Detroit's Good, Lucky in Game 1
Red Wings 3, Penguins 1
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Sunday, May 31, 2009
DETROIT, May 30 -- The Stanley Cup finals opener was full of flashbacks.
Pittsburgh superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were slowed down and the Detroit Red Wings scored some fortunate goals.
Johan Franzen scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period and Chris Osgood made 31 saves, helping the defending champion Red Wings beat the Penguins, 3-1, on Saturday night in Game 1.
Franzen and Brad Stuart had goals that went off Pittsburgh goalie Marc-André Fleury.
"We're going to have to get goals like that," Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock said. "I don't think there are going to be a whole lot of skill plays."
Crosby, though, didn't have such luck when his third-period shot went off Osgood and a post and landed on the middle of the goalie's back as lay on the ice.
Detroit rookie Justin Abdelkader scored his first playoff goal early in the third.
Game 2 is Sunday night in Detroit and will have prime time to itself because the NBA's Western Conference finals have finished.
The NHL announced Saturday that Game 2 will begin at 8 p.m., matching the start time for the other six games of the series.
The NHL and its TV partners likely were happy with how the first Stanley Cup finals rematch in a quarter-century got started.
The action, especially in the first period, matched the hype.
End-to-end action, big hits such as Crosby's left shoulder sending Henrik Zetterberg to the ice, scoring opportunities and a 1-1 score had to hold nontraditional viewers giving hockey a chance.
