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NHL Game Summary - Detroit At Pittsburgh

POSTED: 1:18 am EDT June 5, 2008

(Sports Network) - Hockeytown is once again home to the Stanley Cup.

Chris Osgood made a save on a backhand try from Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby in the closing seconds as the Red Wings captured their fourth Stanley Cup title in 11 seasons by beating the Penguins, 3-2, at Mellon Arena.

Brian Rafalski, Valtteri Filppula and Henrik Zetterberg scored for Detroit, which wrapped up the title in six games and just two nights after the Penguins extended the series with a triple-overtime victory.

Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, a native of Sweden, became the first European captain to lead his team to a Stanley Cup crown.

"It's something I'm very proud of," Lidstrom said. "I've been over here for a long time and I watched Steve Yzerman hoist it three times in the past. I'm very proud of being the first European. I'm very proud of being the captain of the Red Wings. It's so much history with the team and great tradition."

Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa scored for the Penguins, who were in the finals for the first time since winning the second of back-to-back titles in 1992.

"All season long we battled and all playoff long," Crosby said. "Everyone left everything out there and we did everything we could."

Hossa scored with 1:27 left to get the Penguins within a goal. In the dying seconds and with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury on the bench for an extra attacker, Crosby sent a backhander from the inside part of the left circle. Osgood stopped the puck and then dove toward the right post to try and cover up the rebound. Hossa rushed to get the disc, but his try trickled through the crease, but after time had already expired. The Red Wings then mobbed Osgood and celebrated their 11th title in team history.

"The puck was in their zone with eight seconds left," Osgood said. "It goes to show you the talent they have. It was like that the whole series. Every game was close, even when we won 4-0, 3-0, it was close right to the end."

Only the Toronto Maple Leafs (13) and Montreal Canadiens (23) have won more championships in league history.

Zetterberg was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.

The Red Wings reclaimed a two-goal lead on a bizarre tally 7:36 into the third period. Zetterberg's wrister from the left circle squirted through Fleury and remained loose in the crease. Fleury then fell back onto the edge of the puck and it trickled into his own net, giving the visitors a 3-1 lead.

With 1:47 remaining in regulation, Jiri Hudler was called for hooking and Pittsburgh lifted Fleury in favor of an extra skater, creating a 6-on-4 advantage. Sergei Gonchar had the puck at the point and fired a shot that was redirected by Hossa in the low slot and found room just inside the right post, 20 seconds after the penalty, setting up a wild finish.

Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall both collected two assists for Detroit, while Osgood made 20 saves.

Fleury, coming off a 55-save performance in Game 5, allowed three goals on 30 shots in defeat.

"I'm really proud about that group and what they accomplished this year," Penguins coach Michel Therrien said. "They grew up really quickly in the last two years."

Petr Sykora, who scored the overtime winner in Game 5 for the Penguins, had a quality scoring opportunity with a little over two minutes gone in the first. Kronwall coughed up the puck deep in his zone. Sykora collected the disc and fired a shot on goal that was absorbed by the belly of Osgood.

The Red Wings were awarded a power play 4:17 into the game after Darryl Sydor was called for interference. Tomas Holmstrom knocked down Pittsburgh defenseman Rob Scuderi's clearing attempt. Datsyuk held the puck in at the right point and handed off to Zetterberg, who whipped the puck over to Rafalski at the left circle. Rafalski cradled the feed and got off a wrister that deflected off Pittsburgh defenseman Hal Gill's right shin pad and past the glove of Fleury to give Detroit the lead at the 5:03 mark.

Around the nine-minute mark, Detroit's Dallas Drake and Kris Draper were whistled for infractions 27 seconds apart, but Pittsburgh failed to capitalize on the lengthy two-man advantage.

With 8:45 left in the first, Adam Hall was assessed a high-sticking minor, but the Red Wings couldn't convert.

Osgood and Fleury both made eight saves in the opening 20 minutes.

The Red Wings grabbed a 2-0 lead at the 8:07 mark of the middle stanza. Mikael Samuelsson snapped a wrister from the top of the right circle that was stopped by the pads of Fleury. Driving hard to the net, Filppula backhanded the rebound between the legs of the Pittsburgh netminder.

With under seven minutes remaining in the frame, Osgood made a paddle save on Gary Roberts, who was unable to elevate the puck over the fallen goaltender.

Shortly after that close call, the Penguins went to work on the power play while Datsyuk served a minor penalty for interference. Crosby slid a cross-ice pass to Malkin, who unleashed a heavy slap shot from the left circle that beat Osgood through the five-hole with 4:34 to go before the second intermission.

Fleury stopped eight shots in the second period, while Osgood made seven saves.

Game Notes:

Detroit made its 23rd appearance in the finals. For Pittsburgh, it was only its third...The Red Wings last won the Cup in 2002, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes in five games...Lidstrom, Draper, Holmstrom, Darren McCarty, Kirk Maltby became four-time Cup winners...Drake, a 15-year veteran, won his first championship...Zetterberg had 27 points in the postseason, the most in a single playoffs in Red Wings history...Red Wings center Darren Helm left the game in the second period after a collision with Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik.

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