Penguins win Stanley Cup in Game 7 vs. Red Wings

DETROIT - Max Talbot scored two goals and the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame an injury in the second period to captain Sidney Crosby to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in a gripping Game 7 to win the Stanley Cup on Friday night.

The Penguins won a third Cup in their history and their first since their championships in 1991 and 1992.

Rookie Jonathan Ericsson scored with 6:07 left in the third period for Detroit, which failed in a bid for a second straight Cup and fifth in 12 seasons.

The popular Talbot, whose linemate Evgeni Malkin accused him jokingly of having "bad hands" early in the series, ended up leading the final with four goals.

And the Penguins avenged a loss in six games in last year's final to the same Red Wings, who could not repeat as champion against a gifted young team that had too much energy and firepower for the battered and perhaps fatigued home side.

"(The Cup's) actually a lot heavier than I thought," an elated Crosby told CBC after the game. "It's so worth it. Our team battled so hard throughout the whole year and, being on the losing side last year, this is an amazing feeling."

It was also a hard loss to swallow for Red Wings winger Marian Hossa, who left the Penguins as a free agent last summer because he felt he had a better chance to win in Detroit. Hossa was held without a goal in the final.

"It sucks," said Red Wings forward Kirk Maltby. "Two mistakes turned into two goals."

Marc-Andre Fleury, chased from the net after allowing five goals in Game 5 a week ago, bounced back with a huge game as the crowd of 20,066 spurred their team with chants and roars through a stunning end to what had been a thriller series between Pittsburgh' young talent and Detroit's cool and efficient veterans.

To Talbot, Fleury's performance was extra special.

"We've been friends forever and it's just a great relationship," Talbot told CBC. "I told him when I got the first goal, I told him I got the game winner, you gotta keep it for me. And he did it."

Red Wings netminder Chris Osgood lauded Talbot.

"Those were two nice goals," said Osgood. "I complimented him when we shook hands."

Crosby left the game 5:30 into the second period when he was hit along the boards by Johan Franzen, jamming his left leg. The playoff goal-scoring leader limped to the bench and to the training room with an injured knee and didn't return until the third period, playing just one shift.

"I don't recommend anyone watching the Stanley Cup final from the bench," said Crosby. "It's a tough situation."

The Penguins led 1-0 at the time and Talbot got his second goal five minutes later as Crosby's teammates, many getting more ice time than they're used to, worked to contain an all-out attack from the desperate Red Wings the rest of the way.

The Red Wings controlled the opening minutes of a scoreless first period, but by mid-period, the Penguins began to press and Jordan Staal was stopped on a good chance from in front. But late in the period, Fleury stoned Maltby from the doorstep.

Pittsburgh was in the Detroit end from the opening faceoff of the second frame and it produced the first goal as Evgeni Malkin stripped Brad Stuart of the puck and fed Talbot, who beat Chris Osgood with a shot along the ice to the far post at 1:17.

At 10:09, Chris Kunitz won a battle with Stuart to set up a two-on-one break. Talbot elected to shoot and his high attempt found the top corner to Osgood's glove side.

The Penguins played the final period as though killing a long penalty, but Joe Louis Arena erupted in glee when Fleury missed Ericsson's high shot from the right point with his glove to make it a one-goal game.

With just under two minutes to play, Niklas Kronwall's wrist shot had Fleury beat but struck the cross-bar and a last-minute six-man swarm came up empty.

"We had our win last year but we'll learn from this too," said Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg. "We'll come back stronger."

The Penguins matched the 1971 Montreal Canadiens as the only teams to win the Cup on the road in Game 7 after home teams won all six previous games and the only team to win two Game 7s on the road in the same playoff year. They also won in Washington in seven in the second round.

"It wasn't an easy series, but we felt if we won Game 6 we'd have a good chance tonight," Penguins owner Mario Lemieux told CBC.

"Anytime you have Sidney Crosby on your team, Malkin, Fleury, Staal, all great talents ... they showed a lot of character. Hopefully they're gonna be with us for a long time."

The Penguins looked unlikely even to make the playoffs in mid-February, but the replacement of head coach Michel Therrien with rookie Dan Bylsma, the return of Sergei Gonchar from injury and trades for Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin let them finish the regular season 18-3-4 and carry their hot run into the post-season.

Bylsma became only the second rookie coach to win the Cup after joining his team in mid-season, after Al MacNeil with the 1971 Canadiens.

Home teams are now 12-3 all-time in Game 7s of the final series.

Malkin, who had an assist for 36 post-season points, is the fifth player to lead the league in scoring in both the regular season and the playoffs in the same year. The others were Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky (four times), Guy Lafleur (twice) and Phil Esposito (twice).

The Penguins are 5-0 all-time in playoff game 7s on the road.