Last week I was on cloud nine.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were going to their first Stanley Cup Finals since ’92.

Our offense, coming off a 6-0 whooping of Philadelphia, was dominant and clicking on all cylinders.

Our defense was the best in the playoffs.

Our goalie was a wall.

We were undefeated at home, and all we needed to do was snake a game in Detroit and the Cup would be ours.

Penguins gear was seen all over the Greater-Pittsburgh region. Signs adorned buildings and cars, and everyone was in a festive mood.

Our young stars will skate up and down the ice on those old fogies.

Flash forward to today.

We are down 0-2 in the series, and face a must win tonight at Mellon.

We have been outscored 7-0 in the series.

Zero goals. Zero goals in two games.

It’s something I can’t conceive.

I can’t remember what it is even like to get up and cheer for the puck to go in. Both games have been downers and left me wanting my bed after the games.

We can’t get the puck past their blue-line. Their defense is too stellar. It all begins with their forwards being able to play shut-down defense and have the ability to rotate and shift as the puck is being brought into their end.

The Wings defense has been beasts. How can we score if we can’t get the puck into the zone.

Their offense is solid.

A couple shaky goals given up by Fleury as the puck trickled through his legs. Some careless puck handling in our own zone, and the ever-so-present penalty kill.

The Wings are different than the teams we have played in the East. Those teams would dump the puck into the zone and chase. We were able to defend against that with an adequate puck-handling goalie, a stout, defensive-minded defender, a quick and skilled defender, and world-class forwards. The Wings don’t dump. The just bring the puck in themselves, and we aren’t mobile enough on the defensive end to stop their rushes.

Their moves seem calculated and precise, while it looks like the Pens are down a man the whole game.

Darryl Sydor will suit up in Game 3. It will mark the first appearance of the vet in the 2008 playoffs. I guess trying to get a little more mobile on the blue-line and add some Cup experience.

It’s going to be a tough decision on who to sit in favor of Sydor.

Sergei Gonchar – untouchable, plays both ends of the ice, is the leader of the defense.

Brooks Orpik – plays well with Gonchar and adds a punch to the defense. He is the big hitter of the corps and also is able to handle the puck.

Rob Scuderi – solid as a rock. Provides no offensive support, but will put his body on the line every shot by the opponent. Critical on the penalty-kill

Kris Letang – hasn’t played a bad game this postseason. He is blossoming into a real force on both ends of the ice. He was projected to be an offensive minded defender, but has shown time and time again that he is as stout defensively as anyone on the squad.

Hal Gill – very immobile, which is becoming a problem against the Wings attack. He is, however, 6’7”, and is beast in front of the net. He, at time this playoffs, has himself been the penalty kill. His long, rangy stick is vital to the defense’s success.

Ryan Whitney – solid player. Focuses more on the offensive end of the ice than the defensive. Doesn’t throw his body around like the lesser-skilled defenders and at times disappears. He did, however, sign a huge contract last year and getting scratched from the Cup Finals could be detrimental to his psyche.

Tough call for the Pens.

We need to score first, plain and simple.

Some observations

I would be the first to agree that the shots taken at Johan Franzen’s head by Gary Roberts and Whitney were cheap. They were a blatant attempt to conjure up the head injury that he was suffering from. I know that hockey is a different entity than any other sports, and that if you’re on the ice than you are subject to tough play. I’m sure he knew something was coming based on his success these playoffs and the amount of time he has already missed. All in all I guess it is just the nature of the beast and that is why in hockey, injuries are disclosed.

Something needs to be done about Chris Osgood and his flopping and diving. As seen by his cheap shot, and subsequent lying about hitting a Stars player, he is not prone to irking the opponent.

Granted players do crash into the net going after the puck and the goalies sometimes take a beating, but TWO goalie interference penalties in one game? Come on.

The Ryan Malone call was questionable, but it was conceivable that he did do enough to knock Greg Luganis, I mean, Chris Osgood down.

However, the contact Petr Sykora made with Osgood that sent the goalie flailing like the had just been shot by a shotgun was a blatant attempt to draw a penalty. Granted the game was basically over, but it did start a pretty big brawl. Petr Sykora weighs, maybe, 145 pounds. I don’t think he could knock me over. Let alone someone who has spent their life on the ice.

Tonight’s game is huge.

We NEED this one.

GO PENS