas Lidstrom) PPG 19:47
**Penalties: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit (
Interference) 15:27;
Jarkko Ruutu Jarkko is a given name. Notable people with the given name include:
* Jarkko Ahola (born 1977), Finnish performing artist, composer and singer
* Jarkko Ala-Huikku (born 1980), Finnish Greco-Roman wrestler
* Jarkko Hattunen (born 1987), Finnish ice ...
, Pittsburgh (
Slashing) 18:08
*Goalie Statistics:
**Detroit:
Chris Osgood — Shutout (Second of playoffs), 19 saves / 19 shots
**Pittsburgh:
Marc-Andre Fleury — 32 saves / 36 shots
*Shots by Period:
:
Game two
In preparation for game two, head coach
Michel Therrien revised Pittsburgh's lines; the revision included
Gary Roberts who did not play in game one.
Johan Franzen, the leading goal-scorer in the playoffs, returned to the line-up for Detroit.
Detroit's
Brad Stuart
Bradley Stuart (born November 6, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 career games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, ...
scored the first goal of the game 6:55 into the first period, on a slap shot, with an assist from
Valtteri Filppula
Valtteri Filppula (born 20 March 1984) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward for Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL).
Filppula won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. He has previously played with the Red Win ...
.
Tomas Holmstrom added a goal at 11:18 into the first period, to put Detroit up 2–0. Pittsburgh struggled throughout the period, failing to get a shot on goal for the game's first twelve minutes. Detroit outshot the Penguins 11–6 in the second period, but both teams failed to score. At 8:48 into the third period, Valtteri Filppula scored his first goal of the series, beating goaltender
Marc-Andre Fleury with a wrist-shot. Chris Osgood recorded his second consecutive shutout, stopping all 22 shots faced.
;Game two summary
*First period:
**Scoring: (1) Detroit:
Brad Stuart
Bradley Stuart (born November 6, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 career games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, ...
1 (
Valtteri Filppula
Valtteri Filppula (born 20 March 1984) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward for Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL).
Filppula won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. He has previously played with the Red Win ...
) 6:55; (2)
Tomas Holmstrom 4 (
Henrik Zetterberg) 11:18
**Penalties:
Brad Stuart
Bradley Stuart (born November 6, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 career games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, ...
, Detroit (
Tripping) 11:33;
Ryan Malone
Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979) nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, ...
, Pittsburgh (
Interference) 15:14;
Daniel Cleary, Detroit (
Hooking) 17:49;
Gary Roberts, Pittsburgh (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 19:46
*Second period:
**Scoring: ''None''
**Penalties:
Brooks Orpik
Richard Brooks Orpik (born September 26, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). A stay-at-home defenseman and locker ...
, Pittsburgh (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 11:17; Tomas Holmstrom, Detroit (
Slashing) 11:17;
Ryan Malone
Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979) nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, ...
, Pittsburgh (
Slashing) 17:30
*Third period:
**Scoring: (3) Detroit:
Valtteri Filppula
Valtteri Filppula (born 20 March 1984) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward for Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL).
Filppula won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. He has previously played with the Red Win ...
4 (
Johan Franzen,
Brad Stuart
Bradley Stuart (born November 6, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 career games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, ...
) 8:48
**Penalties:
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
, Pittsburgh (
Holding) 0:22;
Ryan Malone
Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979) nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, ...
, Pittsburgh (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 3:42;
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 3:42;
Dallas Drake
Dallas James Drake (born February 4, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger in the National Hockey League who last played for the Detroit Red Wings. Having played the beginning and end of his NHL career with Detroit, he won his ...
, Detroit (
Tripping) 7:49;
Ryan Malone
Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979) nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, ...
, Pittsburgh (
Goaltender Interference) 8:04;
Maxime Talbot (served by
Tyler Kennedy
Tyler Kennedy (born July 15, 1986) is a Canadian- American former professional ice hockey centre who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils. ...
), Pittsburgh (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 11:51;
Maxime Talbot, Pittsburgh (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 11:51;
Johan Franzen, Detroit (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 11:51;
Ryan Whitney, Pittsburgh (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 16:08;
Petr Sykora, Pittsburgh (
Goaltender interference) 18:52;
Johan Franzen, Detroit (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 18:52;
Andreas Lilja
Andreas Johnny Lilja (born July 13, 1975) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, and Phi ...
, Detroit (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 18:52;
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 18:52;
Gary Roberts, Pittsburgh (
Roughing Roughing is an offense and penalty in ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation. The incident would have to be minor for either player to be categorized as such an offense, for instance:
* A player striking another opponent
* A goali ...
) 18:52;
Gary Roberts, Pittsburgh (10 Minute Misconduct) 18:52;
Maxime Talbot, Pittsburgh (10 Minute Misconduct) 20:00
*Goalie statistics:
**Detroit:
Chris Osgood — Shutout (third of playoffs), 22 saves / 22 shots
**Pittsburgh:
Marc-Andre Fleury — 31 saves / 34 shots
*Shots by period:
:
Game three
Game three was held in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, where going into the matchup the Penguins had won sixteen consecutive home games. Pittsburgh continued to shuffle their lineup by replacing defenceman
Kris Letang
Kristopher Joseph Pierre Irwin Letang (born April 24, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played juniors in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey ...
with veteran
Darryl Sydor
Darryl Marion Sydor (born May 13, 1972) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey defenceman. He won two Stanley Cups during his career: with the Dallas Stars in 1999, and with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He also reached the Stanl ...
, but going back to the top line combinations from game one. Penguins captain
Sidney Crosby scored the team's first goal of the series late in the first period, with an assist from
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
. The Penguins went up 2-0 after Crosby scored a second time, his second coming on the power-play, just 2:34 into the second period.
Johan Franzen pulled the Red Wings within one, when he scored on the power-play at 14:48 of the second period.
Adam Hall
Adam John Hall (born August 14, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey player. A second round selection of the Nashville Predators in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Hall played in the National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators, ...
scored his second goal of the post season, when the Penguins winger scored at 7:18 of the third period, putting his team up 3–1.
Mikael Samuelsson
Karl Mikael Samuelsson (born 23 December 1976) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey right winger. Samuelsson began his career in Sweden, starting with small town team IFK Mariefred, followed by Södertälje SK as a junior in 1994. He ...
scored a second goal for the Red Wings, with assists from
Brad Stuart
Bradley Stuart (born November 6, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 career games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, ...
and
Valtteri Filppula
Valtteri Filppula (born 20 March 1984) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward for Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL).
Filppula won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. He has previously played with the Red Win ...
. However, Pittsburgh's 3–2 lead held, giving the team their first victory of the series. Despite winning the game, Pittsburgh was outshot by the Red Wings for the third consecutive game by at least 10 shots.
;Game three summary
*First period:
**Scoring: (1) Pittsburgh:
Sidney Crosby (
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
) 17:25
**Penalties:
Johan Franzen, Detroit (Holding) 1:04;
Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh (Holding) 3:05;
Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar ( rus, Серге́й Ви́кторович Гонча́р, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈvʲiktərəvʲɪdʑ ɡɐnʲˈtɕar; born 13 April 1974) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player and a former assistant coach f ...
, Pittsburgh (Hooking) 12:07;
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski (born September 28, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings, in the SM-liiga for HPK and HIFK, in ...
(Tripping) 19:19.
*Second period:
**Scoring: (2) Pittsburgh:
Sidney Crosby (
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
,
Ryan Malone
Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979) nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, ...
) PPG 2:34; (1) Detroit:
Johan Franzen (
Nicklas Lidstrom Nicklas is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include the following:
Given name Sports Football
* Nicklas Bärkroth (born 1992), Swedish footballer
* Nicklas Bergh (born 1982), Swedish footballer
* Nicklas Carlsson (born 1979), ...
,
Niklas Kronwall
Hans Niklas Kronwall (; born 12 January 1981) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman, who currently serves as an advisor to the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. He previously played for the Red Wings of the National Hoc ...
) PPG 14:48
**Penalties:
Niklas Kronwall
Hans Niklas Kronwall (; born 12 January 1981) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman, who currently serves as an advisor to the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. He previously played for the Red Wings of the National Hoc ...
, Detroit (Hooking) 2:02;
Hal Gill, Pittsburgh (Cross checking) 8:54;
Hal Gill, Pittsburgh (Cross checking) 12:57
*Third period:
**Scoring: (3) Pittsburgh:
Adam Hall
Adam John Hall (born August 14, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey player. A second round selection of the Nashville Predators in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Hall played in the National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators, ...
(
Maxime Talbot,
Gary Roberts) 7:18; (2) Detroit:
Mikael Samuelsson
Karl Mikael Samuelsson (born 23 December 1976) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey right winger. Samuelsson began his career in Sweden, starting with small town team IFK Mariefred, followed by Södertälje SK as a junior in 1994. He ...
(
Brad Stuart
Bradley Stuart (born November 6, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 career games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, ...
,
Valtteri Filppula
Valtteri Filppula (born 20 March 1984) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward for Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL).
Filppula won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. He has previously played with the Red Win ...
) 13:37
**Penalties:
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh (Hooking) 15:42
*Goalie statistics:
**Detroit:
Chris Osgood — 21 saves / 24 shots
**Pittsburgh:
Marc-Andre Fleury — 32 saves / 34 shots
*Shots by period:
:
Game four
Entering Game Four,
Petr Sykora said the game was a must-win for the Penguins, "For us, basically,
ame fouris a do-or-die game".
Jiri Hudler
Jiri ( ne, जिरी) is a municipality in Dolakha District in the Bagmati Province of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 13,638 people..
Jiri, which lies about 190 kilometers from Kathmandu, is the m ...
's game-winning goal at 2:26 of the third period broke a 1–1 tie, and the Red Wings killed off a Penguins 1:26 5-on-3 advantage midway through the final period to help preserve the victory, thanks in large part to a terrific defensive play by Henrik Zetterberg on Sidney Crosby, preventing what would have been a tap-in goal when he tied up Crosby's stick at the front of the net. Pittsburgh scored first on
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
's power play goal 2:51 into the game before
Nicklas Lidstrom Nicklas is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include the following:
Given name Sports Football
* Nicklas Bärkroth (born 1992), Swedish footballer
* Nicklas Bergh (born 1982), Swedish footballer
* Nicklas Carlsson (born 1979), ...
tied the game at 7:06 of the first period.
;Game four summary
*First period:
**Scoring: (1) Pittsburgh:
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
(
Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar ( rus, Серге́й Ви́кторович Гонча́р, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈvʲiktərəvʲɪdʑ ɡɐnʲˈtɕar; born 13 April 1974) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player and a former assistant coach f ...
,
Sidney Crosby) PPG 2:51; (1) Detroit:
Nicklas Lidstrom Nicklas is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include the following:
Given name Sports Football
* Nicklas Bärkroth (born 1992), Swedish footballer
* Nicklas Bergh (born 1982), Swedish footballer
* Nicklas Carlsson (born 1979), ...
(
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski (born September 28, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings, in the SM-liiga for HPK and HIFK, in ...
,
Pavel Datsyuk) 7:06
**Penalties:
Dallas Drake
Dallas James Drake (born February 4, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger in the National Hockey League who last played for the Detroit Red Wings. Having played the beginning and end of his NHL career with Detroit, he won his ...
, Detroit (Roughing) 2:11;
Pascal Dupuis, Pittsburgh (Cross checking) 5:04;
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski (born September 28, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings, in the SM-liiga for HPK and HIFK, in ...
, Detroit (Roughing) 9:03;
Kris Draper, Detroit (Holding) 14:28;
Maxime Talbot, Pittsburgh (Diving) 16:59;
Brett Lebda, Detroit (Cross checking) 16:59;
Brooks Orpik
Richard Brooks Orpik (born September 26, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). A stay-at-home defenseman and locker ...
, Pittsburgh (Roughing) 17:55;
Johan Franzen, Detroit (Elbowing) 17:55
*Second period:
**Scoring: ''None''
**Penalties:
Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh (Interference) 3:44;
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski (born September 28, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings, in the SM-liiga for HPK and HIFK, in ...
, Detroit (Holding) 16:04
*Third period:
**Scoring: (2) Detroit:
Jiri Hudler
Jiri ( ne, जिरी) is a municipality in Dolakha District in the Bagmati Province of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 13,638 people..
Jiri, which lies about 190 kilometers from Kathmandu, is the m ...
(
Darren Helm,
Brad Stuart
Bradley Stuart (born November 6, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 career games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, ...
) 2:26
**Penalties:
Marc-Andre Fleury (served by
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
), Pittsburgh (Delay of Game) 4:08;
Kirk Maltby, Detroit (Hooking) 9:36;
Andreas Lilja
Andreas Johnny Lilja (born July 13, 1975) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, and Phi ...
, Detroit (Interference) 10:10
*Goalie statistics:
**Detroit:
Chris Osgood — 22 saves / 23 shots
**Pittsburgh:
Marc-Andre Fleury — 28 saves / 30 shots
*Shots by period:
:
Game five
Pittsburgh's
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
scored the first goal of the game at 8:37 into the first period. Teammate
Adam Hall
Adam John Hall (born August 14, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey player. A second round selection of the Nashville Predators in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Hall played in the National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators, ...
added his second goal of the series at 14:41 of the first period, giving the Penguins a 2–0 lead. Detroit then scored three consecutive goals—by
Darren Helm,
Pavel Datsyuk, and
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski (born September 28, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings, in the SM-liiga for HPK and HIFK, in ...
—to gain the lead. After Pittsburgh pulled its goalie with less than one minute remaining in regulation,
Maxime Talbot scored with 34.3 seconds remaining to tie the game and force overtime. The goal marked only the second time in NHL history that a team avoided elimination in the Finals by scoring in the last minute of the third period. The first two overtime periods were scoreless, and the game went into the third overtime with Detroit killing two consecutive penalties, and Pittsburgh killing one. At the 9:21 mark, Pittsburgh's
Petr Sykora scored the game-winning goal on another power-play, forcing the series back to Pittsburgh for game six. The goal was assisted by defenceman
Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar ( rus, Серге́й Ви́кторович Гонча́р, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈvʲiktərəvʲɪdʑ ɡɐnʲˈtɕar; born 13 April 1974) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player and a former assistant coach f ...
, who was playing his first shift in forty minutes as a result of an injury, and
Evgeni Malkin, who got his first point of the Finals. Pittsburgh became the first team in modern NHL history to have three overtime power-plays in the Finals. Goaltenders
Marc-Andre Fleury and
Chris Osgood stopped 55 and 28 shots, respectively. The triple overtime game was the
fifth-longest in Stanley Cup Finals history.
;Game five summary
*First period
**Scoring: (1) Pittsburgh:
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
(
Sidney Crosby,
Pascal Dupuis) 8:37; (2) Pittsburgh:
Adam Hall
Adam John Hall (born August 14, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey player. A second round selection of the Nashville Predators in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Hall played in the National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators, ...
14:41.
**Penalties:
Brooks Orpik
Richard Brooks Orpik (born September 26, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). A stay-at-home defenseman and locker ...
, Pittsburgh (Hooking) 2:08; Pittsburgh (Too Many Men) (served by
Tyler Kennedy
Tyler Kennedy (born July 15, 1986) is a Canadian- American former professional ice hockey centre who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils. ...
) 4:15;
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit (Tripping) 5:24;
Kirk Maltby, Detroit (Roughing) 10:50;
Maxime Talbot, Pittsburgh (Roughing) 10:50.
*Second period
**Scoring: (1) Detroit:
Darren Helm (
Kirk Maltby) 2:54.
**Penalties:
Kirk Maltby, Detroit (Interference) 5:48;
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh (High Sticking) 10:18.
*Third period
**Scoring: (2) Detroit:
Pavel Datsyuk (
Henrik Zetterberg,
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski (born September 28, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings, in the SM-liiga for HPK and HIFK, in ...
) PPG 6:43; (3) Detroit: Brian Rafalski (
Johan Franzen,
Henrik Zetterberg) 9:23; (3) Pittsburgh:
Maxime Talbot (
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
,
Sidney Crosby) 19:25
**Penalties:
Tyler Kennedy
Tyler Kennedy (born July 15, 1986) is a Canadian- American former professional ice hockey centre who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils. ...
, Pittsburgh (Hooking) 6:21
*First overtime
**Scoring: ''None''
**Penalties:
Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit (Interference) 17:25
*Second overtime
**Scoring: ''None''
**Penalties:
Daniel Cleary, Detroit (Interference) 3:41,
Petr Sykora, Pittsburgh (Hooking) 17:44
*Third overtime
**Scoring: (4) Pittsburgh: Petr Sykora (
Evgeni Malkin,
Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar ( rus, Серге́й Ви́кторович Гонча́р, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈvʲiktərəvʲɪdʑ ɡɐnʲˈtɕar; born 13 April 1974) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player and a former assistant coach f ...
) PPG 9:57
**Penalties:
Jiri Hudler
Jiri ( ne, जिरी) is a municipality in Dolakha District in the Bagmati Province of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 13,638 people..
Jiri, which lies about 190 kilometers from Kathmandu, is the m ...
, Detroit (High sticking — double-minor) 9:21
*Goalie statistics:
**Detroit:
Chris Osgood — 28 saves / 32 shots
**Pittsburgh:
Marc-Andre Fleury — 55 saves / 58 shots
*Shots by period:
:
Game six
Pittsburgh's
Ryan Malone
Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979) nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, ...
was scheduled to have
X-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
s on June 3, after being hit in the face with the puck in game five, but was expected to play.
The Red Wings took a 2–0 lead in the second period in game six en route to a 3–2 victory to clinch the Stanley Cup.
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski (born September 28, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings, in the SM-liiga for HPK and HIFK, in ...
scored a power play goal at 5:03 in the first period before
Valtteri Filppula
Valtteri Filppula (born 20 March 1984) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward for Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL).
Filppula won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. He has previously played with the Red Win ...
extended the lead with a goal at 8:07 in the second. The Penguins had an opportunity to get their first goal later in the first period, with a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:33, but could not convert. Pittsburgh finally cut the lead at 15:26 of the second period with
Evgeni Malkin's power play goal. However, a third period shot by Detroit's
Henrik Zetterberg squeezed through the legs of Pittsburgh goaltender
Marc-Andre Fleury, who, after noticing he was not covering the puck, fell backwards and accidentally knocked the puck across the goal line for the Red Wings' third goal.
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
scored a power play goal (in addition to the Penguins pulling Fleury for an extra attacker and the Red Wings'
Andreas Lilja
Andreas Johnny Lilja (born July 13, 1975) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, and Phi ...
having lost his stick as a result of Malone knocking it out of his hands) at 18:33 of the third period to cut the lead to 3–2, but the Penguins, despite a shot by Sidney Crosby and shot off rebound by Hossa in the final seconds, could not tie the game before time ran out. Lidstrom became the first European-born Stanley Cup captain.
The Wings' victory also saw the
Triple Gold Club, made up of individuals who have won the Stanley Cup plus gold medals at the
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
and
World Championships, gain three new members.
Niklas Kronwall
Hans Niklas Kronwall (; born 12 January 1981) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman, who currently serves as an advisor to the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. He previously played for the Red Wings of the National Hoc ...
,
Mikael Samuelsson
Karl Mikael Samuelsson (born 23 December 1976) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey right winger. Samuelsson began his career in Sweden, starting with small town team IFK Mariefred, followed by Södertälje SK as a junior in 1994. He ...
, and Zetterberg had previously won the other two components with the
Sweden national team in 2006 at that year's
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
and
World Championships.
;Game six summary
*First period
**Scoring: Detroit:
Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski (born September 28, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings, in the SM-liiga for HPK and HIFK, in ...
(
Henrik Zetterberg,
Pavel Datsyuk) PPG 5:03
**Penalties:
Darryl Sydor
Darryl Marion Sydor (born May 13, 1972) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey defenceman. He won two Stanley Cups during his career: with the Dallas Stars in 1999, and with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He also reached the Stanl ...
, Pittsburgh (Interference) 04:17;
Dallas Drake
Dallas James Drake (born February 4, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger in the National Hockey League who last played for the Detroit Red Wings. Having played the beginning and end of his NHL career with Detroit, he won his ...
, Detroit (Charging) 08:28;
Kris Draper, Detroit (Roughing) 08:55;
Adam Hall
Adam John Hall (born August 14, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey player. A second round selection of the Nashville Predators in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Hall played in the National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators, ...
, Pittsburgh (Hi-sticking) 11:15
*Second period
**Scoring: Detroit:
Valtteri Filppula
Valtteri Filppula (born 20 March 1984) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward for Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL).
Filppula won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. He has previously played with the Red Win ...
(
Mikael Samuelsson
Karl Mikael Samuelsson (born 23 December 1976) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey right winger. Samuelsson began his career in Sweden, starting with small town team IFK Mariefred, followed by Södertälje SK as a junior in 1994. He ...
,
Niklas Kronwall
Hans Niklas Kronwall (; born 12 January 1981) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman, who currently serves as an advisor to the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. He previously played for the Red Wings of the National Hoc ...
) 8:07; Pittsburgh:
Evgeni Malkin (
Sidney Crosby,
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
) PPG 15:26
**Penalties:
Andreas Lilja
Andreas Johnny Lilja (born July 13, 1975) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey defenceman who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, and Phi ...
, Detroit (Slashing) 02:06;
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit (Interference) 14:22;
Gary Roberts, Pittsburgh (Hi-sticking) 16:13;
Johan Franzen, Detroit (Roughing) 17:58;
Brooks Orpik
Richard Brooks Orpik (born September 26, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). A stay-at-home defenseman and locker ...
, Pittsburgh (Roughing) 17:58;
*Third period
**Scoring: Detroit: Henrik Zetterberg (Pavel Datsyuk, Niklas Kronwall) 7:36; Pittsburgh:
Marian Hossa
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queensla ...
(
Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar ( rus, Серге́й Ви́кторович Гонча́р, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈvʲiktərəvʲɪdʑ ɡɐnʲˈtɕar; born 13 April 1974) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player and a former assistant coach f ...
,
Evgeni Malkin) PPG 18:33
**Penalties:
Jiri Hudler
Jiri ( ne, जिरी) is a municipality in Dolakha District in the Bagmati Province of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 13,638 people..
Jiri, which lies about 190 kilometers from Kathmandu, is the m ...
, Detroit (Hooking) 18:13
*Goalie statistics:
**Detroit:
Chris Osgood — 20 saves / 22 shots
**Pittsburgh:
Marc-Andre Fleury — 27 saves / 30 shots
*Shots by period:
:
Television
In the United States,
Versus aired games one and two while
NBC televised the remainder of the series. Game one of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals had a 1.8
rating
A rating is an evaluation or assessment of something, in terms of quality, quantity, or some combination of both.
Rating or ratings may also refer to:
Business and economics
* Credit rating, estimating the credit worthiness of an individual, ...
, drawing 2.3 million viewers. The rating was a 157% increase over
the previous Playoff Finals opener, and a 100% rise from
two years previous. Game two had a 1.9 rating, drawing 2.5 million viewers. It was the highest-rated and most-watched cable telecast of the Finals in six years in the United States. The rating was the highest for an NHL game on Versus and the second highest rating for a Versus broadcast ever only to
Lance Armstrong's seventh straight
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
victory in 2005 (2.1). Game three drew a 2.8 rating, representing an 87% increase over the previous year's game three. In Detroit, game three drew higher ratings (18.2) than game five of the
2008 NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the
Detroit Pistons and the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
(15.9). Game four earned a 2.3 rating, up 21% over the previous year's game four. Game five drew a 4.3 rating, representing a 79% increase from the previous year's game five. It drew the highest ratings for a game five since 2002.
Game six had a 4.4 rating, the best performance in a game six since 2000. It was a 100% increase over game six of 2006 and was the highest rated game for NBC since they reacquired the NHL broadcasting rights in 2004.
On the
CBC in Canada, this was the last Stanley Cup Finals that
Bob Cole served as the play-by-play announcer for, as
Jim Hughson
Jim Hughson (born October 9, 1956) is a retired Canadian sportscaster, best known for his play-by-play of the National Hockey League. He was the lead play-by-play commentator for the '' NHL on Sportsnet'' from 2014 to 2021 and '' Hockey Night i ...
took over
the following year.
Team rosters
Years indicated in boldface under the "Finals appearance" column signify that the player won the Stanley Cup in the given year.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Detroit Red Wings
Stanley Cup engraving
The 2008 Stanley Cup was presented to Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom by
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman following the Red Wings 3–2 win over the Penguins in game six.
The following Red Wings players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup
2007–08 Detroit Red Wings
* #44
Mark Hartigan
Mark Hartigan (born October 15, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre, who played in the National Hockey League with the Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Anaheim Ducks and the Detroit Red Wings. He currently resides ...
(C – played 23 games, 4 playoff games of Detroit, 48 games in the minors) – was left off for the 2nd year in row for not playing in the last 2 rounds of the playoffs.
* #52
Jonathan Ericsson
Jonathan Ericsson (born 2 March 1984) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ericsson was drafted in ...
(D – played 8 games for Detroit, 69 games in the minors),
* #4
Kyle Quincey
Kyle Quincey (born August 12, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. He most recently played for HIFK of the Finnish Liiga. Quincey played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Ki ...
(D – played 6 games for Detroit, 66 games in the minors),
* #35
Jimmy Howard (G – played 4 games for Detroit, 54 games in the minors),
* #8
Justin Abdelkader
Justin Abdelkader (; born February 25, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey left winger for EV Zug of the National League (NL). He was drafted 42nd overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He previously played for ...
(LW – 2 games for Detroit, 48 games for Michigan State University.),
* #43
Mattias Ritola
Mattias Kenneth Ritola (born March 14, 1987) is a former Swedish professional ice hockey forward.
Playing career
Ritola made his debut in Sweden's top-tier SHL with Leksands IF during the 2005-06 season, after being drafted 103rd overall in th ...
(LW – played 2 games for Detroit and 72 games in minors),
* #46
Jakub Kindl (D – played 76 in minors, no games for Detroit),
* Sergie Tchekmarev (Team Masseur), Lynn Newman (Massage Therapist) – Rick Szuber (Equipment Assistant) All 10 members were left off the Stanley Cup, but received Stanley Cup Rings.
See also
*
2007–08 Detroit Red Wings season
The 2007–08 Detroit Red Wings season was the franchise's 76th season as the Red Wings and 82nd in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team won their eleventh Central Division title, sixth Presidents' Trophy, fifth Clarence S. Campbell ...
*
2007–08 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 2007–08 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Hockey League (NHL). Their regular season began on October 5, 2007, against the Carolina Hurricanes and concluded on April 6, 2008, against the riva ...
References
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