Monday June 2

As hockey entered the month of June there was much at stake as Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final was on tap. The host Detroit Red Wings had a chance to wrap up a series in which they dominated the Pittsburgh Penguins. A win for Detroit a Monday would mean Stanley Cup win number 11 for the franchise. A loss would be Game 6 at the Igloo on Wednesday. Here was the result:

* Detroit goalie Chris Osgood surrendered the highest goal total in a single game during the 2008 playoffs albeit in 100 minutes of play. A Petr Sykora goal midway through the 3rd OT sealed a 4-3 win for the Pens, a shocker considering they had tied the game with only 35 seconds left in regulation on a extra attacker goal by grinder Maxime Talbot, a hunch substitution from Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien. The hunch worked but it seemed as if Detroit would still pull off the win in an extra frame outshooting Pittsburgh 24-14 in the two and a half OT periods. Osgood stopped 28 of 32 shots but was outdueled by Pens' goalie Marc-Andre Fleury who faced a barrage of shots stopping 55 of 58. Ozzie "fell" to 13-4 on the playoffs while his goals against average "bloated" to 1.53 and his save percentage "dropped" to .931. Even despite this bump, if Detroit still wins the series, which they should be able to do, Ozzie still has to be front runner for the Conn Smythe Trophy. His numbers are outrageous and his play has been fantastic. He gave up 4 goals over nearly 2 games barely denting his already anorexic stats. This was just a game of attrition and survival and Pittsburgh got the upperhand this time.

Check back soon as FIW waits with baited breath to see what happens in Game 6 on Wednesday night. Thanks for checking in.