FanHouse Inthefaceoffcircle

In The Face-Off Circle: A game-by-game look at the face-off matchups in the Stanley Cup Final

Tuesday's game 6 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings proved to be one of the most intense, exciting, and nail-biting games in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, as it literally came down to a matter of inches in the closing minutes of the third period. It was also the first game in the series where the two teams were even in the face-off circle, as both teams won 24-of-48 draws.

Which ones had an impact on the game? Find out after the jump.

In The Face-Off Circle: A game-by-game look at the face-off matchups in the Stanley Cup Final

Saturday was a rather forgettable night for the Pittsburgh Penguins, to say the least, as they were on the receiving end of a 5-0 rout at Joe Louis Arena, falling behind the Red Wings, 3-2, in the Stanley Cup Final. While Detroit didn't win the majority of the face-offs in game 5, it managed to take advantage and capitalize on the ones it did win, especially in the second period as the Penguins were in the process of self destructing with a series of penalties.

In The Face-Off Circle: A game-by-game look at the face-off's in the Stanley Cup Final

The Detroit Red Wings had their best face-off man, Kris Draper, back in the lineup for Game 4, and as a team they had their best showing since Game 1, winning 34 of 60 draws. While Draper won six of his 11, the biggest factor in the margin on Thursday night wasn't what any one individual Red Wing did, but what one individual Penguin didn't do.

The face-off battle in the Stanley Cup Final has been an interesting one to watch, as the Red Wings dismantled the Penguins in Game 1, winning 39 of 55 draws, only to have the Penguins rebound in Game 2 by winning 27 of 51 (though, Detroit still won the game, due in large part to face-off wins in the offensive zone leading to goals).

How would things play out in Game 3? Results after the jump.

One of the key factors in Pittsburgh's Game 1 loss was Detroit's dominance in the face-off circle, leading to puck possession, scoring opportunities and, ultimately, goals. The Penguins showed considerable improvement in this area in Game 2, but it still wasn't enough as the Red Wings managed to take a 2-0 series lead as it shifts back to Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

The Penguins actually won the face-off battle on Sunday (27-24) and even scored a goal as a result of one of their wins, but they still struggled to keep possession of the puck at times, and still gave up scoring chances (and goals) off of their losses.

One of the key factors in Detroit's 3-1 win on Saturday was its dominant performance in the face-off circle, as the Wings won 39-of-55 draws. It's an impressive number on its own, but when you consider the Wings were playing without Pavel Datsyuk (winning 52 percent of his draws this postseason) and Kris Draper (64 percent) it's downright scary. And kind of ridiculous.

After the jump, a breakdown of which players did the damage, and who they did it against. Let's just say this: It's ugly for the Penguins, which begs the question: where the hell is Mike Zigomanis when you need him?