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Tonight sees Game 3 between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Red Wings lead the series 2-0, in what has so far been a dramatic - if not as competitive as initially hoped - repeat of the 2007/2008 Stanley Cup Final, which brought hockey fans unrivalled displays of fast and skilful play.

The Red Wings looked like a team possessed at times during the opening two games of this year's final and a determined team dynamic has certainly been difficult to overlook. However, when looking for the fundamental reasons lying behind Detroit's impressive dominance to date, individual brilliance simply cannot be discounted.

In this regard, you don't need to look much further than the man between the sticks for the Red Wings: Chris Osgood. A shock contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy, Red Wings head coach, Mike Babcock, has been quick to point out the player's quality.

Hockey is a game in which the balance can change in the blink of an eye and, as such, composure and a seemingly innate ability to stay alert during periods of relative non-activity have been as important for Osgood as physical presence and tactical awareness.

In Babcock's words, Osgood "has had to be really good for us" during recent games. On several occasions, the player has not seen "a lot of action for a long period of time" but has still managed to shut out the opposing team when they've pounced upon a Red Wings error and surged forward.

The man who managed to prevent Pittsburgh's golden boy, Sidney Crosby, from hitting the back of the net late on in Game 2 is choosing to remain calm despite the hype surrounding him and his team in the build-up to tonight's game. Indeed, the player, who experienced an awful start to the season, making his transformation to the man we've seen this week all the more admirable, ranks gaining respect in Detroit as his ultimate achievement.

It certainly seems that the signs are looking good for the Red Wings at the moment and in Osgood, they have a player who can be depended upon to do all he can to stop the Penguins penetrating Detroit's defence. After all, this man has made it clear that he isn't just playing for fun; he's playing for the chance to keep the highly-valued respect of the die-hard Detroit fans.

However, even though the stats and historical records with regards to teams coming back to win after two games down don't exactly make pleasant reading for Pittsburgh fans, any assessment of individual brilliance seems limited without a nod towards Sidney Crosby.

The Penguins have kept their star man under wraps in the build-up to tonight's match, with Dan Bylsma quipping "every day doesn't need to be Sidney Crosby day". Although Crosby, a player who truly lit up the playoffs, has failed to shine so far against the Red Wings, it seems a safe bet that today will have to be a Sidney Crosby Day if Pittsburgh are to stand any chance of battling back in the fight for the most iconic of trophies.