This week’s honorable mention goes to Chris Osgood of the Detroit Red Wings. Last week Osgood collected two wins while posting a 1.95 GAA, .934 SAV%, one shutout and 85 saves. Ozzie has been a playoff warrior but usually struggles during the regular season. Despite this Chris is still the #1 for a very good Red Wings team and is a decent 2nd or 3rd goaltending option as he should at least be able to get you some wins with a decent GAA.

Lets take a look at the NHL Fantasy 3 Stars for Week 6.

3rd Star – Jarome Iginla (RW), Calgary Flames

Despite being on the usually low scoring Flames Jarome Iginla has been a fantasy stud for years and this year seems to be no exception. Last week Iggy scored 4 goals and added one assist for 5 points with two of those points coming while on the power play. He also had a plus/minus rating of plus-1, zero penalty minutes, two game winning goals and 9 shots on goal. Jarome may be getting up there in age but he has yet to show any signs of slowing down.

2nd Star – Anze Kopitar (C), Los Angeles Kings

Anze Kopitar has been one of the biggest surprises so far this year and it doesn’t appear that’ll be changing any time soon. Last week Anze scored 3 goals while adding 3 assists for 6 points with one of those points coming while on the power play. He also had two penalty minutes, a plus/minus rating of plus-4, 11 shots on goal and won 23 faceoffs. Kopitar is on pace for a career year and it doesn’t look like he’ll be letting up anytime soon.

1st Star – Evgeni Nabokov (G), San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks have been on a roll lately and a big reason for that has been because of their goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. Last week Evgeni collected two wins while posting a 0.95 GAA, .967 SAV%, one shutout and 88 saves. Nabokov has gotten off to a great start and if the Sharks keep playing like they can and win another Presidents Trophy he should end up being the #1 fantasy goaltender for this season.

Remember to check back in next week to see who the NHL Fantasy 3 Stars will be for Week 7.

Many looked at this years final as panning out in similar fashion to that of 2008 when Detroit took a 3-2 lead into Pittsburgh and raised the Stanley Cup in the opposition’s building.  The Pens and their fans were forced to watch last year, but they had different ideas on their minds this time around.

Out-shooting the Wings after the first period 12-3, the Pens were unable to solve Chris Osgood, keeping the score knotted at zeros.  That changed in the second after a Jordan Staal goal made it 1-0.  Tyler Kennedy would add another in the third, and the Pens would survive a final period push from the Wings that saw them come within one goal after Kris Draper picked up a rebound, but that was all.  Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was marvelous, making 13 saves in the period, including one on a Dan Cleary breakaway with only minutes remaining.

With the win, the season now comes down to a final decisive game between the Pens and Wings.  Game 7 is set for Friday night at the joe Louis Arena in Detroit, and you can bet it will be rocking.  The Penguins have improved by at least one win this year, but you can bet they will want to make it two.  The Red Wings will have something to say about that as they look to continue the trend which has seen the home team win every game in this series.  They will need that to remain the same if they wish to hand winger Marian Hossa his first Stanley Cup, only one year after he lost in the finals with the Penguins.  Did he make the right choice leaving Pittsburgh?  That question will be answered Friday night, and TPS will be in attendance to witness it.  Check back with us for pics and a Stanley Cup round up as well.

Perhaps no one was more bored after the first period than Fleury.  Facing only 3 shots in the opening frame, he was up to the task.  Sometimes a lack of work will only make things harder, but that wasn’t the case in the Penguins’ goal last night.  He would see another 9 shots in the second period, stopping all of them again, but it was the third that would really be his time to shine.  With the Red Wings needing a couple fo goals to even the game, they sent a barrage of rubber towards Fleury, but he wold hang in there, stopping all but one shot and ending the game with 25 saves, thus earning himself “The Stat Line Of The Night” for Tuesday June 9th, 2009.

While many have chosen to focus on the battle between Sidney Crosby and Henrik Zetterberg, another battle between the pipes has shapen up to be just as important.  Chris Osgood and Fleury have been back and forth, and it is very likely that the more dominant goalie in game seven Friday will be the one raising the cup that very night.

It had looked like the Wings seized control of the game early in the second after a Brad Stuart goal just 46 seconds into the frame put them up 2-1.  The shots were becoming incredibly lopsided at that point as well, and after an Evgeni Malkin penalty just past the 5 minute mark, it seemed to be a matter of time before the Wings would add some insurance.  Surprisingly, the opposite happened.

The Pens would have a strong penalty-kill, but with seconds remaining in it, another infraction, this time to Brooks Orpik, would set them a man down again.  As if last time was just a warm-up, this time out it would be the Pens penalty killers producing the best offensive chances.  First Malkin almost sprung himself for a break-a-way before being chased down by a back-checking Johan Franzen.  Moments later, Jordan Staal would take advantage of a flat-footed Brian Rafalski and score the equalizer a man down.

The Penguins used that momentum to score two more before the period was done, and held on to the 4-2 lead throughout the third, evening the best-of-seven series at 2-2.

Things look to be turning around for Pittsburgh as Marc-Andre Fleury was solid again in goal and outplayed Chris Osgood for the second straight game.  Sidney Crosby also scored his first goal of the series, and has been coming along with each game.  The Pens now have the momentum, but momentum is only as good as your last shift, and with the Wings heading back to Detroit for game 5, expect the defending cup champions to come out with an added kick in their step.  Whether that will be enough to weather the Pens storm remains to be seen, but I think I speak for most when I say that this series deserves to be settled in seven.  With the way things are currently going, it looks like that is exactly where this season’s Stanley Cup Finals is headed.

Ladies and Gentlemen we now have a series!

It looked scary for a while as Pens fans saw their team go into the second intermission being badly outshot 26-11, but the third period would be theirs, out-shooting the Wings 10-3 and outscoring them 2-0, one of those goals being an empty-net.  How did they do it?  Mostly on the backs of Evgeni Malkin (3 points), Marc -Andre Fleury (27 saves), and a surprise 2 goals from Max Talbot.  Despite such great individual efforts, it was a complete team effort in the third, with all four lines and six d-men skating hard, taking the body, and moving the puck well.  That would be too much for the Wings over the final 20 minutes, as they looked like the more tired of the two teams, and the final score reflected just that.

The game started off with a goal scoring spree in the opening period.  The Pens got on the board first after a Max Talbot one-timer from the slot found its way past Wings goalie Chris Osgood.  Less than two minutes later, Henrik Zetterberg grabbed a lose puck in front of the net and brought the Wings even again.  They would take the lead on a Johan Franzen one-timer, but Kris Letang would even it up again on the power-play.

The second period was tight checking and as a result the score never changed.  That would set the stage for the most important period of the post-season for the Penguins.

They replied, first with a power-play goal from Sergei Gonchar mid way through the third, then Talbot would seal it with an empty-net goal, his second of the night.

With the series now 2-1 in favor of the Wings, game 4 in Pittsburgh on Thursday will once again be much like an elimination game for the Pens.  They will not want to go down 3-1 to the Wings for the second year in a row, as it is a daunting task to beat the defending Stanley Cup champions three consecutive games, especially with two of those being in Detroit.

Sidney Crosby was able to find the score sheet for the first time in the series last night, but even with last change on home ice, he still had a difficult time getting away from Henrik Zetterberg.  One man who did have more room on the ice was Evgeni Malkin, and he responded with a large offensive output.

The Pens will need the same from him and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, as well as an improvement from Crosby in order to win three more games.  They will also hope that the Wings do not get their star forward Pavel Datsyuk back for game 4.  His presence means another strong defensive forward that will make things even tighter for the playoffs two leading scorers.  Oh ya, and did we mention that Pavel was 4th in the league in points?  Things might only get more difficult for the Pens from here, but if they expect to raise Lord Stanley, they will have to find a way to deal with it.  Otherwise it will be Deja Vu all over again.

Here are the game 3 highlights.

Blame it on the schedule, the refs, or the goalies.  Whatever the problem is, the Penguins better find a way to solve it going home, else they will be watching the Wings raise the Cup in front of them for the second straight season.

Game one had its fair share of ugly goals and game two was much of the same.  The Pens opened the scoring in the first period with a Brad Stuart own goal that was credited to Evgeni Malkin on the power-play.  The Wings would even it up in the 2nd after an icing by the Pens led to a Jonathan Ericsson goal off the faceoff.  It was questioned whether Dan Bylsma should have used a timeout, but after doing so in a similar scenario last game and still having a goal scored against, he decided against it this time.  That would prove to be a costly error as the goal changed the momentum and the Pens’ timeout would not be utilized throughout the remainder of the game.

The Wings continue to come at the Penguins and after a very controversial non-call by Marian Hossa to keep the play in the offensive zone, Valtteri Filppula would backhand a loose puck past a sprawling Marc-Andre Fleury to make it 2-1.  Penguin players voiced their displeasure towards the men in stripes, but to no avail.

The Penguins got their fair share of chances, hitting the post on several occasions, but Sidney Crosby and the gang could not solve Chris Osgood, and the Wings Justin Abdelkader would put a slap shot on a rolling puck over the glove of Fleury to seal a 3-1 victory.

In the dying seconds of the game, as the Pens tried desperately to put one by Osgood, some rough stuff would break out, eventually leading to a mock-fight between Malkin and Henrik Zetterberg.  Malkin would be assessed an instigator penalty, automatically carrying with it a one game suspension, but the call was later rescinded by league officials. That was the right call and it is doubtful that any Wings’ player or coach will dispute that.

It is also unlikely they will dispute the no-call on their second goal, but don’t expect the same from the Pens.  The refs have decided to put their whistles away during this series and although it has resulted in “unfair” chances for both teams, it has also kept the flow going, leading some (like Don Cherry) to applaud the efforts of the referees thus far.

So now headed back to Pittsburgh for game three set for Tuesday night, the Penguins will need to find a way to score.  They have been getting the chances and even though they go back home with similar results as last year, they have been much more effective this time around and have played step for step with the Wings.  Game three will be a big one, but expect the Pens to come out hard, and if they can get Crosby going, they have every reason to believe that they even the series before going back to Detroit.  But if Zetterberg, Osgood and the rest of the Wings continue to stymie Pens offense, it could be a much shorter visit to the finals this time around.

TPS was at game one over the weekend, and we must say, it was quite the atmosphere.  The Pittsburgh fans traveled in large numbers and could be heard loudly throughout the first two periods of the game, but in the end, it was the Wing fans singing loudest.  Here are a couple of the more interesting moments shared by Wing and Pens fans we happened to witness:

• Following the game, one wing fan slapped a Pens fan in the face with my poster.  That’s right.  I was carrying my piece of Joe Louis memorabilia that someone donated to me.  She took it from my hands, smacked him, and gave it back.
• A larger Penguins fan in the row behind us had one too many to drink, and after the Penguins scored, he was caught off-balance and fell onto the family of Red Wing fans beside us.  One of the younger girls was actually injured in the incident, requiring an ice pack later in the game.
• It is pretty surprising, but there was actually Toronto Maple Leaf jerseys in attendance.  Those Leaf fans are everywhere, and who can blame them.  It’s been a while since they have seen playoff hockey in their own building.

We didn’t get to see any flying kicks, or hot dog shooters, but it was a great game nonetheless.  Here are some of the things we caught on camera.

Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup Limo

Red Wings Limo

Joe Louis Arena

Stanley Cup Finals Pre-game Skate

Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup Finals Pre-game Fire

2009 Game 1 Stanley Cup Finals Faceoff

Oilers Fans At The 2009 Cup Finals

There was a lot of questions being raised about the Wings goaltending situation going into the playoffs but Osgood’s play in the first two rounds silenced that.  He has continued his strong play in the conference finals and now facing the top two scorers in the post-season, he has taken his game up yet another notch.

Last night, the Wings were once again out-shot by the Penguins, but all they needed was two goals thanks to a terrific performance by Osgood.  They would get him an additional one, taking game 2 by a 3-1 score.  He was fortunate to have the post save in on a few occasions, but was otherwise solid, stopping 32 of 33 shots, allowing one goal which was scored by his own defenseman on a scramble in front of the net.  Osgoods strong performance now gives his team a 2-0 series lead, and himself  “The Stat Line Of The Night” for Sunday, May 31st, 2009.

It was the second game in a row that the Wings have been out-shot, a rarity for the puck-possession team, but if Osgood continues to stand tall in goal, this series may come to a quicker end than many had originally anticipated.  With game two coming on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, Crosby and the gang will have a day off to figure out Osgood.  They better use it wisely.

Even with two of their best players out, Detroit dominated the pace from start to finish, leading 2-0 after the first period, and 5-1 after the second.  The team’s other big names needed to step up if there wished to avoid losing their second game in a row and that was exactly what they did.  Henrik Zetterberg scored two, Marian Hossa had two of his own, and Johan Franzen and Valteri Filppula each added one apiece.

The firepower of the Wing players caused Blackhawks coach Joel Quenville to pull starting goalie Cristobal Huet at one point, only to put him back in for the start of the third.  Huet was in for an injured Nikolai Khabibulin.  Meanwhile, at the other end of the rink, Detroit goalie Chris Osgood also left the game with an undisclosed injury.

It is unsure what the status of Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Draper and Osgood are for game five on Wednesday night, but it is very likely that if they can play, they will.  Mike Babcock will leave nothing to chance against a resilient Chicago team.

Besides all the great goals, there was also another interesting play in yesterday’s game.  With the Wings comfortably in the lead late in the third, cameras caught an altercation between Hawks forward Patrick Kane and Johan Franzen.  As the two skated behind the net after the whistle, they continued to jaw at each other.  That’s when Franzen snatched the mouth guard from Kane’s mouth and threw it.

Kane was no longer the only thing that appeared to be lost on the ice.  Now he had to worry about his mouth guard too.  If the Blackhawks are to have any chance at coming back against the Wings, Kane will have to find his game.  As for finding his mouthguard.  Let’s just hope that if he did, he washed it first before using it again.

Now that this marks the official mid-way point of the playoffs, with a two day break to come we thought this would be a good time to bring you TPS’s version of the “Top 10 Things We’ve Learned From NHL Playoffs…Halfway 2 The Cup”:

10. Osgood is Still Good -With A 2.43 Goals Against Average in the second round, Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood may not have been “great”, but he sure was good enough.  Playing on a team with as much fire power as the Red Wings, all that is needed from Chris is a steady performance.  Expecting three goals a night is a reasonable task for the Detroit snipers, and as long as Osgood continues to be good and keep his GAA under 3.00, the Wings hopes of repeating as champions will remain alive and well.

9. Luongo and Brodeur’s performances will raise question marks - With the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver less than a year away, the debate on who will play for their respective countries has already begun.  Canadians love to play this game, and it has just got a lot more interesting.  The one position that seemed to be sorted out a month ago was between the pipes.  With Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur tabbed as one and two (not sure which order though), the only debate was over the number three spot.  How things have changed.  Brodeur allowed two goals in the final minute of game 7 against Carolina in the first round, and Luongo looked like a thin slice of swiss cheese every time Patrick Kane had the puck in Vancouver’s game 6 loss to Chicago.  Could this mean there is an opening for the likes of Cam Ward and Steve Mason?  To be continued.

8. Although seeded 8th, the Ducks are the West’s 2nd best team - After defeating the NHL’s top team in the San Jose Sharks in round one, the Ducks proved it was no fluck as they took the Red Wings to a game 7, which was tied late before Cleary’s controversial goal.  Their defense was among the best, along with Detroit and Chicago’s, and the top line of Perry-Getzlaf-Ryan will be a force for years to come.  If the team sticks together, expect them to be much improved in the 2009-2010 regular season. 

7. Speaking of Cam Ward, he gives Carolina a legit shot at winning the Cup-  He is once again making a name for himself as one of the most clutch goalies in the NHL.  Some may not remember in 2006 when he came in to replace Martin Gerber after the Canes feel into a 2-0 deficit against the Montreal Canadiens.  Ward would lead his team past the Habs and to the Cup that year, and it appears he looks poised to do the same this time around as well.

6.  Ovechkin is great, but Sid is even better- What a battle it was, and when the dust cleared, it was Sidney Crosby left standing.  This was one of the most remarkable series ever played in the NHL playoffs and both superstars (and let’s not forget Malkin) should be applauded for their strong play, but the winner is the one who guides their team on to the next round, and that was Crosby.  Some have argued before that Crosby has better players around him, but that is hardly true anymore.  Compare line-mates: Crosby with Guerin and Kunitz, or Ovechkin with Backstrom and Kozlov.  Tough, but I think I’d take the latter.

5. Hockey is alive in Chicago thanks to some kids - Playoff hockey is back in Chicago and they have a special crop of young talent to thank for that.  The likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook, among many others, are leading this surprising team into a date with the rival Detroit Red Wings.  In order for Chicago to take that next step towards building a champion, they have to show that they are the top team in the Central Division.  Their first chance begins on Sunday in Detroit.

4.  Detroit is 4 Lines Deep Up Front - At this point in the playoffs, it becomes necessary to use a complete bench as much as possible.  While their counterparts in the next series (Chicago) can utilize a strong four-line rotation, no one can do so like the Detroit Red Wings.  With a Samuelsson, Hudler, Filpulla, Draper, and Maltby floating around their bottom two lines, the Wings can threaten goalies for a full 60 minutes.  And lets not forget the speedy Darren Helm.  His goal on the breakaway was just a sign of things to come from this up and coming star.  On any other team in the league, he’s playing on the top two lines right now.

3.  Eric Staal vs Crosby may be able to duplicate Ovechkin vs Crosby - OK, so maybe this is asking for a bit too much, but don’t expect the battle between Eric Staal and Sidney Crosby be a slouch in comparison.  Stall has show that he can light the lamp in the playoffs, and he even did so up against the best defender in the NHL in Zdeno Chara. There are no Chara’s on Pittsburgh, but they have been playing a solid ‘team defense’, which somewhat slowed Ovie down later in their series with Washington.  What Eric will have to likely deal with is younger brother Jordan, who has become an effective shut down man.  For this series, Jordan Staal will be looking for his brother Eric to falter in favor of Crosby.  Wonder what Mark is thinking about all of this.

2. The Bulin Wall may have lost some bricks, but it’s still there - He may be shaky at times, but with his team scoring in the bunches, and showing resilience in their numerous comeback efforts, all that has been needed from Nikolai Khabibulin are some timely saves, and that he has provided.  The Chicago keeper out-dueled the NHL’s top goalie (according to most) in Roberto Luongo, and now he will have to be even better this round against the Red Wings.

1. If Hossa and Datsyuk start clicking, there may be no stopping the Wings - Every team always has a chance to win, especially when you have Crosby and Malkin, or a goalie like Cam Ward.  But the Wings have made it to this point beating a very strong Ducks team without the offensive help of superstars Marian Hossa and Pavel Datsyuk.  After 11 games, Hossa finds himself with 4 goals and Datsyuk with only 1.  Luckily Franzen continues to be a playoff scoring machine with 8 goals.  They have been playing solid hockey and have seen their chances come, but if Hossa and Datsyuk begin to find the net on a regular basis, there may be no stopping the Wings.  Although, I would assume Sidney Crosby has something to say about that.

RW – Jonathan Cheechoo – San Jose Sharks: Can officially be called Mr.Disappointment after having back-to-back terrible seasons despite the success of the San Jose Sharks. In 66 games this year Cheechoo  scored 12 goals and had 17 assists for a measley 29 points with only 9 of those points coming on the power play. Jonathan also registered 59 penalty minutes, a plus/minus rating of minus-3, 152 shots on goal and 4 game winning goals.

C – Peter Mueller – Phoenix Coyotes: After a great rookie season in 2007-08 where he recorded 54 points, Peter Mueller had high expectations heading into the 2008-09 season and was going to play a key part in the Coyotes offence. That didn’t happen. In 72 games this year Mueller scored 13 goals and had 23 assists for 36 points with only 11 of those points coming on the power play. Peter also registered 24 penalty minutes, a plus/minus rating of minus-7, 138 shots on goal and 4 game winning goals.

LW – Christopher Higgins – Montreal Canadiens: After a solid 2007-08 campaign in which he posted 52 points in 82 games and looked like a promising top 6 forward, Christopher Higgins had a very disappointing 2008-09 season. In 57 games this year Higgins scored 12 goals and had 11 assists for just 23 points with 4 of those points coming on the power play. Chris also registered 22 penalty minutes, a plus/minus rating of minus-1, 151 shots on goal and one game winning goal.

C – Andrew Cogliano – Edmonton Oilers: Just like Peter Mueller, Andrew Cogliano had a very good rookie season posting 45 points in 82 games. This year however he failed to improve on those stats. In 82 games this year Cogliano scored 18 goals and added 20 assists for 38 points with only 9 points coming while on the power play. Andrew also registered 22 penalty minutes, a plus/minus rating of minus-6, just 116 shots on goal and 4 game winning goals.

LW – Darcy Tucker – Colorado Avalanche: Darcy Tucker’s stats have been on the decline since the 2005-06 season and this year they took a big nose dive. In 63 games this year Tucker scored just 8 goals and only had 8 assists for a total of 16 points with 5 of those points coming on the power play, yikes! Darcy also registered 67 penalty minutes, a plus/minus rating of minus-13, 94 shots on goal and one game winning goal.

D – Wade Redden – New York Rangers: Ever since the Ottawa Senators decided to take Wade Redden over Zdeno Chara, Redden has struggled and this year was no exception. In 81 games this year Redden scored just 3 goals and had 23 assists for 26 points with 8 of those points coming on the power play. Wade also registered 51 penalty minutes, a plus/minus rating of minus-5, 161 shots on goal and zero game winning goals.

D – Derek Morris – Phoenix Coyotes/New York Rangers: Besides recording 48 points in the 2002-03 season, Derek Morris hasn’t lived up to the expectations of him after being drafted 13th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1996 Entry Draft. In 75 games with both the Phoenix Coyotes and New York Rangers this year Morris scored 5 goals and had 15 assists for 20 points with just 5 of those points coming on the power play. Derek also registered 40 penalty minutes, a plus/minus rating of minus-10, 120 shots on goal and zero game winning goals.

D – Andrej Meszaros – Tampa Bay Lightning: After some solid seasons in Ottawa, Andrej Meszaros was projected to be Tampa Bay’s #1 d-man and put up some good points while anchoring the Lightning’s power play. That didn’t happen. In 52 games this year Meszaros scored 2 goals and had 14 assists for 16 points with 5 of those points coming on the power play. Andrej also registered 36 penalty minutes, a plus/minus rating of minus-4, 87 shots on goal and one game winning goal.

G – Jean-Sebastien Giguere – Anaheim Ducks: Since the lockout Jean-Sebastien Giguere has been one of the more consistent goaltenders in the league. However he got off to a bad start this season and wasn’t able to turn things around. In 46 games this year Giguere recorded 19 wins while posting a 3.10 GAA, .900 SAV% and just 2 shutouts. At his age it’ll be interesting to see if he can make an Ed Belfour-like comeback next season. If he does, expect it to be with another team as the strong play of Jonas Hiller will most likely have the Ducks trading Giguere in the offseason.

G – Chris Osgood – Detroit Red Wings: After replacing Dominik Hasek in the playoffs and helping the Red Wings win the Cup last year many expected big things from Chris Osgood this season. Unfortunately he disappointed. In 46 games this year Osgood recorded 26 wins while posting a 3.09 GAA, .887 SAV% and only 2 shutouts. If Chris has another solid playoff run with Detroit one would think that his numbers will improve next season. Time will tell, although if Osgood ends up winning another Cup don’t be surprised to see him retire.