Penguins put Motor City meltdown behind them

By Steve Keating
PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - The Pittsburgh Penguins returned home on Sunday to prepare for Game Six of the Stanley Cup final series against the Detroit Red Wings insisting they had already put Saturday's Motor City meltdown behind them.
Certainly there is nothing from an embarrassing 5-0 Game Five drubbing on Saturday that the Penguins want to remember as the Red Wings eased to within one win of defending the Stanley Cup.
However, one thing the Penguins have not forgotten is the images of the Red Wings celebrating with the Stanley Cup after winning the best-of-seven series 4-2 at Mellon Arena a year ago.
It is a scene that could well be repeated on Tuesday with Detroit leading this year's series 3-2, though neither side has lost at home so far.
"The situation is pretty clear for us," Penguins center Sidney Crosby said. "We've got to go home and be desperate now.
"It's nothing new. We've got to respond the right way.
"The first two we played here (Detroit), they were close games and could have gone either way.
"Even the games at our rink. They were good hockey games.
"This (5-0 loss) was kind of out of left field but we've got a game to win at home now."
The Penguins did more than lose a game in Detroit on Saturday, they also lost their composure and all momentum from successive 4-2 victories.
Pittsburgh's indiscipline resulted in three Detroit power play tallies in a four-goal second period that buried the Penguins and chased a rattled Marc-Andre Fleury from the game.
The Pittsburgh players rallied around their goaltender on Sunday while coach Dan Bylsma said he had no hesitation in handing Fleury the start in Game Six.
"A goalie's going to be upset in that situation," explained Crosby. "That's a competitor in him (Fleury).
"We need him to bounce back in the next game, and we need everybody at their best, including him."
The Red Wings understand better than most the value of home advantage having lost just once at Joe Louis Arena in four best-of-seven series this post-season. Continued...
Source: Reuters