Baldo

Jun 1 2008, 12:24 PM

Red Wings grab 3-1 lead over Penguins with 2-1 win

PITTSBURGH (AP)—Now that they’ve silenced the Igloo, the Detroit Red Wings are ready to rock Hockeytown.

Wherever they play, they’re beating the Pittsburgh Penguins with defense.

After the Red Wings grabbed the lead on Jiri Hudler’s third-period goal, top-line forward Henrik Zetterberg and the rest of Detroit’s penalty-killers held off Pittsburgh during a lengthy 5-on-3 power play and went on to beat the Penguins 2-1 Saturday night, taking a 3-1 lead in the Stanley Cup finals.

Detroit will get the first of three potential chances to hoist the Cup for an 11th time on Monday night at home in Game 5.

“It never gets old,” said defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, seeking his fourth title with the Wings in 11 seasons but first as captain. “We know as a team we haven’t won anything yet … but sure you’re excited about being in a position like this.”

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http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806010703
WHEN OCTOPI FLY
Wings fan throws octopus, kicked out of Pittsburgh arena, sneaks back in

BY BEN SCHMITT • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • June 1, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- Splat!

The octopus hit the ice of Mellon Arena to a chorus of boos just after the national anthem Saturday.

But the tentacled toss didn't come from a Michigander. Zach Smith, 19, of Cleveland, an avid Red Wings fan and adrenaline junkie, hurled the slimy creature.

Then he got tossed. Security guards threw him out.

"You're outta here," Smith said they told him. "Come back in and you get arrested."

But Smith and his two friends from metro Detroit, who asked not to be identified, had a plan.

They had bought an extra ticket in anticipation of his booting. That's an extra $300 from a scalper.

And Smith was wearing a regular T-shirt, instead of Red Wings gear, when he threw the octopus.

Outside, he quickly threw on a Red Wings sweater and walked back into Gate 3.

"I feel great," Smith said as he roamed around the arena. "I'm not nervous. Anything with an adrenaline rush, I love it."

The plan began Friday as Smith was visiting his girlfriend in metro Detroit. They bought an octopus at Superior Fish Co. in Royal Oak, stored it in a cooler and drove to Cedar Point.

On Saturday, they completed the journey to Pittsburgh. The octopus was uncooked, cold and smelly.

Smith wrapped it in a plastic bag and taped it to his belly, under his shirt.

"Before the national anthem, we made our way down there and stood there," he said. "I got it out and just tossed it."

As the guards took him out, fans screamed obscenities.

"I hate Pittsburgh more than anything," he said, noting the rivalry between Cleveland and Pittsburgh. "It was great. I loved the rush."

Jay Roberts, general manager of Mellon Arena, wasn't impressed.

"You're not allowed to throw things on the ice in the building, and we kick people out for throwing all sorts of things," he said. "That could have hit somebody."

What about hats during hat tricks?

"That's part of the game, and they are allowed to throw the hats," Roberts said.

Little did Roberts know that Smith had reentered the building and reunited with his friends.

Red Wings fans applauded Smith for representing them.

"Even if he got kicked out, that's true Detroit pride," said Trevor Staahl, 23, of Grosse Pointe Woods. "That's how we do it in Detroit."

"They got their traditions, we got ours," said Mike Gadsby, 45, a Penguins fan and native Pittsburgher who lives in Livonia. "He shouldn't have been tossed."

Gadsby's buddy, Michael Gelorme, 45, of Pittsburgh, disagreed.

"I'm glad they threw him out," Gelorme said. "You can't come in here and throw the octopus."

Contact BEN SCHMITT at 313-223-4296 or bcschmitt@freepress.com.