NHL Conference Finals Highlights

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
May 21, 2008

NHL Conference Finals Highlights

West

The hot Wings easily downed the gassed Stars, who were coming off a marathon 4-OT win over San Jose in Game 6 of the conference semifinals. Johan Franzen (12 goals in 11 playoff games) ran his postseason scoring streak to five consecutive matches, tying Gordie Howe's franchise mark, and Tomas Holmstrom (96) took up residence in front of Stars netminder Marty Turco, setting a contentious tone that would result in two disputed goals in the series. On this night, Holmstrom's screens created in a pair of goals, one of which went in off the winger.

East

Entering the series without their best defenseman -- Kimmo Timonen (blot clot) -- put the Flyers behind the proverbial eight ball as the battle of bitter Pennsylvania rivals began. Evgeni Malkin (left) scored twice for the Penguins while playing a robust physical game that included numerous checks, hits and even a facewash to Flyers backliner Derian Hatcher. Marian Hossa made his presence felt defensively as the Penguins began to establish themselves as more than a run-and-gun squad.

West

With Johan Franzen sidelined by concussion-like symptoms, Henrik Zetterberg and Valterri Filppula stepped up. Filppula won 10 of 16 face-offs and Zetterberg's blistering one-timer on a first-period power play proved to be the game-winner. Chris Osgood (left) sparkled in Detroit's net, stopping 17 of 18 shots to preserve the win.

East

The Flyers put a bulls-eye on Evgeni Malkin and delivered a crushin' to the Russian forward, but couldn't contain his superstar sidekick, Sid "The Kid" Crosby, who opened the scoring when his attempted pass was deflected by a Flyers defender past goalie Martin Biron. Crosby (left) had another apparent goal waived off after a video review. Most devastating for Philly was the loss of blueliner Braydon Coburn, who was hit in the eye by a puck shot by Sergei Gonchar (three assists) only 1:51 into the first period.

West

The Wings put the reeling Stars in a deep ditch, thanks to a hat trick by Pavel Datsyuk (left). The Russian center deposited a backhander past goalie Marty Turco at 9:27 of the first period to give Detroit a 1-0 lead, then countered the Stars' tying tally six minutes later on a give-and-go from Tomas Holmstrom. Datsyuk later potted an insurance goal at 17:19 of the third.

East

With the Flyers again putting the vise grips on Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby taunted the fans in Philadelphia by putting on a clinic that included two assists in the first eight minutes The goal of the night was scored by oft-maligned (as a playoff ghost) Marian Hossa, who took the puck at his blue line and skated through four Flyers before rifling a wrister through the legs of Lasse Kukkonen and past Martin Biron. Hossa's empty-netter in the final minute was his eighth tally of the playoffs.

West

The game featured two disputed goals in the second period -- one of which was waved off (Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom did not appear to be in the crease when a shot by Pavel Datsyuk sailed into the net to put Detroit up 1-0) and one that stood (Dallas' Loui Eriksson, who clearly was in the crease before the puck arrived), giving the Stars their first lead of the series. Crusty veteran Mike Modano's first goal in eight games -- a power play one-timer at 5:38 of the third period -- kept the Stars alive in the series.

East

Desperate and on the brink of elimination, the Flyers came out banging and Martin Biron (left) summoned the form that made him an early Smythe Trophy candidate. The netminder stopped 36 shots, many in spectacular fashion. Scott Hartnell was the offensive star, dishing three assists when not delivering crunching checks. On the Pens' side of the ledger, 19-year-old center Jordan Staal returned from the death of his grandfather to score both of Pittsburgh's goals.

West

Marty Turco (right) exorcised his demons by making 38 saves in Joe Louis Arena, where he had a career mark 0-9-2. He was brilliant after Joel Lundqvist scored the eventual game-winner early in the second period, and even chipped in with an assist. The Stars' victory inspired talk that the pivotal disputed goals in Game 4 and the 33-year intervals between the NHL's miracle comebacks from 0-3 holes (1942 Maple Leafs, 1975 Islanders) portended some kind of magic for Dallas.

East

A survivor of the Pens' lean 58-point 2003-04 season, winger Ryan Malone (far left) opened the spigot on a laugher with a power play score at 2:30 of the first period. He dished a brilliant, hard-fought assist on Evgeni Malkin's goal that made it 2-0 a little more than seven minutes later. Malone's second tally, midway through the second period, put the Pens up 4-0. Meanwhile, Marian Hossa continued to shine with three assists and a goal. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) made 21 saves for his third shutout of the playoffs as the Penguins advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1992.

West

Henrik Zetterberg squashed all hope of a miracle comeback with a great all-around game that included winning eight of 11 face-offs and assisting on Pavel Datsyuk's eventual game-winner at 11:41 of the first period. Zetterberg also swiped an errant Dallas pass at his own blue line and took the puck all the way for his second shorthanded goal of the series. Chris Osgood made 28 saves while giving himself a shot to win his second Cup with Detroit, the first coming in 1998.