Empty Netter Assists - 5-31-09
Playoff Stuff
Penguins
-Dave Molinari's recap from last night's game. The Red Wings know how to use the boards at Joe Louis Arena.
-The Detroit Free Press' recap. Chris Osgood's save on Evgeni Malkin's second period breakaway was huge.
-The Detroit News' recap. Did Marc-Andre Fleury need to play better?
-The Associated Press' recap. "It's good. We don't have to think long about it." - Maxime Talbot on playing games on back-to-back days.
-NHL.com's recap. "We have to get goals like that." Detroit coach Mike Babcock on some of the goals his team got off bounces.
-Dan Bylsma hates those Red Wings.
-If you like hitting, this was your game.
-Ron Cook says don't worry.
-The Penguins got ripped up in the faceoff circle.
-Adam Gretz of AOL has a solid breakdown of the faceoff numbers.
-SIdney Crosby brushing off Kirk Maltby's shin pads:
-Kudos to Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo! for the find.
-Postgame comments from Ruslan Fedotenko, Maxime Talbot, Marc-Andre Fleury, Kris Letang and Hal Gill:
-Is Game 2 a must win?
-George James Malik of MLive.com's Snapshots has all of the NHL's official postgame transcripts.
-Yinzers were everywhere yesterday.
-"He's a better player than I was at the same age, for sure." - Mario Lemieux on Sidney Crosby.
-The transcript of Lemieux's press conference.
-Assistant coach Tom Fitzgerald took a long road to arrive at his position.
-You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy:
Red Wings
-Forward Justin Abdelkader chose a good time to score his first career playoff goal.
-Abdelkader is used to scoring big goals in big games.
-Goaltender Chris Osgood kept his team in the game during the second period.
-Osgood made critical saves and critical times.
-How did that one puck stick on Osgood's back?
-Forward Henrik Zetterberg acquainted himself with Sidney Crosby once again.
-Detroit had a lot of luck on its side last night.
-Ty Conklin used to play for the Penguins.
-Hit up the HockeyTown Cafe if you're in town.
-The NHL can't do much better than Penguins-Red Wings.
Non-Playoff Stuff
Penguins
-Former Penguins goaltender Hank Bassen passed away. He was 76. He was the team's starting goaltender in its first game in 1967.
Central Division
-Don't lend Gary Bettman your weedwhacker. The NHL had to pay $500,000 for damages to Wrigley Field from this year's Winter Classic.
Smythe Division
-Gary Bettman (right) said the salary cap will probably remain the same or could even drop five percent.
(Photos: Crosby and Scuderi-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Bettman-Harry How/Getty Images)