The Penguins dream season ended last night with a 3-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals. The loss at Mellon Arena allowed the Red Wings to claim their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years.

Following the Penguins' triple overtime win in Detroit on Monday to force a sixth game, the Red Wings came out strong in the first period and took a 1-0 lead.

The Red Wings took a 2-0 lead in the second period, before Evgeni Malkin got the Penguins' first goal on a power play. The Wings added a goal in the third from Henrik Zetterberg, who won the Conn Smythe trophy as Most Valuable Player.

With goalie Marc-Andre Fleury pulled while the Penguins were on a powerplay, Marion Hossa scored a goal at 18:33, and Sidney Crosby narrowly missed a goal in the final seconds, which would have sent the game to overtime.

It was a somber Penguins locker room after the game. Very few players were willing to talk about the incredible season the Penguins had, but were bitterly disappointed with the loss.

Coach Michel Therrien said it is difficult to say anything to the players after reaching the finals only to lose.

"There's not much to say after the game, you know?" Therrien said. "You could feel the pain from everyone. I'm very proud about that group, and what they accomplished this year."

"They deserve a lot of respect," Therrien said of the Penguins' players. "We got beat by a quality team. They were tough to play against, and the hockey god was not on our side tonight."

Sidney Crosby said the loss to the Red Wings is something that the team will never forget, even though all of the players gave theoir all. "It's the way we've played all season. Never giving up. It's very hard right now," he said.

Team owner Mario Lemieux said hopefully the players will learn from the experience and turn it around to benefit them in the future. "These guys have been tremendous all season. They have been great for the fans and great for the city," Lemieux said. "We lost to a great team and a classy organization, and it's disappointing to a player to be that close to the Cup and not win it. But this will teach our young players and hopefully we'll be able to do much betternext time."

The Red Wings players expressed respect for the Penguins in the Finals. "We were so close at home, and they just didn't want to go away," Tomas Holstrom said of the Penguins. "They've got a good young group, and that team is just going to get better and better. They're a team everyone will have to watch out for."

The Penguins will now go their seperate ways during the off-season, and the work will begin for general manager Ray Shero to sign the free agents that will be available on the open market.