Stanley Cup 2009 Final - Penguins defeat Red Wings

DETROIT - The Penguins won a third Cup in their history and their first since their championships in 1991 and 1992. The Penguins avenged last year's loss to the same Red Wings, who could not repeat as champion against a gifted young team that had too much energy and firepower for the battered and perhaps fatigued home side.

Max Talbot scored two goals and the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame an injury in the second period to captain Sidney Crosby to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in a gripping Game 7 to win the Stanley Cup on Friday night. Rookie Jonathan Ericsson scored with 6:07 left in the third period for Detroit, which failed in a bid for a second straight Cup and fifth in 12 seasons.

"I looked up at the clock and there were six seconds left and I couldn't believe it was actually going to happen," said Penguins forward Bill Guerin.

Marc-Andre Fleury, chased from the net after allowing five goals in Game 5 a week ago, bounced back with a huge game as the crowd of 20,066 spurred their team with chants and roars through a stunning end to what had been a thriller series between Pittsburgh'young talent and Detroit's cool and efficient veterans.

The Penguins led 1-0 at the time and Talbot got his second goal five minutes later as Crosby's teammates, many getting more ice time than they're used to, worked to contain an all-out attack from the desperate Red Wings the rest of the way.

Detroit controlled the opening minutes of a scoreless first period, but by mid-period, the Penguins began to press and Jordan Staal was stopped on a good chance from in front. But late in the period, Fleury stoned Red Wings veteran Kirk Maltby from the doorstep.

Pittsburgh was in the Detroit end from the opening faceoff of the second frame and it produced the first goal as Malkin stripped Brad Stuart of the puck and fed Talbot, who beat Chris Osgood with a shot along the ice to the far post at 1:17.

At 10:09, Chris Kunitz won a battle with Stuart to set up a two-on-one break. Talbot elected to shoot and his high attempt found the top corner to Osgood's glove side.

The Penguins matched the 1971 Montreal Canadiens as the only teams to win the Cup on the road in Game 7 after home teams won all six previous games, and the only teams to win two Game 7s on the road in the same playoff year. Pittsburgh won in Washington in seven in the second round.

The Penguins looked unlikely even to make the playoffs in mid-February, but the replacement of head coach Michel Therrien with rookie Dan Bylsma, the return of Sergei Gonchar from injury and trades for Kunitz and Guerin let them finish the regular season 18-3-4 and carry their hot run into the post-season.

Bylsma became only the second rookie coach to win the Cup after joining his team in mid-season, after Al MacNeil with the 1971 Canadiens.

The Penguins are 5-0 all-time in playoff game 7s on the road.