Shots from the NHL Conference Finals

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
May 28, 2009

Shots from the NHL Conference Finals

Henrik Zetterberg

Henrik Zetterberg (40) has his work cut out for him as he tries to get the puck past Chicago's Cristobal Huet (38), Duncan Keith (2) and Samuel Pahlsson (26) during Game 5 of the Western Conference finals. Darren Helm's overtime goal lifted the Red Wings into the Stanley Cup finals -- and a rematch against Pittsburgh -- with a 2-1 win.

Red Wing teammates congratulate goalie Chris Osgood (center) after Detroit eliminated Chicago four games to one in the Western Conference finals.

Brian Campbell

Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell tries to muscle his way around Detroit center Valtteri Filppula during Game 5. Campbell, Chicago's highest paid player, posted just one assist and a minus-5 in the series against Detroit, while Filppula scored at least a point-a-game in the five game series.

Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby saved his most daring move for after the Pens' series win: He spurned hockey superstition and hoisted the Prince of Wales Trophy, presented to the Eastern Conference Champions, here by NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. The Penguins are headed back to the Stanley Cup finals, clinching a return trip with a 4-1 rout of the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, May 26, that finished off a sweep in the Eastern Conference finals. Pittsburgh lost to Detroit last year in a six-game final series.

Matt Cullen

Matt Cullen goes airborne while vying for the puck with the Penguins' Evgeni Malkin in Game 5.

Eric Staal

Eric Staal lunges at Penguins' defenseman Kris Letang during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Staal scored (1:36 into the game) for the first time in the series for the Hurricanes, who lost for the first time in these playoffs when their franchise player notched a goal.

Marc-Andre Fleury

Marc-Andre Fleury stops a shot by the Hurricanes' Matt Cullen in the third period of Game 5. Fleury stopped the final 30 shots he faced in shutting down Carolina during the last 58 minutes.

Cristobal Huet

Detroit's Marian Hossa scored a short-handed goal past Cristobal Huet on a 2-on-1 break that gave the Red Wings the early lead. Hossa snapped a six-game goalless drought with a pair of markers in Game 4's 6-1 win over Chicago.

Chris Osgood

Detroit's Chris Osgood makes the save on Jonathan Towes in the first period. Osgood made 18 saves on 19 shots before leaving Sunday's contest after two periods because of dehydration.

Sidney Crosby | Cam Ward

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby (left) puts the pressure on Carolina's Cam Ward during Game 3 of their Eastern Conference finals May 23. Crosby picked up a goal and an assist as the Pens took a 3-0 series lead after their 6-2 win.

Carolina's Scott Walker gets a bruising check as the Pens' Tyler Kennedy (48) comes in to assist. The Hurricanes will look to avoid the sweep when it plays host to the Pens Tuesday night.

Chris Osgood

Chicago's Patrick Sharp (10) scored the game-winner in its 4-3 overtime win May 22 over Detroit. The Blackhawks still trailed in the West semifinals series two games to one.

Brian Campbell | Kirk Maltby | Duncan Keith

Chicago's Brian Campbell (51) and Duncan Keith (2) get acquainted with Detroit's Kirk Maltby (18). Chicago had jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Detroit answered with three of its own.

Evgeni Malkin

Evgeni Malkin put Pittsburgh ahead for good by scoring twice in the third period of his first three-goal playoff performance, and the Penguins beat the Hurricanes 7-4 Thursday night, May 21, to open a two-game lead in the series. Malkin's most impressive goal came when he picked up the puck in the corner, carried it behind the net and used a spin move to put a backhander past goalie Cam Ward from a bad angle for his 10th of the playoffs.

Evgeni Malkin

Sidney Crosby scored a record-tying sixth goal to start a playoff game, yet was upstaged by NHL regular-season scoring leader Evgeni Malkin in Game 2 against Carolina. Malkin's exceptional effort also gave him the playoff scoring lead 25-24 over Crosby. Malkin has four of Pittsburgh's 10 goals in the series.

Chris Osgood

Dustin Byfuglien tangles himself up with Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood in the crease during the third period of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals in Detroit on May 19. Osgood stopped 37 shots in the Red Wings' 3-2 OT win.

Mikael Samuelsson

Mikael Samuelsson scores the game-winning goal in overtime against Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. The OT win put the Red Wings up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.

Jordan Staal

Jordan Staal knocks his big brother Eric to the ice during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Pittsburgh on May 18. The last time siblings skated against each other in the Conference finals was in 1974 - when Phil Esposito's Bruins faced Tony's Blackhawks.

Cam Ward

Miroslav Satan shoots and scores against Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward during the third period of Game 1 the Eastern Conference Finals. Satan's goal was his first of the playoffs, and the first scored in the Pittsburgh/Carolina series. The Penguins won 3-2.

Dan Cleary

Dan Cleary tries to tip the puck as Blackhawks netminder Nikolai Khabibulin gets a glove on it during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in Detroit on May 17.

Dan Cleary

Dan Cleary (left) celebrates his second goal of the game with teammate Johan Franzen during the third period of Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Cleary's two goals helped lead the Red Wings to a 5-2 win over Chicago in the opening game of their series.