DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings got exactly what they needed: a big win and long break.
After hearing how tired and beat up they were through four games of the Stanley Cup Finals, the defending champions busted out with a devastating display of offense and defense and rolled to a 5-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night that put them a win away from another championship.
The veteran-laden Red Wings lead the series 3-2 and are closing in on their 12th Stanley Cup title and fifth in 12 seasons. Detroit can wrap this one up Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.
“It’s a huge win,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “The biggest part is the extra days off. That’s the best thing that we’ve got to this point.
“We’ll be a better team.”
Detroit’s two-game losing streak in Pittsburgh quickly became a distant memory as the Red Wings returned to the friendly confines of Joe Louis Arena and blew away the supposedly fresher Penguins.
The home team is 5-0 in the rematch of last year’s finals, so the Penguins still have that going for them. full article
