It’s Hockeytown Again: Red Wings Claim 11th Cup Title
By John Vogl, The Buffalo News, N.Y.
Jun. 5–PITTSBURGH — Nicklas Lidstrom had been thinking about the moment since the opening round of the playoffs. He knew if the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup, he’d be the first player to hold it. As historic as that would be, what weighed on Lidstrom’s mind was who he’d hand the Cup to next.
The captain led an assembly line Wednesday night that even Detroit auto legend Henry Ford would have envied.
After Detroit beat Pittsburgh, 3-2, to earn hockey’s gleaming prize, Lidstrom handed the chalice to Dallas Drake. The 39-year-old has played more than 1,000 games but had never grasped the trophy. Fans in Newfoundland partied into the wee hours as Dan Cleary became the first from that Canadian province to skate a lap. Next came 46-year-old Chris Chelios, who didn’t play in the series but savored his circle as much as anyone.
The laps continued, and the smiles never ceased.
“It felt great being the first guy to touch the Cup on our team,” said Lidstrom, who made history when he raised Lord Stanley’s prize above his head, becoming the first European player to captain his team to the championship. “I’m very proud being the first European. I’m very proud of being captain of the Red Wings.”
The Red Wings didn’t have to be flashy Wednesday, they just had to win. They did, earning a 4-2 series victory over the Penguins. Game Six in Mellon Arena was far from the classic the teams played in Game Five, but the Red Wings will long remember it.
“To be able to share this journey with the guys and to be able to share it with the city of Detroit and obviously my family, that’s very emotional,” Detroit coach Mike Babcock said.
It is the 11th Stanley Cup for the storied franchise and fourth in the past 11 seasons. Lidstrom was loving every second. He carried the Cup through the halls of the arena, placed it next to him on the interview podium, then carried it past the star-gazed onlookers again. More than 90 minutes after the game ended, Lidstrom was back on the ice, talking about how much the title meant.
“A lot of people said we couldn’t win with European players, and I think we’ve proven them all wrong,” Lidstrom said. “Any time you have a chance to hoist the Cup is awesome.”
The Red Wings clinched each of their four series on the road. While it robbed the home fans, it gave the players fond memories of Nashville, Colorado, Dallas and Pittsburgh. Especially Pittsburgh.
“When we lost in Joe Louis, it was devastating,” said Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg, who earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. “We found a way to climb back, and it’s just a great feeling.”
The Wings were efficient and controlling throughout the season, and it continued in the playoffs. They had very few hiccups . . . until the champagne started flowing.
Detroit didn’t dominate like it did for much of Game Five. Both teams seemed tired from the six-period thriller. But, again, the Red Wings proved better than everyone else.
“We got beat by a quality team,” Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien said. “They deserved to win the Stanley Cup.”
Brian Rafalski and Valtteri Filppula staked Detroit to a 2-0 lead, but Evgeni Malkin finally appeared with his first goal of the playoffs to make it 2-1.
The clinching goal came with 12:24 to play. Marc-Andre Fleury thought he collected Zetterberg’s shot, but it somehow wiggled free and got behind the goalie. The white-clad crowd inhaled in horror, and their fears were realized when Fleury sat back and pushed the puck over the line.
The towel-waving 17,132 in attendance conjured dreams of another last-minute stunner with 1:27 to go, as Marian Hossa scored on the power play. The Penguins pressed until the final seconds, and even a fraction beyond. Sidney Crosby’s shot hit goalie Chris Osgood and fluttered into the air. Hossa streaked in for a backhand as the clock inched to zero.
The puck made a path through the crease, just inches from the goal line. An instant later, the Red Wings made a path to the same spot, forming a pile-on circle befitting a championship celebration.
“When they scored the second goal, we knew it was going to be tight all the way to the end,” Zetterberg said. “When I saw the puck behind the net and 0:00 on the game clock, I was a pretty happy man.”
jvogl@buffnews.com
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