Articles by Doug Stolhand

DETROIT – Doug Cook, Dick Power and Mario Pouliot are names that won’t ring a bell with most Canadian hockey fans but players skating in the NHL’s championship series owe them a debt of gratitude.

DETROIT – Red Wings forward Johan Franzen has been cleared by doctors and will be in the lineup for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

DETROIT – Red Wings forward Johan Franzen has been cleared by doctors and will be in the lineup for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have been shut down by the Florida Panthers in their attempt to talk to Joe Nieuwendyk about a management job, TSN reported Sunday on its website.

STAMFORD, Conn. – The Detroit Red Wings’ victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup final opener was the highest-rated and most-watched cable telecast of the championship round in six years in the United States.

DETROIT – Gordie Howe, who was such a great player in his day that he was christened Mr. Hockey, had some simple words of advice when he spoke with Sidney Crosby.

KITCHENER, Ont. – The Memorial Cup was in two pieces, which meant there was more of it for the Spokane Chiefs to hoist above their heads.Spokane beat the host Kitchener Rangers 4-1 to win the 90th Memorial Cup on Sunday.

KITCHENER, Ont. – The Spokane Chiefs won the 90th Memorial Cup with a 4-1 win over the host Kitchener Rangers on Sunday.A U.S.-based team won the Canadian Hockey League championship for only the third time in history after Spokane (1991) and Portland (1998).

DETROIT – The Pittsburgh Penguins are new to this whole trailing business.Down 1-0 to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup final, all eyes are on the young Penguins to see how they respond in Game 2 Monday night.

DETROIT – As if they don’t already have enough firepower, the Detroit Red Wings might be ready to reinsert Johan Franzen into their lineup.With Franzen missing a sixth straight game to allow concussion-like symptoms to dissipate, the Red Wings got a two-goal jump start from Mikael Samuelsson on their way to a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opener of the Stanley Cup final on Saturday.

DETROIT – It’s one thing for Evgeni Malkin to be shut out on the scoreboard. But when the Pittsburgh Penguins star is also helping the other team score, than you know it’s been a bad night.

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings left the Pittsburgh Penguins in their dust in the opening game of the NHL’s championship series.After goaltenders Chris Osgood of the Red Wings and Marc-Andre Fleury of the Penguins stole the show in the opening period, Detroit’s relentless forechecking forced turnovers and Mikael Samuelsson scored in the second and again in the third to give the Red Wings a lead they weren’t about to relinquish as they cruised to a 4-0 victory Saturday night.

DETROIT – “Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie.”The chants filled Joe Louis Arena as Chris Osgood’s outstanding goaltending, two unassisted goals by Mikael Samuelsson and fierce forechecking combined to give the Detroit Red Wings a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening game of the NHL’s championship series Saturday night.

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings lead the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 going into the second intermission of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final Saturday night.

DETROIT – The Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings are scoreless going into the first intermission of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final on Saturday night.

DETROIT – Goalie equipment will keep shrinking if NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has his way.In his annual state-of-the-sport news conference prior to Game 1 of the championship series on Saturday night, Bettman said he expects greater progress will be made now that the NHL Players’ Association in-house problems appear to have been remedied.

DETROIT – The two teams that hit the ice for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final on Saturday night were built largely through excellent draft picks.

Results Friday:AHLCalder Cup PlayoffsConference Finals(Best-of-7)Eastern ConferenceWilkes-Barre/Scranton 4 Portland 3 (OT)(Series tied 3-3)W.

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Right-winger Darren Haydar scored a game-winning power-play goal late in regulation Friday as the Chicago Wolves beat Toronto 4-2 to eliminate the Marlies and earn their first berth in the American Hockey League Calder Cup championship series since 2005.