Penguins Pinch Wings 2-1 for Stanley Cup

(NEWSER) - As Detroit reels from the automotive crisis, a much-needed emotional uplift is coming from a dependable source: the Red Wings, currently in the Stanley Cup finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. We “are one of the good stories that are coming out of Detroit right now,” a Red Wings VP tells the New York Times. “It’s definitely something people can rally around.” More»

(NEWSER) - NBC is putting the NHL in the penalty box. Unwilling to sacrifice its weeknight programming, particularly Conan’s Tonight Show debut, the network has dictated that games 1 and 2 will be tonight and tomorrow, the first time games have been back-to-back since 1954. Then, it’ll kick games 3 and 4 over to little-watched Versus on cable. The network is treating the league like a "second-class citizen," writes Michael Zuidema in the Grand Rapids Press. More»

Detroit's Stanley Cup didn't simply come from mining European talent

(NEWSER) - Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom and Finals MVP Henrik Zetterberg both learned their hockey skills in Sweden, but it's not Detroit's strategy of drawing European talent that secured them this year's Stanley Cup. The team's success, writes Scot Burnside for ESPN, is due to management's willingness to gamble on older mainstays of the Hockeytown franchise. More»

Detroit misses chance to win Stanley Cup at home

(NEWSER) - The Detroit Red Wings' road to the Stanley Cup has another stop to make. Against all odds, the Pittsburgh Penguins stayed alive in the Stanley Cup finals with a 4-3 victory in Game 5 that ended on Petr Sykora's goal 9:57 into the third overtime last night. More»

Overlooked Detroit stars have eclipsed young Pens all series

(NEWSER) - If the Red Wings are marching inexorably toward possession of another Stanley Cup, it's thanks in large part to their remarkable composure, writes Bob Wojnowski for the Detroit News. Henrik Zetterberg and Co. kept their cool last night despite an early deficit and potential peril of a long 5-on-3, making every play and stuffing Kid Crosby over and over. More»