After a tough fought first and second period, Pittsburgh was able to score on a powerplay midway through the third and would go on to win Game 3 by a score of 4-2. The win brought the Penguins within one game of tying it but the Wings are still one win from essentially locking up the series.
With the series ready to swing either way tonight, let’s look at some of the keys to the game:
- Will Pavel Datsyuk and Kris Draper be 100% as they return to the lineup? Unlikely, but even with these guys at 75% the team will be better defensively and in the face-off circle.
- Will Henrik Zetterberg’s excellent coverage of Sidney Crosby continue or will The Kid break through in tonight’s game?
- Can the Wings either stay out of the box or play better on the penalty kill? The Pittsburgh power play went 2 for 3 in Game 3 but went at 0% in Game 1 and got an own goal by Brad Stuart in Game 2 as their lone goal with the advantage.
- Will the trend of shooting less but winning continue to be true in this series? How about Hossa’s streak of scoring 2 goals in each Game 4?
- Did Osgood just have one of the “bad nights” or is he teetering on the edge of unraveling? Did Marc-Andre Fleury recover from being rattled in Detroit?
- I’d like to see the Wings hit more. After being greatly outhit in game 3, I want to see them take the body to the Pen players more often.
Game 4 starts at 8:00 pm ET (or probably 8:15) and will be shown on Versus, CBC, and/or RDS depending on your location and as always, GO WINGS!
