DETROIT -- In a couple of weeks, Marian Hossa will know if he really did make the right decision.
And we'll all know if the Pittsburgh Penguins really did learn what it takes to win it after last season's Cup run.
Hossa was part of the educational experience in Pittsburgh last spring, but spurned the Penguins when it was over to sign a one-year free-agent contract with Detroit for less money because he thought the Red Wings would give him the best chance to win a Stanley Cup. Now in an unusual twist of fate, both questions will be answered thanks to the first Stanley Cup rematch since the Edmonton Oilers ended the New York Islanders' four-year championship reign a quarter century ago.
• Series: Red Wings vs. Penguins
Back then the Oilers rebounded from a sweep by the Islanders a year earlier and began their own dynastic run of four Cups in five seasons. Understandably there is a sense of déjà vu in some quarters heading into this series. Particularly among those who see the similarities between present and past and believe these Penguins, with most of their key young stars locked up contractually, are on the verge of overtaking the perennial powerhouse from Detroit.
"It's a compliment, but at the same time we still have a lot to prove," said Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
Clearly. However the Penguins are coming into this series on a roll, with eight wins in their last nine games. This includes a sweep in the conference finals in which they outscored Carolina 20-9 and allowed just one power-play goal.
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| Datsyuk is one of Detroit's principal weapons, but his status is uncertain for Game 1. (Getty Images) |
"It's been different," admitted Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik. "With all due respect to the teams we played last year, it was a pretty easy ride there. We lost just two games before we got to the Finals, so it was pretty smooth, but we had to work a lot harder this time."
That of course is part of the process those great Edmonton teams figured out. And like those Oilers, led by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, Pittsburgh's strength begins at center with the duo of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who each had outstanding postseasons. They are tied for the overall scoring lead at 28 points.
In these playoffs, however, neither has yet to face the kind of overall physical and tactical defense the Red Wings can throw at them -- if Detroit is healthy.
The Red Wings marched through the Western Conference with relative ease -- threatened only by Anaheim in a seven-game second round -- yet Detroit finished the last series with several key players, including captain and Norris Trophy finalist Nicklas Lidstrom and MVP finalist Pavel Datsyuk, out with injuries. Detroit's lineup depth was able to sustain against an overmatched Blackhawks team. But over the course of a long series, particularly with a short turnaround and the first three games being played in four nights, the bang-up effect could be a factor against the younger, healthier and slightly more rested Penguins.
"Normally when you win [a series] in five games, you get this little break," said Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock. "I don't know if we're making up for lost time in the previous three series by jamming this all in 10 days or whatever we're doing. They don't ask me these questions."
Lidstrom, however, is expected back from a lower body injury for Game 1. Datsyuk, out with a foot problem, and young defenseman Jonathan Ericsson, who underwent an emergency appendectomy Wednesday, are considered possible returnees. And Detroit does expect its best faceoff man, Kris Draper, to be back from a groin injury before the series is over.
With a full lineup, the Red Wings will match Lidstrom and defensive partner Brian Rafalski against the line of Crosby, Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz, while Detroit's more physical defenders Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart will likely go up against Malkin's line. And up front, Detroit's top two lines -- Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen and Dan Cleary, and Hossa, Tomas Holmstrom and Datysuk (if he's ready), or Valtteri Filppula (if he's not) -- are as good defensively as they are on offense.
Detroit's strength over the last few seasons has been in its ability to hang on to the puck and create traffic down in front of the net, which will put a burden on a Penguins defense that has looked a lot better on the ice than it does on paper. Still, the Red Wings' high-powered offense should put a lot more pressure on Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who will likely be involved in the key matchup of the series against Detroit counterpart Chris Osgood.
The two have kept pace throughout these playoffs in terms of numbers -- Fleury has a 2.62 goals against average and a .906 save percentage while Osgood has a league-best 2.06 and .925 -- but the Detroit netminder has the intangible edge of having won three previous Cups, including the most recent one.
"What happened last year isn't going to have any bearing on this, we're completely different teams this year and they've kind of done what our team has done," Osgood said. "We have great players but we don't rely on them to win every single game and they're doing the same. The rematch will be fun."
No doubt.
