Liveblogging the Stanley Cup Playoffs: Game 4

This is the Detroit Red Wings vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins, in Pittsburgh. Detroit won the first two games, Pittsburgh the third.

20:15 Eastern Time: a moment of silence for Luc Bourdon, who died in a single-motorcycle accident a few days ago. He had got his learner’s permit six weeks ago and had had the motorcycle for only two days.

Game starts: the first of three 20-minute periods.

• Face-off. I was washing dishes and did not see who got the puck in the first scramble.

• A penalty against Detroit: they will play short-handed for two minutes. Pittsburgh scores on the power-play, ending the penalty. Score 1-0 for Pittsburgh.

• Five minutes. Another power play, this time for the Red Wings. Detroit’s Eric Lindstrom fires in a beautiful long shot and scores at the end of the power play. Score, 1 – 1.

• Eight minutes. The Pittsburgh goal is knocked off its position; play stops. Someone got a stick in the face but the referees didn’t notice.

• Penalty against Detroit for roughing up another player (plus a bit of high-sticking): power play to the Penguins for two minutes or until they score. The Penguins are all around the Red Wing goal. Then the Red Wings shoot the puck to the other end of the arena (clearing it down the ice).
• The puck gets tossed into the crowd, stopping play. Play starts again with a new puck; the Penguins fire on goal but Detroit’s goalie Osborne stops the puck. Red Wings clear it down the ice.

• Eleven minutes: Pittsburgh players are slowing down. Another couple of close shaves. Penalty is over.

• Twelve minutes: Wide-open play courses from end to end of the ice, repeatedly.

At this point I have to go out. Back later with results.

… I got back in time to see the last 50 seconds of the second period. The score is still 1 – 1.

Third period:

• The Wings swarm the Pittsburgh goal, looking energetic and determined.

• Two minutes, 30 seconds: Detroit scores scores a goal on a slow backhand shot. The Wings are even more energetic.

• Pittsburgh goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury, gets a penalty for batting the puck out of the playing area after he makes a save. That’s for deliberately delaying the game. The goalie doesn’t go off the ice; someone else serves his penalty. The Wings go on a power play and swarm the Penguin’s goal again.

• 5′ 30″: Puck is shot over the boards again. This time it is deemed an accident.

• Penalty is over. Intense end-to-end play. Detroit’s net is off the posts. One of the Pittsburgh players, Evgeni Malkin, a victim of almost constant interference in this game, was propelled right into the goal.

• The Red Wings are beating the Penguins to the puck. Wide-open, skating game.

• A Red Wing tripped a Pittsburgh player with his stick and got a hooking penalty. It’s a chance for Pittsburgh to score. THEN another Red Wing got an interference penalty. There will be five Penguins on the ice against three Red Wings for almost two minutes.

• A Penguin shot and missed the goal! Henrik Zetterberg kept the Penguins guessing. The puck was cleared down the ice. There’s another face-off in the Wings’ end. The Penguins may have got the puck, but Zetterberg stole it and fired on the Penguins’ goal. Fleury made a save.

• The puck is down at the Red Wings’ end again but the first penalty is over. The second penalty is over. The Penguins couldn’t make a goal.

• Two minutes left to go. Pittsburgh needs to make a goal.
• Last minute. Detroit pulls their goalie to put another active player on the ice. Pittsburgh gets a shot at the empty net and misses! Detroit gets the puck back to the Pittsburgh goal end and hangs on for the win.

The Red Wings now lead the series three games to 1 and are going back to Detroit, where they will be the ones being cheered. Pittsburgh seldom loses a home game, so t his is a tough loss for them.

Now I have to get to bed because there’s the 25-km Ride for Heart bike-a-thon.