Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit’s dynamic duo of forwards, may not own the volume of press clippings attributed to Crosby and Malkin, but they’ve already ascended the playoff learning curve that the latter twosome is still navigating.

On top of that, Detroit does the little things that win playoff games better than the Penguins. Detroit wins more faceoffs, doesn’t turn the puck over nearly as frequently or in as dangerous a position as Pittsburgh does. The Detroit rearguard is quicker and more skilled than its Pittsburgh counterpart.

"I think with each year you play, you try to improve everything and you realize how important every detail of the game is and what a difference it makes when you're playing," Crosby acknowledged.

Then there’s the been there, done that factor. Ten Red Wings own Stanley Cup rings and eight of those players own multiple titles. Of the three Penguins with Cups, defenseman Darryl Sydor has yet to play in the playoffs and fourth-line winger Gary Roberts (pneumonia) is a doubtful starter, leaving only forward Petr Sykora as a past Cup winner who figures to be a factor in the series.

Recognize also that the Penguins have reached this stage without facing a single top-four seed, taking out Ottawa (No. 7), the New York Rangers (No. 5) and Philadelphia (No. 6).

For their part, the savvy, veteran Wings are playing it smart, as you would expect of a team that’s been down this road before. "What a great hockey team," Detroit center Kris Draper said of the Penguins. "You can’t say enough about what Crosby and Malkin are doing. You’re looking at some absolute dynamic hockey players going head-to-head with Pav and Z. This is going to be fun. We know our guys are going to be unbelievable. Now it’s up to all of us to step up and keep doing what we’re doing."

Certainly, Pittsburgh has been impressive in rolling virtually unscathed to its Eastern Conference title, with a 12-2 slate. Ottawa looked equally impressive last spring and remember what happened when the Senators met up with the Anaheim Ducks in the finals?

Crushing defeat.

Remember the 1995 playoffs, when the Wings were flexing their muscles through the postseason, taking out Dallas in five games and sweeping San Jose and Chicago while copping the Western Conference crown?

Then the New Jersey Devils turned Detroit into 98-pound weaklings, sweeping the Wings in the finals.

Now you get the picture of what awaits Pittsburgh.

Even Crosby recognizes the tests that still face his team. "We knew we had a special group and a young group that just needed to get experience," the Penguins captain said. "We're still learning a lot. We have to keep going."

At least until next spring.

Pittsburgh’s time will come, but it is not now.

The Wings will take this series and they will do so in six games.

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