Red Wings grab first blood in Stanley Cup Finals

By: bobbirge3

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Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good.

The Red Wings may have been “lucky” to come away with a 3-1 win over Pittsburgh in the opener of the Stanley Cup Finals Saturday because Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury let in two brutal goals.

But the Red Wings won’t be apologizing. Besides, the good teams make their own breaks.

Again  and again, this  team reminds us of the New York Yankees in the late 1990s. They find ways to win and get contributions from unexpected sources.

In the 2-1 series-clinching win over the Blackhawks in the Western Conference finals, Daniel Cleary and Darren Helm scored Detroit’s two goals. 

On Saturday, Justin Abdelkader (who? ) sealed the win early in the third period with his first career goal. He picked quite a time - Game One of the Finals - to achieve that milestone . 

A couple other quick thoughts from Game One:

– The Red Wings seeemed to catch the Penguins off guard early with their physical play.

– The Red Wings dictated the tempo, playing the game at their pace, rather than allow the Penguins to free wheel.

– A crucial part of the game came in the second period when the Red Wings killed off two Pittsburgh power plays because Detroit’s penalty killing unit has struggled in the playoffs.

– And, remember, the Red Wings played without Hart Trophy finalist Pavel Datsyuk.

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Veteran sportswriter with 25 years of experience in the New York metropolitan area who loves the New York Yankees, New York Rangers and Notre Dame football.

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