Penguins can’t get Osgood early in series

Two 3-1 losses into his team’s series against Detroit, Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin unleashed… Two 3-1 losses into his team’s series against Detroit, Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin unleashed his frustration.

The Penguins star fought Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg in the final minute of Game 2, as tempers boiled over in a series where the stars have hit and slashed one another more than they have scored.

Prior to Game 3, the Penguins scored only twice against the Red Wings. Malkin and Sidney Crosby played admirably, but the swarming Detroit defense contained their efforts. They couldn’t get space to make plays thanks to Nicklas Lidstrom and the rest of the Red Wing blueliners.

And even when Crosby or Malkin can make a play, Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood shuts them down. Osgood earned the first star of the game in both Game 1 and Game 2 after posting two straight 31 save performances.

At the other end of the rink, Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury fell victim in Game 1 to bad bounces off Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena boards, which contributed to two Red Wing goals.

Still, the young goaltender has yet to make the big saves needed for this time of year. A third period goal against in both Game 1 and Game 2 — a stoppable shot in the latter case — hindered the Penguins as they tried to mount comebacks.

Those third period goals were scored not by a star like Zetterberg or Marian Hossa, but by 22-year old rookie Justin Abdelkader. Abdelkader picked a great time to score his first two goals in the NHL. His impressive play of late reflects the Red Wings’ offensive depth and their skill on the lower lines.

Detroit hopes that the sound play from the lower lines continues in Pittsburgh. Prior to Game 3 in the Steel City, Detroit had just a 4-3 record on the road in the playoffs. Detroit doesn’t have fan support, lively end boards or octopus metaphors away from the Joe Louis Arena, where the Red Wings are 10-1 in the postseason.

And as the series continues in Pittsburgh, keep an eye on the following:

The lower lines. Detroit benefited from players like Abdelkader and Darren Helm. Abdelkader locked down victories in Game 1 and 2 despite only playing a few shifts in each. He and Helm didn’t score in the regular season — they barely played — but combined for five playoff goals entering Game 3. Pittsburgh’s depth hasn’t stepped up in the same way. They need forwards Miroslav Satan, Tyler Kennedy and others to start chipping in and fast.

The line-matching game. Crosby couldn’t escape the watch of Zetterberg and Lidstrom in Games 1 and 2. He went scoreless as he exchanged hits and frustrated shoves with Zetterberg. The home team has the final change, so Red Wings coach Mike Babcock has to switch lines, without preparation, to get this matchup in Pittsburgh. In a game within the game, Penguins coach Dan Bylsma might put

Crosby and Malkin together or juggle lines in order to get them away from Detroit’s defensive stalwarts.

The third period. The third period decides close games, like the two played in Detroit, and the Penguins outplayed the Red Wings in the final period of both. But despite the Penguins outshooting them by more than a two-to-one margin, the Red Wings outscored them, 1-0, in each. In fact, heading into Game 3, Detroit has outscored playoff opponents, 19-6, in the third period. To buck this trend, Pittsburgh must capitalize on its late chances and get better goaltending from Fleury.

Datsyuk’s return. Detroit took control of the finals without its best forward, Pavel Datsyuk. Datsyuk hasn’t played since injuring his foot in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Up 2-0 in the series, the Red Wings are bringing him back slowly, but if the series tightens up, he probably will play. Datsyuk changes the dynamic of the finals, and Pittsburgh will have to handle another weapon in the Detroit lineup.

Ruslan Fedotenko. A winger on Malkin’s line, Fedotenko has quietly scored seven goals in the playoffs before Game 3. Although he isn’t a sniper, the Penguins veteran has a penchant to score clutch goals. Notably, he scored the Cup-winning goal for Tampa Bay in 2004. The Penguins would love for Fedotenko to perform at top level again as the Stanley Cup Finals continue.