Penguins' dream season ends in 3-2 loss to Detroit

By Robert Dvorchak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Just like that, it's over. No more comebacks, no more sacrifices, no more hockey parties for this season, no seventh game in Detroit.

A playoff run by the Penguins that had the city madly in love with its hockey team ended abruptly last night with a 3-2 loss. And the Red Wings, who have won more NHL titles than any U.S. team, hoisted the Stanley Cup on the Mellon Arena ice and sipped champagne in the aftermath.

"I'm almost speechless right now," said Penguins coach Michel Therrien. "When you're that close, it is really tough. We got beat by a quality team. They were tough to play against. The hockey gods were not on our side tonight. It hurts. You could feel the pain. But I'm proud of our guys. They grew up really quickly in the last two years."

Despite being pumped up by the home crowd, the Penguins never led. Goals by Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa had the Penguins back in the game, but a furious charge in the waning seconds failed to produce the goal needed to tie.

"We fought till the bitter end," said winning goalie Chris Osgood. "We always have to make it interesting, but we don't panic."

In the end, a fluke goal provided the winning margin. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who was called the "savior" by Sidney Crosby for stopping 55 shots in the triple overtime game Monday, initially made a stop on a shot by Henrik Zetterberg, who was named the MVP of the final round. But the puck dribbled behind the goalie, and he inadvertently knocked it into his own net.

While the Penguins fell short of their goal, the crowd saluted their team with chants of "Let's Go Pens," and they also chanted Fleury's name. In return, the players saluted their fans by raising their sticks after the traditional handshakes with the Red Wings. So while there were players with broken noses and broken bones, their hearts were bruised but not broken.

The marathon of the hockey season began nine months ago in training camp and resulted in a division title for the Penguins. Three rounds of playoffs produced an Eastern Conference title and a berth in the finals, electrifying a city that sorely wanted the third NHL title in franchise history.

The Penguins lost the final two games on home ice after winning their first nine games of the playoffs. They had not lost consecutive games at home since Feb. 23-24.

For public relations purposes, Sidney Crosby is marketed as the face of the NHL because of his star power. But Ryan Malone is the new face of Pittsburgh hockey because his nose looked as if it had taken a series of punches from a heavyweight like Joe Louis, the prizefighter whose name adorns the Detroit arena. Already playing with a broken nose, he took a puck to the face in the previous game and bled profusely, but he kept on playing and was throwing his body around last night.

"We've got guys who would go through a brick wall for each other," Malone said. But it wasn't enough as Detroit's Niklas Lidstrom became the first European captain of a winning team to accept the Cup.

The Penguins had their team motto written on a T-shirt that says, "Sacrifice." The word is also printed in Russian, Finnish, French, Czech and Slovak -- some of the nationalities on their roster -- but the sacrifices weren't enough.

With their stable of young stars, the Penguins have attracted national attention for coming this far this fast. Just three seasons ago, they finished last in the NHL's Eastern Conference. Now they are one win away from hoisting the Cup.

Among those who have noticed is Barry Melrose, a former NHL coach and analyst for ESPN. After the Penguins bounced back from two shutout losses to win their first game of the series, Melrose said: "I'm a hockey analyst, but after the first period of that game, I became a fan. This is the hottest franchise in the NHL right now. I love watching Pittsburgh. They're the most entertaining team to watch in the NHL. You can't help but like to watch them."

Even the visitors from Detroit, a.k.a. Hockeytown, have been impressed with how enthusiastically the city has embraced the Penguins.

"Mario and his group keeping the team here, and the new rink coming, and the marquee names they have to sell a franchise, it's a great situation. And people are excited about their team," Mike Babcock said. "It's great to see them back."

Wes Arnold, 20, of Monongahela, and Devin Frank, of Wexford, were among the 3,000 or so fans who gathered to watch the game on the television screen outside Mellon Arena.

"It was a great season," Mr. Arnold said as they headed toward their car. "They gave it all they had. It's sad, but we have a lot of stars coming back next year. We're set for next year."