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June, 04 2008 8:00pm EST
MONEYLINE: Pittsburgh Penguins +114
LOSS for -3 unit(s)

Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins

I'm playing on PITTSBURGH. I believe the wrong team is favored here. This series was over. The Detroit fans were chanting: "Bring out the Cup" and the Detroit players had a 1-goal lead, an empty net to shoot at and only one minute to kill, in order to bring the Cup back to "Hockey Town." Obviously, that didn't happen, or I wouldn't be writing this. Instead, the gritty Penguins managed to tie it up and then scrapped and clawed their way to a 4-3 win in triple overtime. Having already been counted as dead, the Penguins have very little pressure on them. On the other hand, the Wings will now be feeling plenty of pressure, as they know that they're going to have their hands full and that they'll go down as some of the biggest "choke artists" in hockey history if the don't find a way to win the series. Note that only one team has ever blown a 3-1 lead in the Finals, the Red Wings in 1942. Additionally, no team had ever been that close to winning the Cup (35 seconds) and not done it.

As mentioned, unlike their guests, the Pens have very little pressure on them. In addition to having Sidney Crosby, one of the top players in the world, they've also got a goalie (Fleury) who is coming off a brilliant effort in Game 5, giving him a ton of confidence for Game 6. Speaking of confidence, with a 17-1 record their past 18 games here and coming off a massive momentum-changing upset, the entire Penguins team should "believe" that they can and will win tonight's game. Look for a huge effort from Crosby and co. as they continue their superb play on home ice and force a deciding Game 7 showdown.

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