PITTSBURGH — If Nicklas Lidstrom hoists the Stanley Cup on Monday night at Joe Louis Arena, it will be for the fourth time in his sterling NHL career. But it will be the first time in league history that a team captain from a European country will have done it.
“I try not to think about it. I just try to think about winning a Stanley Cup,” said Lidstrom, a Swede, who scored a goal in Saturday’s 2-1 Detroit victory in Game 4 against Pittsburgh. “You know what to expect when you’ve been in situations like this before. You know what it feels like. Having said that, you know you have to show up and play your best, though. We have to approach it like this is not over yet.”
Lidstrom, the prohibitive favorite to win the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman, continues to amaze his teammates.
“He’s the perfect human,” forward Kirk Maltby said. “He just never does anything wrong.”
No Homer.
Red Wings forward Tomas Holmstrom did not play because of what the team said was a hamstring injury.
Holmstrom skated in the morning and the Wings said he was likely to play, but he did not take part in the pregame warm-ups. His spot in the lineup was taken by Darren McCarty.
Footnotes.
Barry Melrose is in the wrong place right now for trying to avoid the media. According to a report in the Toronto Star on Friday, the ESPN hockey analyst will become the next coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Melrose is trying to deflect attention from the media here with the Finals ongoing, and says nothing has officially been agreed upon — probably because the sale of the Lightning is still in flux. . . . Pittsburgh probably had the best scoring chance of the third period — not on its 5-on-3 power play but in the last couple of seconds. Marian Hossa had a point-blank chance in the middle, but goalie Chris Osgood stopped it. . . . The Red Wings’ victory snapped a 17-game win streak at home for the Penguins.
Adrian Dater, The Denver Post
