One more game than the Red Wings wanted to play.

“We’re going home. Last game. You win, you win the Stanley Cup,” Helm said. “So we’re feeling pretty good, but we know it’s not going to be easy. They won a big game against Washington in their rink, so we know they can win a Game 7 on the road.”

Detroit knew the Penguins would play with desperation during a possible elimination game and they did, taking 15 of the first 19 shots. They finally broke through goalie Chris Osgood when Staal, whose short-handed goal got the Penguins going during their 4-2 win in Game 4, put in his own rebound early in the second period.

That 1-0 lead, as precarious as it was, held up until Kennedy also stuffed a rebound past Osgood at 5:35 of the third.

Detroit got to within 2-1 when four-time Stanley Cup winner Kris Draper ended his playoffs-long slump by scoring at 8:01, but the Red Wings couldn’t get the tying goal past Marc-Andre Fleury despite being on the power play twice during the third period.

Fleury was lifted after allowing four goals in the second period of Game 5 but, as he often does, rebounded from a bad game by playing an exceptional one.

“I’ve learned throughout my years that it doesn’t matter how many goals you give up,” Fleury said. “If you lose, you lose. It doesn’t matter if I give up one or five, I try to forget about it, put it in the back and come to the rink with a smile.”

The Penguins forced the first finals Game 7 in their history without a goal from Evgeni Malkin and Crosby, who produced eight of Pittsburgh’s first 10 goals in the series.

“Every kid growing up, you play street hockey, you play in the outdoor rinks, you always dream of that (Game 7),” Crosby said. “There’s always something that sticks out about playing for the Cup in Game 7. We’ve got an amazing opportunity.”