It may have been one Marc-Andre Fleury would like to have back, but the goal stood as the game-winner nonetheless. Brad Stuart managed to keep the puck in at the Penguins’ blueline, and Darren Helm assisted on Jiri Hudler’s goal to put the Red Wings up 2-1 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. All in all, it was a converted effort by the Red Wings’ 4^th defenseman and two-thirds of their fourth line. Yet Saturday wasn’t the first time the Red Wings depth has come through for the Wings.

After struggling to eliminate the Dallas Stars through games 4 and 5 of the Western Conference Finals, it was third-line grinder Kris Draper and the hard-hitting veteran Dallas Drake who started the victory rush with the opening two goals of a game 6 victory that would rocket the Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals. Mikael Samuelsson has had his own say in this years Cup finals as well.

In fact, let’s be honest here.

How many of you were calling for The Next Great One or even The Next Great Addition in Crosby or Hossa to be leading the finals in goals scored? Raise your hand if you picked one of the two dynamic Russian superforwards to lead the finals in putting the biscuit in the basket. Some of you may have chosen an alternate route, picking a Swede to be the dominant goal scorer, but we all know you meant Johan Franzen or Henrik Zetterberg. Whichever you chose, you were wrong. Undoubtedly next to no one chose the Forgotten Swede, Mr. High and Wide himself, the number one forward armchair GMs would boot off the Wings roster if they could - Mikael Samuelsson. He leads all forwards with 3 goals in 4 games, opened finals scoring with a pair of goals that put away the Pens for good in Game 1, and has possibly saved himself from being trade bait in the off-season (although all bets are off for next years trade deadline).

There were some who were questioning the Wings ability to compete with the Penguins, due to their supposed “lack” of scoring depth, yet through four rounds of playoff hockey, All-Stars such as Nicklas Lidstrom or Brian Rafalski, and top-liner Tomas Holmstrom can’t count themselves among the Red Wings Top 5 scorers. Through Saturday, Johan Franzen, Jiri Hudler, and Niklas Kronwall – a 2^nd liner, 4^th liner, and 2^nd pairing defenseman, respectively – were rounding out the Top 5 offensive crusade to Lord Stanley’s Cup. I’m guessing few hockey fans would be able to guess the Red Wings top five in playoff scoring if pressed to do so.

As any team will attest, team depth is crucial during the playoffs. The likes of Jordan Staal and defensive defenseman Brooks Orpik have provided strong play for the Penguins through four rounds of playoff hockey, despite what some may have called questionable regular seasons. Ryan Malone, on the other hand, has blossomed as a rough and tumble, bona fide second liner who has carried over his offensive success from the regular season into the playoffs, and has two playoff game-winning goals to his name. Hal Gill is another name, among others, who has stepped up his game considerably in the playoffs. And who could forget “backup” goaltender Chris Osgood playing hero for the Red Wings after coming in mid-first round to lead the playoffs in goals against average?

Guys like Samuelsson and Hudler, Gill and Staal, Robidas, and Umberger are a testament to how important those poor man’s second liners and pairings are. And it’s because of players like those that both the Red Wings and Penguins are still playing hockey while the rest of the NHL players are wondering when their GM or coach is going to get poached by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Look for the buzzword “depth” to be thrown around considerably by whichever NHL broadcast you watch tonight.