NO SHIFT IN MOMENTUM

At the start of the season my blog collegue and also eminent sportswriter, Per Bjurman, predicted the Detroit Red Wings would play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals and win. Until Game 5, I guess this was still true. However, in his latest article for Aftonbladet he writes that he is starting to have doubts about Detroit's abillity to close the bag on the Pens. Bjurman writes that Detroit has not been in a position where they have had to fight their way back in these playoffs and this is why their nerves crumbled in Game 4 and also why they're not favoured to win tonight at the Mellon Arena.

But the Red Wings aren't in a position where they have to come back. They still lead, though the lead has shrunk to 3-2, and still have a chance to oust the Penguins and snatch their forth cup in eleven years. In fact, this situation is not unlike the trouble they were in against Dallas, where they were up 3-0, then dropped two games only to crush the Stars in Game 6 in Texas. During that series many were also saying there was a momentum shift and that the Stars had figured out the Wings. That wasn't true, the Wings got themselves together and moved on, and it isn't true now. Also, the pressure is still on Pittsburgh to force a Game 7 and I wouldn't be surpriced if we'll see some nerves among the Penguins.

I agree the Red Wings will have to play their very best to beat the Pens tonight, but it's not like they have to be absolutely perfect or they will lose. I enjoyed the Bjorn Borg-likeness, and just like the king of Wimbledon, the Wings have to clear their minds of missed opportunities and just play Game 6 like any other game. Player by player, Detroit is the better team, far better than any of the teams the Pens rolled over out east, and the biggest reason Pittsburgh stole Game 4 was Marc-Andre Fleury who stood on his head, collecting 55 saves in the process. Should that game be played five more times Detroit would win four of them. If Fleury is as untouchable tonight, the Wings will be in trouble, but I expect the big red machine to make him work for it.

Either way I think we're all, diehard Wings fans excluded, happy we get to see more of the fantastic hockey these two teams have displayed so far.