Top 20 Cup Final games since 2000: No. 2

As the NHL prepares for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL.com staff selected the best 20 Stanley Cup Final games since 2000. Our 15-writer panel nominated 44 games for consideration before each member voted for his or her favorite 20 from that list. Each favorite game was awarded 20 points, with the selections that followed receiving one fewer point each and so on, down to one point for each 20th-favorite game. Today, we look at Game 7 of the 2009 Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings, which was on 15 ballots and received one first-place vote and 248 points.

2009 Game 7: Pittsburgh Penguins 2, Detroit Red Wings 1

It took a diving stop from goalie Marc-Andre Fleury on a point-blank shot from defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom in the final seconds and two goals from Max Talbot for the Pittsburgh Penguins to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final, a rematch of the 2008 Final won by the Red Wings in six games.
It was the Penguins' first title since back-to-back championships in 1991 and 1992.
After staving off elimination in Game 6 at home, the Penguins went on the road for a series-deciding Game 7.

The Penguins took a 1-0 lead at 1:13 of the second period on Talbot's seventh goal of the playoffs, the result of a turnover created by forward Evgeni Malkin. Talbot would score again at 10:07 on a 2-on-1 not long after Penguins forward Sidney Crosby sustained a knee injury.
But it wasn't over yet. Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson scored at 13:53 of the third period to cut the lead to 2-1, and Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall hit the crossbar with 2:14 remaining.
It took 23 saves from Fleury, including that Lidstrom stop, to keep the Red Wings from winning the Cup in back-to-back seasons and to give the Penguins their revenge from the heartbreak of 2008.

They said it: "This is a chance of a lifetime to realize your childhood dream to win a Stanley Cup. Play without fear and you will be successful!! See you at center ice. Mario." -- text message from Penguins owner and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux on the morning of Game 7
Historical significance:Crosby became the youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup, at 21 years, 10 months. … Forward Marian Hossa, who was on the losing end of both the 2008 (Penguins) and 2009 (Red Wings) Stanley Cup Finals, would win his first of three championships with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010. … Malkin became the first Russia-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. … Lemieux became the first person to win the Cup as a player and owner.
Iconic moment:The save by Fleury on Lidstrom. With 6.5 seconds remaining and the Red Wings down by a goal, center Henrik Zetterberg won the offensive-zone face-off. Fleury saved the first shot and the rebound popped out to Lidstrom in the left circle, but Fleury made a diving save to preserve the win.

Telling stat: The Penguins held on to win without Crosby, who was injured at 5:30 of the second period on a hit by Johan Franzen. Crosby came out for one shift in the third period but played just 9:59 for the game after averaging 20:49 throughout the playoffs.