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I've been critical of the refs in the Stanley cup Finals. But I thought the game on Saturday was called pretty well, and the refs deserve to be acknowledged for it. Sure there were a couple of times Crosby and Malkin were hauled down that I wish had been called -- but I also saw a couple not called the other way, too. That happens.

But, most of the blatant: "Take hold of stick and grab a Jersey" was called, and I thought it led to a much better game.

The Pens still lost.

What does that mean? Well, to be honest, it means that this is all probably too little too late.

The last two games, quite frankly, could have gone either way. The game the Pen's won they could have lost and the one they lost they could have won. Basically what we have seen in the past two games were two very evenly matched teams going at it, and the final outcome was decided by who got the bounce.

This is not to counter my previous post about teams Deserving what they get -- if you don't play well, you don't put yourself in the position to get that bounce... but there is no doubt that the Red Wings got a little lucky last night.

The Red Wing's still deserved to win.

After all, the Pen's "got lucky" the night before.

In the Game the Pen's won, the puck bounces to Crosby's stick and he has an open net... in the one they lost, Hossa's shot hits the cross-bar and bounces out, while Lidstrom's "Just throw it at the net" shot as the penalty was expired snaked through a one inch opening and went in... Hey... that's hockey.

This would be a foot race right now -- except that the Pen's dropped the first two games. It reminds me very much of the Dallas vs Detroit series. If Dallas comes in fresh and doesn't drop the first two, it could have been anyone's series. After they went down 3-0 there was really no hope.

The Pen's are now down 3-1, and it seems unlikely that they will come away Stanley Cup champions at this point. Certainly they COULD. I think they are not a worse team than the Red Wings -- I just don't think they are a better team, either.

Unless one team runs out of gas, or folds, I would expect the series to end the way the last two games have gone -- each game hotly contested, and it ultimately coming down to one defining play.

Last night, the play was Zetterberg's tying up Sideny's stick on the 5 on 3. (A great play, btw.) Sidney was in the same position he was in the previous game, and the puck bounced to him in front of a yawning goal... but this time Zetterberg was there to make sure Captain Sid didn't steal the game.

There is no doubt that it is possible for the Pens to win in Detroit. Detroit has been very beatable there this year. But, in order for that to happen, they have to play for a stalemate (as they have the past two games) and hope they get that one play that turnsd the tide. It could hapen. It just seems unlikely that it will happen for three consectutive games.

The one thing that surprised me last night was that the Penguins seemed to run out of gas in the end of the second period. Their final powerplay in the second period had no punch at all. They looked very tired. I would have thought as the series wore on that the Red Wings would be showing more fatigue, but last night, it sure didn't look like it.

In general, the Penguins seem to do better with less of a lay-off. So, I would expect them to play a better game in Detroit -- especially considering their playoff lives are on the line.

I hope so.

The last two games were some really good hockey, and the NHL dearly needs it.

It would be a shame if this series didn't go seven.