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Penguins, Red Wings present dynamic mix of new and old
The Stanley Cup finals beginning Saturday will feature plenty of intrigue between a team with some of the league's most exciting young players against another with a storied history and loaded with playoff experience.
The Stanley Cup finals will fulfill the NHL's marketing dreams -- and should be a memorable experience for fans too.
The Detroit Red Wings, an Original Six team with a deep and far-flung fan base, earned the right to compete for the Cup by defeating the Stars in six games, ending their Western Conference finals series with an impressive 4-1 victory Monday at Dallas.
The Red Wings will face the Penguins, who have become a model franchise only a few years after their future in Pittsburgh appeared bleak.
Building around the superb skills of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins improved rapidly under Coach Michel Therrien and reached the Cup finals probably a year or two ahead of their own projections.
They haven't played for the Cup since 1992, when Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr led them to the second of two successive titles. Lemieux assumed a majority ownership of the club after its 1999 bankruptcy and became a local hero for helping head off a rumored move.
The final will begin Saturday in Detroit, a matchup that will put on display some of the league's most decorated and proven veterans and most exciting youngsters.
The Penguins are remarkably dynamic up front, where Crosby, Malkin and late-season acquisition Marian Hossa pull off feats of stickhandling magic every game. But the Penguins also have a surprisingly solid defense, a true team effort in the absence of an individual standout of the magnitude of Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom.
General Manager Ray Shero did a superb job in mixing some experience into his lineup when he acquired Hossa, forward Pascal Dupuis and rugged defenseman Hal Gill in late February. All played key roles for the Penguins, who have won 16 consecutive games at the Igloo, the downtown arena that will be replaced by 2010.
The Red Wings rebounded impressively from their loss to the Ducks in last year's West final. Coach Mike Babcock wasn't afraid to juggle his lineup and deftly worked around the absence of Johan Franzen, who had concussion-like symptoms, and 46-year-old defenseman Chris Chelios, who missed the clincher against Dallas because of a leg injury.
Both teams have ample skill and enough muscle to back it up. Goaltender Chris Osgood has gone 10-2 for Detroit after replacing Dominik Hasek, and his counterpart, Marc-Andre Fleury, has compiled a playoff-best .938 save percentage.
The Red Wings have more playoff experience, but the Penguins have the younger legs and two game-changing players in Crosby and Malkin. The NHL, which has seen a modest increase in its TV ratings this season -- from not much to not much more -- should be grateful for such a bonanza.
helene.elliott@latimes.com
The Detroit Red Wings, an Original Six team with a deep and far-flung fan base, earned the right to compete for the Cup by defeating the Stars in six games, ending their Western Conference finals series with an impressive 4-1 victory Monday at Dallas.
Building around the superb skills of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins improved rapidly under Coach Michel Therrien and reached the Cup finals probably a year or two ahead of their own projections.
They haven't played for the Cup since 1992, when Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr led them to the second of two successive titles. Lemieux assumed a majority ownership of the club after its 1999 bankruptcy and became a local hero for helping head off a rumored move.
The final will begin Saturday in Detroit, a matchup that will put on display some of the league's most decorated and proven veterans and most exciting youngsters.
The Penguins are remarkably dynamic up front, where Crosby, Malkin and late-season acquisition Marian Hossa pull off feats of stickhandling magic every game. But the Penguins also have a surprisingly solid defense, a true team effort in the absence of an individual standout of the magnitude of Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom.
General Manager Ray Shero did a superb job in mixing some experience into his lineup when he acquired Hossa, forward Pascal Dupuis and rugged defenseman Hal Gill in late February. All played key roles for the Penguins, who have won 16 consecutive games at the Igloo, the downtown arena that will be replaced by 2010.
The Red Wings rebounded impressively from their loss to the Ducks in last year's West final. Coach Mike Babcock wasn't afraid to juggle his lineup and deftly worked around the absence of Johan Franzen, who had concussion-like symptoms, and 46-year-old defenseman Chris Chelios, who missed the clincher against Dallas because of a leg injury.
Both teams have ample skill and enough muscle to back it up. Goaltender Chris Osgood has gone 10-2 for Detroit after replacing Dominik Hasek, and his counterpart, Marc-Andre Fleury, has compiled a playoff-best .938 save percentage.
The Red Wings have more playoff experience, but the Penguins have the younger legs and two game-changing players in Crosby and Malkin. The NHL, which has seen a modest increase in its TV ratings this season -- from not much to not much more -- should be grateful for such a bonanza.
helene.elliott@latimes.com
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