Jiri Hudler scored the winner 2 minutes, 26 seconds into the third period on Saturday as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 to move within one victory of capturing the Stanley Cup.
Captain Nicklas Lidstrom also scored and Chris Osgood made 22 saves for the Red Wings, who seized a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven NHL championship series.
Detroit can capture their 11th Stanley Cup crown when they host Game 5 today.
“It never gets old,” said Lidstrom, who was a member of the Red Wings’ last three championship teams but could now become the first European-born captain to hoist the Stanley Cup. “We know, as a team, we haven’t won anything yet. We won three games ... But sure, you’re excited about being in a position like this. This is what you play for all year long.”
Marian Hossa netted a power-play goal and Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 28 shots for the Penguins, who lost their first home game of this post-season.
“What we have to do is keep our chin up still,” Hossa said. “We still have got a good chance ... We’re facing a tough situation, but on the other hand, they have to win one more game and we have to make it really tough on them.”
The Penguins, who clawed their way back into the series with a home win in Game 3, boosted their confidence when Hossa scored less than three minutes into the opening period.
But after Lidstrom knotted the game later in the opening session, Hudler put the Red Wings ahead early in the third.
Brad Stuart made the goal possible by stopping a clearing attempt at the right point.
The defenseman then weakly threw the puck down low and Darren Helm got in the way of Pittsburgh blue-liner Brooks Orpik, allowing the puck to reach Hudler at the bottom of the right face-off circle.
With his back to the net, Hudler quickly turned and put a backhander past Fleury for the 2-1 lead.
“Me and Orpik kind of raced for it and I was able to lift his stick and make sure I got the puck to Hudler,” Helm said. “I saw him out of the back of my eye. I got the puck to him and he was able to bury it.”
Pittsburgh had several chances to tie later in the third, but were unable to capitalize.
During a two-man advantage, captain Sidney Crosby received a cross-crease pass at the right side. But Henrik Zetterberg tied up the superstar’s stick before he could get possession.
The Penguins failed to register a shot on Osgood during an 85-second five-on-three.
With 4 seconds left, Osgood turned aside Evgeni Malkin’s tip-in chance from in front of the net.
The Red Wings poured on the pressure early, but saw three of their first four attempts blocked.
After Dallas Drake was called for roughing just 2 minutes, 11 seconds into the contest, the Penguins took advantage in just 40 seconds.
From above the right face-off circle, defenseman Sergei Gonchar wristed a shot that was stopped by Osgood. Hossa grabbed the rebound at the right side and appeared on his way behind the net before stuffing the puck inside the goalpost on 2 minutes, 51 seconds.
The lead lasted less than five minutes, however, as the Red Wings pulled even just as their first power play ended, when Lidstrom fired a slap shot from the left point that found its way past a screened Fleury on 7 minutes, 6 seconds.
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