The Penguins and Wings are just underway in their first meeting since the two teams met in the Stanley Cup Final. The series that decided the NHL's champion one season ago generated some strong feelings between the two teams...feelings that most likely were stirred up a bit more when former Penguins Marian Hossa and Ty Conklin joined the Wings.

The two teams seems to be feeling their way through the early going of the first period. Each team has had a couple off breaks into the opposing zone, but neither has anything to show for them just yet.

Stick with me throughout the game as I bring you some thoughts on all of the action...live from my recliner.

* * * * *

The Penguins jump out to a 1-0 lead. Max Talbot pressured Brian Rafalski as he was trying to make a play on the puck just into the Red Wings zone. Talbot got him to fumble the puck a bit, gathered it in and fed a pass down low to Sidney Crosby, who made a forehand, backhand move and threw the puck past Chris Osgood and into the net.

The Penguins followed the play up by drawing a power play. Evgeni Malkin was hooked coming out of the defensive zone with the puck.

During the Penguins power play, they had their own fumbled puck that resulted in a two on one break for the Wings. Pavel Datsyuk took the puck and came through the neutral zone with speed. Alex Goligoski was the last man back, but looked nothing like a wide eyed rookie in laying down and making a great play to break up the pass.

* * * * *

We are about to get our first look at the powerful Red Wings power play...it is a sickening unit! The fire power that these two teams have available to employ with the extra man just isn't fair to the rest of the league.

After some initial problems getting this set up in the Penguins zone, the Red Wings are circling like sharks. It is always awesome to watch a skilled power play wheel and deal the puck around the zone.

Very bad news for the Penguins...Rob Scuderi, who is sort of an unsung hero on the Penguins blue line just took a Nic Lidstrom shot off of his foot. It hit the side of his skate and he went down in obvious pain. The situation has broken foot written all over it.... The Penguins can ill afford to lose another defenseman.

* * * * *

I absolutely hate the in game interviews that Versus and NBC do. I guess I can warm up to talking with the coach, but talking to the players should be off limits during play.

* * * * *

Henrik Zetterberg is flying tonight. He has had several sparkling opportunities thus far and is coming strong at the Penguins goal on every shift. Watching these two teams is really a treat!

* * * * *

Kris Letang took advantage of the fact that you are allowed to hand pass the puck in the defensive zone, unfortunately he batted it right to the blade of grizzled vet Darren Mccarty. Mccarty made no mistake in one timing the puck past Marc Andre Fleury.

Brooks Orpik immediately comforted his defense partner and made a point to tell him to get the puck to the boards, not up the middle...Orpik was caught by the television camera making a hand gesture towards the boards.

1-1

* * * * *

This game is quickly reminding me of games one and two of the Stanley Cup Final. The Penguins were knocked back on their heels a bit after the Scuderi injury and have yet to recover. The Wings answered their goal by quickly earning a power play opportunity.

Mike Zigomanis upended Mikael Samuelsson...

The Wings immediately took control of the play in the Penguins zone and worked the puck around the horn. Nic Lidstrom was set up for his patented one timer from the point and Tomas Holmstrom deflected it behind Marc Andre Fleury.

2-1 Wings...

* * * * *

Rob Scuderi back on the ice for the Penguins.

* * * * *

The Penguins have got to tighten things up fast. They are playing a little to undisciplined right now and taking to many penalties. They were whistled for 3 minor penalties during the first period and the Red Wings were able to cash in on one of those. The Wings are good enough at even strength, why continue to give them opportunities with the extra man.

* * * * *

The two teams were pretty evenly matched through the first 7 minutes of play, but from that point on it was all Red Wings.

After the Penguins scored the first goal, the Wings put the Penguins back on their heels and they couldn't recover. The Wings outshot the Penguins 14-5 and could have made things a lot uglier than 2-1 after one.

The Penguins are being out hit 7-5 and are behind in the face off dot after winning only 45% of their draws during the period.

Alex Goligoski leads all Penguins skaters with 7:44 of ice time.

* * * * *

Brooks Orpik got turned around and found himself starring in a kangaroo circus. The Wings power play wheeled its way into the zone and a pass was made into the slot, it deflected off of Orpik's skate and popped free to Jiri Hudler, who threw it to the Mule. Franzen made no mistake in throwing it into an empty net.

Poor play in the defensive zone...and still to many penalties.

3-1 Wings...

* * * * *

The Penguins have found a way to weather the storm and through it they killed a penalty and got a great bounce that turned into a goal for them.

Petr Sykora threw the puck into the goal mouth and it bounced off of a couple bodies and into the net.

The Flightless Birds have since picked up their play and are generating some offense. They have yet to tie things up, but you get the feeling that they are evening things back out.

* * * * *

Pavel Datsyuk has just put the Wings up by two...same old same at the Joe!

* * * * *

After two periods the Penguins find themselves down by two...for as much as some things change, they stay the same. This game has looked an awful lot like the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final. Every time the Penguins seem to claw back into the game they suffer another break down.

The Wings are having their way with the Penguins for the most part...hopefully the Birds can find a way to make it interesting in the third.

* * * * *

Marian Hossa has done a nice job for himself against his old team. The former Penguin has two assists in the game and has played done a nice job of contributing in both ends of the ice.

* * * * *

Naaa naaa naaaa naaaa....naaaaa naaaa naaaa naaa...heeeey heeeey heeeey...good bye! Ok, maybe that is a big extreme, but it isn't looking good for your Pittsburgh Penguins after they allowed Hank Zetterberg to get behind their D and tip a pretty feed behind Marc Andre Fleury.

The Penguins have a final chance at life here as they have gotten themselves a two man advantage for almost a full two minutes...

Evgeni Malkin just finished from the high slot...after WAAAAAY to much passing he finally unleashed a shot and beat Osgood...5-3.

Can they do it again?

* * * * *

Yes they can! Jordan Staal just finished from right in front of Chris Osgood! He took a feed off of a Wings turnover and the Penguins find themselves right back in this one. 5-4...

* * * * *

That quickly the Wings jump back out to a two goal lead! Jiri Hudler just put a dribbler past Marc Andre Fleury. Fleury got a piece of it, but couldn't keep it from trickling past him. Kris Letang was behind him trying to keep the puck from crossing the line, but also failed...6-4 Wings.

* * * * *

Do you think that the goal against the Islanders woke Jordan Staal from his long slumber? I do...he is taking shots with a lot more confidence and even though he just scored through a big screen, it was a situation that wouldn't have worked out for him a couple of weeks ago...

6-5 Wings...

* * * * *

Wow!! What a frantic final minute... Can we say look out NHL, Jordan Staal has awoken!! The youngster who was snakebitten for most of the season just tied this game up for the Penguins with two late goals...the final goal coming with less than a minute remaining in regulation.

Make sure to give credit to Mike Zigomanis, who won a huge offensive zone face off with the goaltender pulled in favor of an extra attacker. The Penguins may not have deserved to earn a point tonight, but they have done just that.

The had some serious break downs and errors, but when they were flying, they made the best of their opportunities!

* * * * *

Jordan Staal!! Wow...Jordo, a future Selke winner, stole the puck from the current Selke winner Pavel Datsyuk. He just crept up behind Datsyuk, lifted his stick and went the other way...finding a streaking Ruslan Fedotenko for the overtime winner. What a finish!

Penguins claw back from a 5-2 deficit and win the game 7-6. Great game for the national television audience!

More in a bit...