Pittsburgh 0 vs. Detroit 3 (Det leads series 2-0)

Nice to see the Pens waited almost 2 full games to play the “Refs are Boning Us” card.  Not that they don’t need as many excuses as they can get, but it seems early for them to be this desperate.  Then again, without a goal to their credit, it’s looking like a quick exit and summer full of “you have to lose before you can win” stories about the Eastern Conference darlings.  Playoff Warrior or otherwise, the insertion of Gary Roberts isn’t going to save this team.  The Penguins are losing because their best players have played rattled and ineffective hockey.  Call it nerves, call it Joe Lewis Arena, call it phantom interference calls, but Crosby, Malkin and Hossa have trailed off badly.  That’s what’s killing this team.  Then Pens are giving up odd man chances, taking bad penalties and missing the net, all signs of slipping composure.

Do anything, guys, and save me from having to acknowledge Chris Osgood as something more than the luckiest medicore goaltender of the past twenty years.  Seriously, 2 shutouts?  Back-to-back?  Ozzie is a custodian, he gets 2 or 3 legit chances to stop a game and the rest of the the time watches his defense and forwards do all the hard work.  At this point Osgood could forget his pads on the plane to Pittsburgh, play game 3 in his jock and still pick up the win (3-2 would be my prediction, by the way).

No wonder he dives, he’s fucking bored.

Anyways, Pens drop Game 3, Detroit pulls the old “we want to win at home” stinker in Game 4 and wraps it up with a big win at The Joe in Game 5.  Bank on it.