FanHouse Roundtable: Red Wings, Penguins Meet Again In Pittsburgh

The Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins meet for the second time this season Sunday afternoon on NBC. The Penguins hold a 1-0 advantage in the regular season Finals rematch series with a come from behind win on November 11th.

The two teams have had trouble since that game, but have found success in their recent games. Detroit won its third in a row Saturday with an 8-3 decision over Edmonton, and Pittsburgh has won its last two. Both teams will look to continue their respective turnarounds today. Hit the jump to read the discussion resident Pens guy Adam Gretz and I had on the game Saturday afternoon.Saler: I see the Pens have won their last two. What's the early verdict on the ministreak? Is it the beginning of a turnaround or just a brief reprieve?

Gretz: Well, hopefully it's the beginning of a turnaround. The past two seasons the Penguins have hit second half surges and, obviously, they haven't hit one yet this season. I'm not sure how much wins against Tampa Bay and Columbus without Steve Mason mean, but it's a good start.

They looked dreadful for two periods on Wednesday against the Lightning. They went into the locker room after the second period trailing, 3-0, when Evgeni Malkin supposedly went crazy in the locker room. There was something about him putting $1,000 on the board if the team won. He played like it in the third period and overtime, essentially putting the team on his back.

We'll see how much this two game winning streak means on Sunday when they face a much more difficult test in Detroit. Speaking of which ... what's the story up there? They had the big five-game losing streak a week ago, and now they've won two straight.

Saler: Well, that five-game skid was the longest of the season and included some of their worst games. The two wins since then honestly haven't been much better. They beat St. Louis despite putting on one of their worst performances of the season, and won over Phoenix with some pretty poor goaltending.

Wins are definite improvements over five consecutive losses, but this team still has a way to go. As I type this, they're up 3-0 against Edmonton and are looking pretty good. I hope it's a sign of things to come.

Malkin's the guy I'm interested in tomorrow. He was pretty ineffectual in the Finals, so we Wings fans haven't really seen what he can do. How can the Wings get him off his game?

Gretz: Yeah, the finals was probably the worst hockey Malkin has played in his entire career in Pittsburgh, but this season he's been the Pens' best player pretty much every single night. As for what the Wings can do to knock him off his game? Honestly, I have no idea. Nobody's really been able to do it on any sort of consistent basis this season.

The big story, of course, is the return of Marian Hossa to Pitt sburgh. Statistically, it looks like he's been a monster this season which really isn't a surprise, simply because that's what he does.

I expect he's going to get the Jagr treatment whenever he's within booing distance of the puck. Whatever, we knew what we were getting when the Penguins traded for him -- hired help for a cup run -- so I can't really begrudge the guy for taking advantage of his rights as a free agent. Though, I still wish he was skating on Crosby's wing this season. Even so, I would hope that general manager Ray Shero would make the same move 100 times out of 100. He was a crucial part of that dismantling of the Eastern Conference through the playoffs.

Saler: Yeah, the Wings will be hard-pressed to keep Malkin silent unless they have a major turnaround from a team defense standpoint. This Edmonton game is giving me hope, however. How is Sidney Crosby handling Malkin's taking over the mantle of best player on the team?

I admit I've had a hard time understanding some Pens' fans reactions to Hossa's departure. As you say, he was brought in to help with last year's effort, with no guarantee that he'd stay. I can see how some of his comments on departing can be considered offensive, but it's too bad he's such a bad guy in Pittsburgh these days. I'd hate to see him booed tomorrow, but I guess that's sports.

He's been great for Detroit this year and fits here perfectly. I think there's a very real chance he'll sign a long-term extension, which no doubt will seal his reputation as the devil in some circles.

How's the goaltending in Pittsburgh this year? That's the big story in Detroit right now as fans look for the easy scapegoat for the team's troubles (not to in any way exonerate Chris Osgood for his basically atrocious play).

Gretz: Regarding Hossa's departure I think it comes down to two things:

1) He turned down a longer, more lucrative offer with the Penguins to sign in Detroit for one year. People weren't even expecting a one-year offer to be on the table or something that he would consider, and I think Shero even hinted towards that in the wake of his departure.

2) He signed in Detroit.

I think if Hossa would have gone to say, Edmonton, people probably wouldn't care as much because, well, it was expected that he was going to leave. But the fact he went to the team that beat the Penguins, and for less years and money than the Penguins were offering, well, that was a shock. Not only did it make a seemingly unbeatable team that much stronger, but he is a perfect fit for the style of hockey that Detroit plays.

As for the goaltending in Pittsburgh: Marc-Andre Fleury has been up and down at times, though, the defensive play around him has been worse than it was a season ago. He's been left out to dry on some nights, including even the past two wins. He missed some time this season with a groin injury, and Dany Sabourin wasn't able to stand on his head the way Ty Conklin did a season ago in his absence. As a result, Sabourin was recently traded to Edmonton for Matheiu Garon and his one start to this point was a disaster. He gave up six goals in Toronto and hasn't played in a game since.

What can the Wings do in net if Osgood continues to struggle? Would they really feel confident going into the playoffs with Conklin or a struggling Osgood in net?

Oh, and regarding Crosby being the No. 2 man, I don't think he really cares, nor is it much of an issue. I think the Penguins have always viewed he and Malkin as 1A and 1B.



Saler: This probably won't make it any better, but he only did the one-year deal with Detroit because he was willing to give them the flexibility to sign Henrik Zetterberg without his own contract getting in the way. That's not a common attitude among free agents, and to me it makes him a good guy, though I can see why it might piss off Pens fans who wish he was as flexible with their team.

If Osgood continues to struggle, the Wings will give Conklin a go, but I know I'm not confident in his ability to carry the team to a repeat. I'd much rather Osgood just get it together, and at this point, there's no reason to believe he won't. He'll need to do it quickly, though.

Having his teammates play better will help. It's not just Osgood who's been subpar this season. The rest of the team, except Jiri Hudler and Hossa, have been playing a notch or more below where they were last season. It's been a pretty light hangover (second in the West), but it's definitely been a hangover and for a team with such a high standard, it's been unacceptable.

What's been the Pens' biggest issue this season? For Detroit, it's defense, which is disturbing given their defensive talent (both on the blueline and in the forward corps).

With the 1A and 1B designation of Makin and Crosby, they're similar to what the Wings have with Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Between those four players, you have four of the top five best forwards in the NHL.

Gretz: The biggest problem for the Pens has been the loss of Sergei Gonchar, and frankly, everything else is a distant second. He's getting closer to a return, which is good, but his loss has rendered the Penguins power play, for the most part, awful. Combine that with the fact Ryan Whitney, their No. 2 defenseman on the power play, also missed a large chunk of the season, and you had them throwing a 21-year-old Kris Letang and a 23-year-old Alex Goligoski to the wolves. Granted, Letang and Goligoski are oozing with potential, but they're not ready to be the top guys just yet. Letang is playing better lately, but he still struggles with consistency. Goligoski was just sent back down to the minors.

Beyond that, they're still struggling to find top-six wingers. Petr Sykora is having another strong season offensively, but after that, their options on the wings leave plenty to be desired. It's not uncommon to see Crosby centering a line of Pascal Dupuis and Tyler Kennedy. Recently, they've tried putting Crosby and Malkin together on a line with Matt Cooke. Miroslav Satan was off to a nice start, but for the past three months he's looked like the player that was sleep walking on Long Island a season ago. He was nearly a healthy scratch on Wednesday but begged Michel Therrien to put him in so he could play in his 1,000th game.

So, long story short: Gonchar and lack of quality depth on the wings has been a problem.

Saler: The Wings have been fortunate not to have major key injury like the Gonchar one this season. Their root of their biggest issue seems to be motivation. They seem to have trouble finding it within themselves to bring their "A" game for a mid-season meeting with the Columbus Blue Jackets. They're caught up in the regular season grind and their defensive game has suffered for it.

Last season, they were one of the most cohesive defensive groups I'd ever seen. Everyone on the team was commited to it and was willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make defensive plays that set up their offensive opportunities. This season, there's been a certain amount of apathy in the team defense department and it's lead to a breakdown of their whole game. They've been able to win on pure defensive talent more often than not, but that's definitely not going to cut it in the post-season. Until they start to pay attention to detail in their own end, they'll continue to look like a team headed for an early fall in April. I have too much faith in the team's coaching and personnel to think they won't turn their defensive game on before April, but it's definitely a concern as February goes on.

What do you think of the Pens' playoff chances? They're in 10th place today, so they still have to qualify, of course. I assume they'll at least slide in. Do you see them making another long run?

Gretz: I think the Penguins will hit a hot streak in the second half and end up in the lower half of the playoffs. They're still within shouting distance of the No's 4 and 5 spots, so if they can string a few wins together and maybe add a player at the deadline, I think they should be okay as far as getting in.

As for how far will they advance? Tough call. I suppose Fleury could get hot again in the postseason, and it's tough to bet against Malkin and Crosby, but I don't see them -- at this point -- going very far. Especially if they have to get a first round draw with somebody like, say, Boston.

Saler: Got a prediction for the game? I'm pretty hopeful after today's win over Edmonton, but fatigue could be a factor. Still, I'm going with 4-3 Detroit.

Gretz: I'd love to see the Pens win, but something tells me Detroit, coming off a huge win, and perhaps remembering that blown lead back in November, might be a bit much for the Pens. I see a 5-3 Detroit win.

Saler: That's it, folks. Enjoy the game!