Detroit holds on and wins the Cup

PITTSBURGH -- Old though the Detroit Red Wings may be, they refused to give way to the promising, young Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Red Wings lifted the Stanley Cup on Wednesday at Mellon Arena, holding on for a 3-2 victory that ended the finals in six dramatic and often dazzling games.

Fending off a late push that was similar to the Penguins’ Game 5 rally and triple-overtime triumph, the Red Wings got goals from Brian Rafalski on a first-period power play, Valtteri Filppula on a second-period rebound and Henrik Zetterberg on a third-period shot that trickled between goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s pads and crossed the goal line when Fleury sat and tried to cover it up.

The Penguins, who had gotten a second-period power play goal from Evgeni Malkin, pulled within a goal during a power play with 1:27 left and Fleury replaced by an extra skater. Their hopes were crushed when Marian Hossa was thwarted a split second before the buzzer sounded at Mellon Arena. “We were happy we had the two-goal lead,” said Zetterberg, the superb two-way forward who won the Conn Smythe trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.

“When they scored the second one we knew it was going to be tight all the way to the end. And when they had a chance, I don’t know how many seconds was left, but when I saw the puck behind the net and I looked up and it was 0000 on the game clock I was a pretty happy man.”

Sidney Crosby, 20 years old and owner of an incredibly bright future, cried in the Penguins’ locker room after losing in his first finals appearance. “We’re probably guilty of trying too hard, working too hard and not smart,” he said in a hoarse voice.

The Red Wings, bigger, stronger and more experienced, did everything a little better. Their leader was incomparable Swedish defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who became the first European-born and trained player to captain a Cup champion in winning his fourth title with the Red Wings. “It’s something I’m very proud of,” he said.

The Penguins had much to be proud of, too. “People say you’ve got to lose to win,” stalwart defenseman Ryan Whitney said, “but that doesn’t make it any easier. Maybe in a couple of weeks we’ll realize how far we’ve come, but it’s tough right now.”

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helene.elliott@latimes.com