Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 6 (Wings lead 3-2)
Does the NHL season end tonight with the Red Wings hoisting yet another Stanley Cup, or do we get to extend hockey for a few more days and head back to Detroit for a winner-take-all Game 7?
Well, oddsmakers at WagerWeb.com expect a Pittsburgh win back at home tonight, as the Pens are -125 money line betting favorites.
There could be a few new looks for Pittsburgh tonight in the wake of that Game 5 blowout loss. Veteran Bill Guerin has been skating on Pittsburgh’s No. 1 line but has just one assist in the finals against Detroit.
Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma has dropped hints that he might move Guerin off the line with Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz.
“We don’t need one person to go out and score a goal,” said Bylsma. “We don’t need just Billy Guerin to step up his game. Everyone needs to be ready to have the puck on their stick and make the play or make the defensive play or block the shot or make the save. We need a defining game.”
There’s also a chance that Bylsma dusts off winger Petr Sykora tonight. He has a history of performing well in big games – it was his goal in the third overtime of Game 5 against the Red Wings that kept the Penguins’ season alive last year. But Sykora hasn’t played since May 4 and has just one point in six postseason games. He did finish the regular season with 25 goals but just two in the final 17 games.
“I’ve considered it every game from the time he hasn’t played until now,” Bylsma said. “We’ve certainly talked about different scenarios in the coaches’ room and talked about what our team needs and what would help us win this game, and we’re still talking about it.”
Look for the power play to be the difference tonight. Detroit was just one-for-10 with the man advantage before scoring three consecutive power-play goals in Game 5. Meanwhile, Pens star Evgeni Malkin has 16 of his playoff-leading 35 playoff points on the power play.
Detroit’s Dan Cleary, who’s been bothered by a lower-body injury, didn’t practice Monday but Coach Mike Babcock said he will play in Game 6. Kris Draper left practice early with his sore groin but also will play.
The Wings looked like a different club in Game 5, which also was the first game that Pavel Datsyuk has played in this series. He had two assists on the night with a plus-2 rating in 17:38 of ice time and ranked third on the team with four hits.
“This guy’s one of the best players in the world, both offensively and defensively,” said Babcock. “Just makes the team more comfortable. We needed plays, and suddenly we relaxed and we made plays.”
NHL Betting at WagerWeb.com
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
