INSIDE HOCKEY

Whenever the media discussed the Pittsburgh Penguins, most of the attention was deservedly focused on superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. But the Penguins won games 6 and 7 and ultimately the Stanley Cup with strong team defense, clutch goaltending and key offensive contributions from role players.

The Pens won each of the final two games by a 2-1 margin. Crosby failed to score in either game was only able to play 10 minutes of game 7 after suffering an injury in the second period. He was a combined minus-one in the final two games.

Malkin added one assist in the final two games and was a plus-one. While Malkin won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs, he was not a major offensive force in the Penguins' final two victories.

So where did Pittsburgh's scoring come from? Mostly the third and fourth line and the blue line. Maxime Talbot scored both goals in game 7 and added an assist in game 6. Tyler Kennedy had a goal and an assist and was a plus-three over the final two games while Rob Scuderi had two assists and tied for the team lead with a plus-four. The other goal came from third-line center Jordan Staal while Ruslan Fedotenko and Chris Kunitz added the other assists.

Pittsburgh won with grit and defense. In the final two games combined, the Pens outhit the Wings 79-61. Brooks Orpik led the way with 13 including nine in the series finale while Matt Cooke added 11 hits. Big defenseman Hal Gill didn't score in either of the final two contests, but was a plus-two in each of the games.

The Penguins also blocked a total of 40 shots in games 6 and 7 combined to just 15 for Detroit. In game 7, the Penguins blocked 20 shots while the Red Wings stepped in front only three. Orpik led the way with five blocks in game 7 while Pascal Dupuis got in the way of three. A total of 11 Penguins had at least one blocked shot in the deciding game.

The Pens also played very strong team defense in the final period with the Cup on the line. They held the desperate Wings to just seven shots on goal while clinging to a 2-0 lead. Fleury made two huge saves at in the closing seconds and Pittsburgh had its first Stanley Cup title since 1992.

Hossa Comes Up Short Again

Wings forward Marian Hossa fell short in the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight year. Last season, Hossa was a trade deadline acquisition for the Penguins who fell to Detroit in six games. In the offseason, Hossa was an unrestricted free agent. He spurned a multi-year offer from the Penguins to sign a one-year deal with the Wings because he said Detroit gave him the best chance to win a Stanley Cup ring.

Hossa played well in the playoffs--until the Finals. He failed to score a goal in the seven-game series against his former teammates despite being credited with 23 shots on goal. He added three assists over the course of the seven games but none of his points came on the power play.

It was a disappointing series for a sniper who scored 40 goals and 71 points in 74 games this season. Perhaps the intense focus on Hossa playing against his former teammates detracted from his play.

Hossa will once again be a free agent this summer. Detroit would love to have him back, but it's not clear if they can fit him under the salary cap.

Penguins Core Set for the Future

Expect the Penguins to be contenders for the foreseeable future as most of their key players are under long term contracts. Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal have four more years on their deals, Brooks Orpik and Evgeni Malkin have five more seasons remaining and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has six years to go. The future looks bright in Pittsburgh.

Let the Offseason Begin

The offseason begins now but things will be busy in the hockey world. The fate of the Phoenix Coyotes will soon be decided soon by a judge in a US Bankruptcy Court. The NHL Awards Ceremony will be held June 18 in Las Vegas, followed by the Entry Draft on June 26 and 27 in Montreal. Free agency kicks off on July 1. Despite the lack of action on the ice, what happens in the next month will go a long way to determining the quality of each team this year and beyond.