* I had a bad feeling about this game. It was setting up to be "one of those games." The Red Wings were 1-9 in their last 10 games, with 1 regulation win in their past 14. Pittsburgh was 7-2-2 in its past 11. The Pens were rolling while the Red Wings were sinking.
So logically this was setting up for Red Wings victory.
And so, that's what came to pass. That's hockey. It always seems to work out that way. Just like when one team is totally dominant, but loses because of running into a hot goalie. Sometimes hockey just doesn't make sense.
* A possible turning point in this game came in the 2nd period. Sidney Crosby thought he had poked in his 2nd goal of the game. The puck was stuck on the goal line between the post and goaltender Jimmy Howard's skate. The game was 1-1 at that point, and Pittsburgh would have taken the lead. The officials reviewed it and ruled it "no goal." Moments later the Red Wings would tack on a pair of goals within 41 seconds to stake a 3-1 advantage.
* Detroit won this game on the strength of that pair of goals - scored by Frans Nielsen and Luke Glendening. The tallies pumped life into the Red Wings bench and drained it from the Pens. Pittsburgh tried to regain some momentum and had it in spurts, but the Red Wings no doubt carried the play following that 41-second 2-goal outburst. Pittsburgh had the edge early in that 2nd period, but never came close after that.
* On the injury front, it was one step forward and one step back. Forward Zach Aston-Reese returned to the lineup after missing 4 weeks with an upper-body injury. But center Derick Brassard did not play in the 3rd period.
