How they got here: Detroit beat No. 7 Columbus 4-0; beat No. 8 Anaheim 4-3; beat No. 4 Chicago 4-1. Pittsburgh beat No. 5 Philadelphia 4-2; beat No. 2 Washington 4-3; beat No. 6 Carolina 4-0.

2008-09 series record: Detroit 1-0-1.

Playoff History: Detroit 1-0. Last meeting: Detroit 4-2 in 2008 Stanley Cup finals. Finals Appearances: Detroit 23 appearances, 11 titles (Last: 2008). Pittsburgh 3 appearances, 2 titles (Last: 1992).

DETROIT: Expect to have D Nicklas Lidstrom, D Jonathan Ericsson and C Kris Draper back in lineup after injuries sidelined them during parts of conference finals. C Pavel Datsyuk, the team’s regular-season points leader with 97, will be a game-time decision for the opener. … Detroit is seeking to become first team to repeat as Stanley Cup champion since the Red Wings did it in 1997 and 1998 with sweeps over Philadelphia and Washington. Five players (Draper, Tomas Holmstrom, Lidstrom, Kirk Maltby and Chris Osgood) on those teams have also appeared for Detroit in these playoffs. … Of the 20 players who dressed for Detroit in the finals, 18 have returned. … Red Wings own home-ice advantage for the 20th consecutive series. Last time they didn’t have it was second round vs. Colorado in 2000. … Osgood became fourth goalie to post shutouts in Games 1 and 2 of finals when he blanked Penguins last year.

PITTSBURGH: Captain Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who lead the NHL with 28 playoff points this year, rank third and fourth in league history in points per game. Crosby has averaged 1.43 points in 42 games, while Malkin has 1.29. Wayne Gretzky leads at 1.84 in 208 games, while Penguins owner Mario Lemieux sits in second at 1.61 in 107 games. … Crosby is five goals short of tying the NHL mark of 19 in a single postseason set by Philadelphia’s Reggie Leach in 1976 and matched by Edmonton’s Jari Kurri in 1985. … Penguins are the first Cup runner-up to return to the finals the following year since the 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers, who captured the title. … New coach Dan Bylsma, who helped lead Penguins from 10th place in East to fourth after taking over for the fired Michel Therrien on Feb. 15, played under Detroit coach Mike Babcock when Anaheim reached the Stanley Cup finals in 2003. He is trying to become 14th rookie coach to win the Cup and the fourth since 1956. Only Montreal’s Al MacNeil (1970-71) took over midseason. New Jersey, in 2000, is the last team to win the Cup during a season in which a coaching change was made.

OUTLOOK: Detroit wraps its tentacles around Stanley Cup for 12th time. Red Wings in 6.


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