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Penguins Take Commanding 3-0 Lead Over Rangers

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Rangers 5-3 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series. Marc-Andre Fleury was huge in net as he stopped 36-of-39 shots and Hart Trophy finalist Evgeni Malkin loomed large with 2 powerplay goals and an assist. The Penguins’ special teams were the difference, however, as they went 2-for-2 on the powerplay and killed off all 5 New York powerplays, including two 5-on-3 chances for the Rangers. The Penguins remain unbeaten in the playoffs, becoming just the 11th team in the NHL’s long history to win the first 7-games in a playoff. The last team to do so was the 1994 New York Rangers, who ultimately went on to win the Stanley Cup that year.

In the 1st period, the Penguins jumped out to a quick lead at 1:02 on a beautiful passing play by the Penguins top line. Sidney Crosby stripped the puck off from Jaromir Jagr in the neutral zone and passed it up to Pascal Dupuis. Crosby then rushed the net and redirected a hard shot by Dupuis onto the net. Henrik Lundqvist made a beautiful pad save on Crosby, but failed to control the rebound which came off of his pads and onto the stick of Marian Hossa. Hossa wasted no time as he buried it in the Rangers’ net to make it 1-0. The Rangers bounced back at 14:32 as Martin Straka took advantage of a mad scramble in front of the net and threw the puck over a sprawling Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury had his hands full with Jaromir Jagr and two of his own teammates all in the crease and pushing on the net. The play was ultimately reviewed to confirm that the goal went into the net before it was dislodged. Jaromir Jagr and Paul Mara picked up the assists on the play. But less than 2-minutes later while playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Petr Sykora, Georges Laraque found the corner of the net over Lundqvist’s shoulder to make it 2-1. Malkin and Sykora got the asissts on the goal. The Penguins then found themselves on a 4-minute powerplay after a high-sticking call on Ryan Callahan for catching Hal Gill in the nose. The Penguins wasted little time as Evgeni Malkin blasted his 4th of the post-season into the net to make it 3-1. Sergei Gonchar and Marian Hossa set up the Malkin goal. At the end of the 1st period, the Penguins found themselves up 3-1, despite being outshot 15-9. The Penguins were 1-for-1 on the powerplay in the period.

In the 2nd period, the Rangers poured it on as they outshot the Penguins 14-4. Early in the period, the Penguins found themselves in penalty trouble as Sykora, Dupuis and Orpik all took back-to-back overlapping penalties that resulted in two 5-on-3 chances for the Rangers. But the Penguins were phenomenal on the penalty kill as they have been all series, and shutout the Rangers on the man advantage. As the period wore on, Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka picked up their game to a frenetic pace to get themselves back in the game, and it worked. At 12:07, the Rangers finally managed to beat Marc-Andre Fleury as Ryan Callahan got his 2nd goal of the post-season from Scott Gomez and Sean Avery. Then at 13:11, Jaromir Jagr came around from behind the net and picked the high corner over Fleury’s right shoulder to tie the game 3-3. Scott Gomez and Martin Straka picked up the assists on the play. At this point in the game, the momentum had clearly shifted to the New York Rangers who were out-hustling the Penguins on every shift. Penguins’ coach Michel Therrien took a very wise timeout at this point in the game to slow the pace down and to chirp at his players. At 15:56 of the period, Ryan Hollweg took a bad boarding penalty on Petr Syokora that ultimately put the momentum back at the Penguins end of the ice. On the ensuing powerplay, Evgeni Malkin scored his 2nd of the night with another one of his signature blasts from the high circle area. Sergei Gonchar and Sidney Crosby picked up the assists on the play, as the Penguins restored a 1-goal lead.

Image details: Pittsburgh Penguins v New York Rangers - Game Three served by picapp.com

In the final period, the Penguins were outshot 10-4 but managed to score the only goal of the frame to make it 5-3. At 2:30, Kris Letang let a shot go from the point that was redirected between the legs of Henrik Lundqvist by Ryan Malone, who was left standing all alone 10-feet in front of net. Pter Sykora picked up the other assist on the play.The Penguins successfully killed off 2-penalties in the period, and were afforded no powerplay of their own, as they went on to win the game 5-3.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

For the Penguins, Evgeni Malkin picked up 3-points (2G, 1A), Marian Hossa (1G, 1A), Sidney Crosby (2A), Sergei Gonchar (2A), and Petr Sykora (2A) all notched 2-points. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 26-of-39 shots for a 0.923 save percentage.

The Penguins return to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night where they will be given the opportunity to sweep the series and keep their undefeated post-season record alive to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Penguins can thank their brilliant goaltending, solid defensive play, and pheneomenal special teams for their success so far this post-season. The Penguins have also found offensive contriubutions from all four lines. It is undeniable that this team has the momentum and the skill to go a long ways in this post season, as long as they continue to play their game.

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Penguins Shutout Rangers in Game 2

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon 2-0 to give them a 2-0 lead in the best of 7 series.  Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside all 26 shots thrown at him by the Rangers offense to post his 2nd career playoff shutout.  With his first career shutout coming in game 1 during the first round against the Ottawa Senators, Fleury and his Penguins teammates have yet to lose a game this playoff season.  The Penguins have now won their first 6 playoff games, a first in Penguins franchise history. 

In the 1st period, the Penguins poured on the offense and put up 8-shots before the Rangers were able to record their 1st attempt on net.  Ultimately, the Penguins outshot the Rangers 14-10 in the period, the most open of the 3-frames.  The Penguins went 0-for-2 on the powerplay, but managed to put up 8-shots during the man advantage.  More importantly, the Penguins penalty kill was pehenomenal as it held the Rangers to just 4-shots in 3-attempts.  Despite it all, both goaltenders were flawless in the 1st period as it ended 0-0. 

In the 2nd period, the play tightened up as both teams put 9-shots on net.  The Penguins converted on their only powerplay of the period after Chris Drury took a hooking call at 12:22.  The Penguins were pressing hard on the powerplay with Ryan Malone and Marian Hossa both missing on excellent chances in front of Lundqvist.  Then at 13:55, with Jordan Staal posted in front of Lundqvist, Evgeni Malkin took the puck into the corner and made a hard cross-crease pass.  Jordan Staal stopped the puck on his backhand, moved it quickly to his forehand and lifted it over Lundqvist’s right pad as he was moving right to left.  The goal was Staal’s 2nd of the post-season and was assisted by Evgeni Malkin and  Ryan Whitney.  The Penguins successfully killed off the only penalty they had, a hooking call to Marian Hossa. 

In the 3rd period, the Penguins outshot the Rangers 9-7 and fought off a couple of late penalties to hold on for the win.  At 13:54, Petr Sykora was called on a high stick, but the Penguins managed to kill it off.  During the kill, the Rangers did manage to poke the puck through Fleury’s pads and into the net, but the play had already been blown dead by the referee who had lost sight of the puck.  Then at 17:38, Hal Gill took a cross-checking call and went to the box.  Because of the timing of the call and the desparate need for the tying goal, the Rangers were able to pull Henrik Lundqvist to gain the 6-on-4 advantage.  The Penguins defense and Marc-Andre Fleury were up to the task however, as they turned aside every attempt to keep the lead.  Then with just 17-seconds left on the clock, Adam Hall threw the puck up the wall on a clearing attempt and the puck deflected off the glass and down the ice into the empty net to make it 2-0.  At the final buzzer, a scrum broke out as Sean Avery confronted Marc-Andre Fleury for lifting his stick into Avery’s groin area.  Fleury’s actions were in response to two stick whacks that Avery placed on Fleury behind the play.  Hal Gill immediately came to the aid of Fleury and drove Avery up against the boards as other players came streaming in. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post Game Press Conference w/Michel Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post Game Player Interviews
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Rink Rat Report  
• AUDIO:  Post Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The Penguins travel to the New York Garden for games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Thursday.  The Penguins have yet to beat the Rangers at the Garden this season.  The last time the New York Rangers came back from a 2-0 playoff series defecit was in the first round 1996 matchup against the Montreal Canadiens.

Image details: New York Rangers v Pittsburgh Penquins - Game Two served by picapp.com

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The New York Whiners…er, Rangers….”Enough is Enough”

In the words of Michel Therrien, “Enough is enough, and that’s enough”.  My sentiments exactly when it comes to the whining that is being heard from the New York Rangers players, staff, media and fans.  The Rangers have tried to whip up controversy where there should be none.  The common refrain has been that Sidney Crosby is a diver and that he gets a free pass from the referees.  They also complain that Crosby is a “whiner”, which I find qute ironic after listening to the swirl coming out of New York following the legitimate interference penalty called on Martin Straka that ultimately led to the Penguins’ game-winning power play goal.  Instead of blaming Sidney Crosby or the officiating, the Rangers should be looking inward for answers to how they blew a 3-0 lead. 

Prior to the series, the New York Media and the Rangers staff tried to make-up controversy (or perhaps pre-position some excuses) by stating that the referees would show favoritism to the “face of the league” Sidney Crosby.  One example is the Rangers Hockey Night Live series preview show with Al Trautwig and Stan Fischler.   At 3:15 in the video, they respond to a fan’s concern that the refs will protect Sidney Crosby.  Stan Fischler notes his disappointment with the officiating and that he hopes for the best.  He goes on to mention that Tom Renney will be talking to the referees and the supervisor in hopes “that the Rangers will get a fair shake”.  Then at 5:15, another fan complains about how Sidney Crosby is a whiner, and that “no other great players in years past whined or complained”.  Stan Fischler piled on by stating that “his whining is almost legendary”, and “the referees are smart enough to know and don’t like it, so we’ll see how they handle it”.   

Then after Game 1, one in which the Rangers blew a 3-0 lead midway through the game, the Rangers chose to blame the officiating in part for their loss.  The first indicator came from Tom Renney himself in his post-game interview.  At 1:15 of the video, Renney is asked what he thought of the penalty.  He replied to the reporter, “Did you see it?…………draw your own conclusion”, implying that it was a bad call.  Then, in a post-game interview Brendan Shanahan referred to the Straka penalty by calling it a “weak call” and declaring that “Sidney embellished”.  At the 2:34 mark of TSN post-game coverage, you can see more Tom Renney comments as well Shanahan’s comments.  You can also view the penalty clear as day as Straka uses his stick across Sidney Crosby’s mid-section to impede his progress.  How any NHL player can claim that Crosby embellished that call is beyond me.  There was no dive, and Sid kept skating to try and get into the play.  Shanahan even had the balls to suggest that Crosby interfered with Straka on the play.  What a joke. 

The comments by the Rangers staff, players and media were so ridiculous that Michel Therrien felt compelled to comment on them after Saturday’s practice.  At 5:30 of the video, Therrien points out his disappointment with the “gamesmanship” of the New York Rangers regarding Sid’s ability to draw penalties.  Therrien pointed out that it is Sid’s skill and speed that draws penalties, not embellishment.  He calls out Tom Renney by name and chides him for the comments made prior to the series and in recent days, and says that the Straka call was legitimate.  He also pointed out that Avery raked Crosby’s face with a stick earlier in the game that went uncalled.  And unlike the Rangers with the Straka call, I haven’t heard any whining from Crosby about the non-call on Avery.  As Michel Therrien so aptly stated, “Enough is enough, and that’s enough”.

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Penguins Come From Behind to Win Game 1

The Pittsburgh Penguins mounted an improbable come from behind win on Friday night as they overcame a 3-0 deficit midway through the game and beat the New York Rangers 5-4.  After falling behind 3-0 early in the 2nd period, the Penguins came alive and scored 4 unanswered goals before giving up a tying goal at the mid-point of the 3rd period.  But a late penalty to the New York Rangers created an opportunity for the Penguins that they seized for the game winner with just 1:41 left in the game.  The win gives the Penguins a 1-0 lead over the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Semi-Final series.  The phenomenal come from behind win by the Penguins also provides them with momentum going into game 2 on Sunday at Mellon Arena. 

The Penguins came out skating strong in the 1st period and dominated much of the play but failed to convert on two early power play opportunities.  After weathering 2 penalty kills, however, the Rangers seized the momentum at 13:40 by scoring on the power play as Ryan Whitney sat for a high sticking call.  Martin Straka notched his 2nd goal of the post-season with assists by Jaromir Jagr and Michal Rozsival.  The Penguins outshot the Rangers 9-7 in the 1st period, were 0-for-3 on the power play, and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.

In the 2nd, the Penguins fell further behind as the Rangers notched two quick goals in the first 4-minutes of the period.  The first came at 1:52 as Chris Drury tipped in a shot past Marc-Andre Fleury.  Marc Staal and Nigel Dawes picked up the assists on the play.  The shot appeared to be knocked in by Drury with a high stick redirection, but the video review was inconclusive and the goal was allowed to stand.  Then at 3:37, perennial pest Sean Avery laced a shot to the corner that eluded Marc-Andre Fleury and took the air out of Mellon Arena.  Marc Staal and Michal Rozsival got the assists.  However, Avery’s animated post-goal celebration may have ignited a spark of motivation on the Penguins bench.  As if to mimmick Avery’s previous rule generating antics against New Jersey, Jarkko Ruutu started a subsequent shift by holding the tip of his stick blade in the face of Michal Rozsival during the face off.  After a stern warning by the ref, the puck was dropped and Jarkko Ruutu took the puck up ice and rebounded it into the net off from Rozsival’s shin pads.  Jordan Staal and Brooks Orpik picked up the assists.  Ruutu’s goal was just the spark that the Penguins needed to ignite the fire.  Just 14-seconds later, Pascal Dupuis took a picture perfect pass from Sidney Crosby and blasted it past Lundqvist to make it 3-2.  Shots in the 2nd were even at 9 a piece.  The Penguins were 0-for-1 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.     

In the 3rd, the Penguins continued their comeback by notching their 3rd and 4th unanswered goals.  The first came from an impossible angle at 4:40 from Marian Hossa, his 2nd goal of the post-season.  Standing on the goal line, Hossa threw the puck on net from the sideboards and threaded the needle through the skates of a Rangers player and deflecte it into the net.  Rob Scuderi and Ryan Malone picked up the assists.  Then 20-seconds later, Petr Sykora wristed another one past Lundqvist to give the Penguins the 4-3 advantage.  Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Malone were given assists on the play.  At 10:04, the Rangers pulled even as Scott Gomez one-timed a Jaromir Jagr pass from behind the net.  Michal Rozsival got the other assist on the play.  But the Penguins were given the golden opportunity at 16:40 as Martin Straka was assessed with an interference penalty and sent to the box for 2-minutes.  With 21-seconds left on the power play, Sidney Crosby one-timed a shot on net that deflected off from Evgeni Malkin’s leg and into the net to make it 5-4.  The play was reviewed and confirmed that the puck wasn’t kicked in.  Ryan Whitney picked up the other assist.  The Rangers pulled their goalie in teh final minute of play, but were unable to beat Fleury again, despite one getting by him and hitting the post.  Shot were again even in the 3rd at 8, and the Penguins went 1-for-1 on the power play.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Locker Rooom Interviews
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

Sidney Crosby had 2 assists, Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist and Ryan Malone had 2 assists.  Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 20 of 24 shots on goal.  Jaromir Jagr failed to record a single shot on goal. 

The Penguins host the New York Rangers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals at 2PM on Sunday. 

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Penguins to Face Rangers in Round 2

After a lengthy layoff, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally know who they will face in round two of the playoffs.  The Washington Capitals lost to the Philadelphia Flyers tonight in a Game 7 overtime thriller, which means that the Penguins will face off against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.  The Montreal Canadiens, seeded #1 in the East, will get paired with the Philadelphia Flyers who hold the lowest seed of the advancing teams.  Had the Capitals won, it would have been a Penguins-Capitals matchup for Round 2.  Instead, it will be a fight between two teams that advanced out of the first round the quickest.

The Penguins were the first team to advance and the only Round 1 sweep having beaten the fading Ottawa Senators in 4-games while trouncing them on the scoresheets 16-5.  The Penguins averaged 4-goals per game and red hot Marc-Andre Fleury posted a scathing 1.26 goals against average and a 0.955 save percentage.  The Penguins got contributions up and down their lineup in Round 1 with only 4-skaters going pointless in the 4-game series (Hal Gill, Adam Hall, Brooks Orpik and Kris Letang).  Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone and Petr Sykora combined for 28-points (10G, 18A).  The Penguins netted 6 of their 16 goals on the power play, and gave up just 1-goal while on the penalty kill.  After a lengthy wait, a rested and healthy Penguins team are itching to get back into the action. 

The Rangers were the second team to advance out of Round 1 by eliminating Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils in 5-games by outscoring them 19-12.  The Rangers averaged 3.8 goals per game in round 1, finding balanced scoring across their lineup.  Jaromir Jagr (2G, 6A), Scott Gomez (3G, 4A), Brandon Dubinsky (3G, 3A) and Martin Straka (3G, 2A) led the scoring for the Rangers.  Henrik Lundqvist was phenomenal giving up just 1-goal in each of the first 2-games, but softened in games 3-5 where he gave up 3.3 goals average per game.  Lundqvist ended the first round with a 2.35 goals against average and a 0.917 save percentage.  Just 3 of the Rangers’ 19-goals came on the power play, while 5 of their 12 goals against came while they were on the penalty kill.  Being plenty rested themselves, the Rangers are also eager to get back on the ice. 

The Penguins and Rangers met 8-times during the regular season.  Pittsburgh went 3-3-2 in the series, and was outscored by New York 21-16.  However, the Penguins played better against the Rangers in the latter half of the season.  Through the first 4-games, they were 1-2-1 against the Rangers and were outscored 12-6.  After the 1st of January, the Penguins went 2-1-1 against the Rangers and outscored them 10-9. 

The Rangers will certainly be a formiddable foe in round 2 as their offensive stars have shined in the playoffs.  The Rangers offense are healthy and firing on all cylinders.  Unlike round 1, the Penguins won’t have the luxury of facing a depleted and faltering offensive lineup.  The Penguins will need Marc-Andre Fleury and the defensive corps to bring their A-game to shut down the potent offense of the Rangers.  With a high-powered offense of their own, the Penguins will need to put relentless pressure on Henrik Lundqvist from the start and prevent him from gaining back any of the confidence he exhibited in games 1 and 2.  As is often the case in playoffs, special teams will likely be a difference maker.  The Penguins special teams have the advantage in this series.

Game 1 between the Penguins and Rangers will be played on Friday, 25 April.  Games 2, 3 and 4 will follow on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday respectively. 

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Penguins Complete Sweep, Advance to Round 2

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Ottawa Senators 3-1 on Wednesday night to complete a 4-game series sweep and became the first team to advance to round two of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs.  For the Penguins it was sweet redemption for last year’s early exit in in the first round of the playoffs courtesy of these same Ottawa Senators.  This season, a more experienced, complete and confident Penguins team took full advantage of a wounded and struggling Ottawa as they outshot them 161-112 and outscored them 16-5 in 4-games.  The victory completed the first playoff series sweep for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 16-years, and its first playoff series win since 2001.  The last sweep came in 1992 as the Penguins swept Boston and then Chicago enroute to its second consecutive Stanley Cup victory.

There was no scoring in the 1st period despite the Penguins 14-5 domination in shots.  The Penguins were afforded one power play opportunity in the period, but failed to convert.  Marian Hossa notched 7 of the Penguins’ shots on goal for the period. 

In the 2nd period, the Penguins got on the board early as they converted on a power play opportunity at 1:40.  Evgeni Malkin collected his own rebound after Martin Gerber stopped his shot on a Sidney Crosby cross-crease pass and tapped the puck in on his second attempt.  It was Malkin’s 2nd goal of the series and 7th point.  Sergei Gonchar and Sidney Crosby picked up the assists.  Then at 10:31, Cory Stillman beat Marc-Andre Fleury to tie it up.  Wayne Redden and Anton Volchenkov were credited with the assists.  At 15:28, the Penguins regained the lead on an even strength goal by Jarkko Ruutu, his first of the playoffs.  Tyler Kennedy caught Ruutu with an up ice pass that almost gave him a clean breakaway.  With Senators’ defenseman Brian Lee tying him up as he drove to the net, Ruutu quickly spun around to the backhand and slipped the puck through Gerber’s five-hole to make it 2-1.  Kennedy had the only assist on the play.  Late in the period, Antoine Vermette had a tying goal disallowed as the video reply clearly showed that he put the puck into the net off his skate with a distinct kicking motion.  The Penguins again outshot the Senators 16-8 and went 1-for-3 on the power play.  The Penguins killed off a lone hooking penalty to Ryan Malone. 

In the 3rd period, the Senators pressed to stay alive but came up short.  The Penguins offensive effort let up as the Senators outshot them 9-4, but it wasn’t enough to make the difference in the game.  At 19:52 with Gerber pulled from the net for the extra attacker, Sidney Crosby took advantage of a turnover and shot the puck into the empty net from mid-ice to seal the game and the series.

• VIDEO:  Video Highlights
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The Penguins’ stars more than lived up to expectations in this 4-game series.  Leading the pack was Captain Sidney Crosby who put up 8-points (2G, 6A).  On his heels was Evgeni Malkin with 7-points (2G, 5A).  Ryan Malone (2G, 3A) and Marian Hossa (1G, 4A) each put up 5-points, Petr Sykora (3G) added 3-points, and Sergei Gonchar (1G, 1A) had 2-points.  Marc-Andre Fleury let in just 5-goals on 112-shots for an incredible 0.955 save percentage and 1.26 goals against average.  Just as importantly, the Penguins found contributions from the lower lines as well with Jarkko Ruutu (1G, 1A), Max Talbot (1G, 1A), Gary Roberts (2G), and Jordan Staal (1G) all contributing. 

The Penguins will now get a lengthy rest while the other first round series play out.  The Penguins will face off against one of Boston, New Jersey or the New York Rangers next, depending upon how the series’ play out.  If Boston can overcome their 3-1 defecit and beat Montreal, the Penguins would meet them in the 2nd round.  Otherwise, the Penguins will play the winner of the New Jersey Devils/New York Rangers series.  Regardless of who they meet, the Penguins will maintain the home ice advantage.  The series will begin sometime next week.

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Penguins Take 3-0 Series Lead

The Pittsburgh Penguins continued their march through round one of the playoffs as they beat an inspired Ottawa Senators team 4-1 on Monday night to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.  Despite the emotional lift of getting Daniel Alfredsson back in the lineup, putting forth their best effort of the series, and scoring first, the Ottawa Senators gave up 2-quick goals early in the 3rd and fell to the Penguins on their own ice.  With the win, the Penguins have earned the opportunity to sweep the series with a win on Wednesday night, and reverse their first round fortunes of last post-season. 

In the 1st period, the Ottawa Senators came out as expected in front of their home crowd with a lot of emotion and energy.  That emotion was fueled by the earlier than expected return of Daniel Alfredsson to the Senators lineup.  While reportedly recovering from a lower body injury (suspected torn MCL), Alfredsson’s presence and puck handling abilities served to inspire his teammates as they put forth the best offensive effort seen so far in this series.  While there were no goals scored in the 1st period, the Senators outshot the Penguins 14-12.  The Penguins went 0-for-2 on the power play in the period and successfully killed off the only penalty (Talbot, goaltender interference). 

In the 2nd, it looked like the Senators would gain the momentum as they scored an even strength goal at 1:11 to take the early lead.  Nick Foligno took a bouncing pass from Jason Spezza, chipped it between the legs of a wandering Ryan Whitney and then beat Marc-Andre Fleury five-hole with a quick wrister.  The lead did not last long, however, as the Penguins bounced back with an even strength goal of their own at 5:39 from Max Talbot.  Marian Hossa moved the puck up the ice to Pascal Dupuis who hit Talbot breaking into the zone.  Talbot moved the puck to his backhand and slipped the puck between the open pads of Martin Gerber to tie it up 1-1.  The Penguins edged the Senators 14-13 in shots in the period, but failed to convert on two man advantage opportunities.     

In the 3rd period, the Penguins re-asserted their dominance in the series as they outshot the Senators 12-7 and scored 3-goals, including 2 in the first minute and a half of the period that broke the spirit of the Ottawa Senators.  Just 12-seconds into the period, Sidney Crosby busted in on a 2-on-1 break and snapped the puck past Martin Gerber stick side.  Marian Hossa and Rob Scuderi picked up the assists on the play.  Then, at 1:30, Jordan Staal chipped a Tyler Kennedy pass up over the the shoulder of Martin Gerber to make it 3-1.  Jarkko Ruutu picked up the other assist.  Finally, at 8:55, Marian Hossa collected a loose puck from a scrum in front of Gerber and deposited it into the net.  The power play goal was assisted by Sidney Crosby and Ryan Malone, and was Hossa’s first post-season goal in 4-years.  The Penguins were 1-for-3 on the power play and succesfully killed off their only short-handed situation.   

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

Max Talbot (1G), Sidney Crosby (1G, 1A), Jordan Staal (1G) and Marian Hossa (1G, 2A) all picked up their first goals of the post-season, and Marc-Andre Fleury was again spectacular in goal stopping 33-of-34 shots.  Evgeni Malkin failed to figure in the scoresheet despite another strong performance.  Gary Roberts did not play due to a groin injury and was replaced by Adam Hall in the lineup.  The Penguins did a tremendous job of handling the pressure of going down 1-0 on their opponents ice, and continued to play their system largely to perfection.  Through 3-games in the series, the Penguins have outshot the Senators 127-90 and have outscored them 13-4.  Marc-Andre Fleury has a 0.956 save percentage and 1.33 GAA in the series. 

The Penguins meet the Senators again in Ottawa on Wednesday night where they will try to finish up the series on the road and make it a clean sweep.   

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Penguins Beat Senators 5-3, Lead Series 2-0

The Pittsburgh Penguins exploded for 54-shots against the Ottawa Senators, but it took 2-goals in the last 1:02 of regulation to break a 3-3 tie and give the Penguins the win and a 2-0 series lead.  Pittsburgh looked to be in complete control of the game and the series as they scored 3-unanswered goals through the first 30-minutes, but the Ottawa Senators finally bounced back with 3-unanswered goals of their own to tie the game and almost send it into overtime.  A late high-sticking call against the Senators would be the difference, however, as the Penguins capitalized on the man-advantage to break the tie and get the game winner.

In the 1st period, the Penguins offensively dominated the Senators and outshot them 20-8, but Martin Gerber stopped 19 of 20 to keep his team in the game.  The Penguins goal came at 16:10 on a 5-on-3 power play blast by Sergei Gonchar from near the blue line that rose up above Gerber’s shoulder and into the corner of the net.  Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin picked up the assists on the play with Gary Roberts providing a solid screen in front of Gerber.  The Penguins were 1-for-3 on the power play in the first.

In the 2nd period, the Penguins power play struck again at 5:22 to make it 2-0.  Petr Sykora tipped in a hard pass across the goal mouth from Evgeni Malkin at the half wall to beat Gerber.  Sidney Crosby had the other assist.  Then at 10:52, Sykora scored again on a another hard cross-ice pass from Evgeni Malkin to put the Penguins up 3-0.  The play was set up by Ryan Malone as he pressured the Sens to keep the puck in the zone.  But 38-seconds later, Ottawa got on the board on a simple tip-in by Shean Donovan that eluded Marc-Andre Fleury.  Chris Neal and Mike Commodore were credited with the assists.  Then at 16:11, Ottawa struck on the power play as Tyler Kennedy sat for a hooking call.  Cory Stillman beat Fleury with a wrister from 9ft out to make it 3-2.  Dany Heatley and Andrej Meszaros got the assists on the play.  The Penguins outshot the  Senators 20-11 in the 2nd, and were 1-for-2 on both the power play and the penalty kill. 

In the 3rd period, the Ottawa Senators found a way to tie it up as Cody Bass threw a wrister past Fluery to make it 3-3.  Randy Robitaille and Mike Commodore assisted on the equalizer.  But with just 1:14 left in a game that looked like it would be heading to overtime, Martin LaPointe’s stick got up into the eye of Jarkko Ruutu and sent him tumbling to the ice with a bit of salesmanship for a legitimate penalty.  Playing with the man advantage, Ryan Malone picked up the rebound from a Marian Hossa shot and quickly maneuvered behind the net to stuff in a wraparound and make it 4-3 with 1:02 left in the game.  The Penguins then kept the Senators hemmed in their own end so that Martin Gerber couldn’t get off the ice until there was just 9-seconds left in the game.  The Penguins then sealed the deal with an empty net goal by Ryan Malone at 19:53 to send the crowd into a frenzy.  Marian Hossa and Sidney Crosby got the assists on the final goal.   

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Locker Rooom Interviews w/Ryan Malone, Jarkko Ruutu, Pascal Dupuis, Sidney Crosby, Petr Sykora,
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Rink-Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

Evgeni Malkin was a beast on the loose tonight, getting 3-assists and 8-shots on goal, including a couple of breakaways in which he drew two non-calls by the referees.  Malkin now has 6-points (1G, 5A) in 2-games.  He clearly made the difference in the game tonight.  Sidney Crosby somewhat quietly racked up 4-assists on the game for his first points of the playoffs.  Ryan Malone picked up 3-points (2G, 1A) and Petr Sykora continued his torrid play with 2-goals.  Marian Hossa contributed with 2-assists.  Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 27-of-30 shots on net, but it was Martin Gerber with 49-saves on 54-shots that had the better night in net.  The Penguins seemed to fall back on their heels just a bit late in the 3rd before getting the late power play advantage, giving the Senators their first glimpse of any hope in the series after the Penguins had played with such confidence and dominance through the first 4.5 periods of playoff hockey.   But the Penguins continued to play their system and were not rattled by the pressure.  The Penguins outshot the Senators 14-11 in the final frame and were 1-for-1 on the power play.

With the win, the Penguins take an important 2-0 series lead to Ottawa on Monday with a chance to go up 3-0.  The Senators will likely look to build some momentum on their inspired play in the latter half of tonight’s game, as they managed to pick themselves and nearly got a chance to steal one in Pittsburgh.  The Penguins will be looking to tighten up their game and prevent the Senators from getting a taste of any Penguins blood.

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Penguins Beat Senators 4-0

The Pittsburgh Penguins won Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoff series against Ottawa Senators decisively by shutting them out 4-0.  Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was perfect in net, turning aside all 26 shots by the Senators.  Wiley veteran Gary Roberts playing in just his 2nd game since returning from a 42-game hiaitus with a broken leg, scored twice and led the Penguins in setting the tone for the rest of the series.  Evgeni Malkin extended his dominating play into the post season by notching 3-points (1G, 2A), and fueling the Penguins’ offense.       

It only took a little over a minute for the Penguins to prove that this series will not be a repeat of last season’s first round matchup.  With the 4th line scrumming all around the Ottawa net, Gary Roberts quickly posted himself in front of Martin Gerber and backhanded a shot past him to make it 1-0.  Georges Laraque and Max Talbot got the assists on the play.  Then at 12:28, Evgeni Malkin chipped a puck up the boards past a Senator and broke in 2-on-1 with Petr Sykora.  Malkin made a beautiful cross-ice pass to Sykora who buried it perfectly into the open side of the net to make it 2-0.  The Penguins outshot the Senators 10-8 in the 1st period, were 0-for-1 on the power play, and killed off their only penalty.

In the 2nd period, the Penguins poured it on but failed to score despite outshooting the Senators 15-10.  Late in the period, Marc-Andre Fleury gave Martin Lapointe a little stick to the back of the legs that Lapointe took exception to.  As play was called, Lapointe turned around and confronted Fleury with a shove.  Seeing the action, Max Talbot came flying in on Lapointe.  Talbot was assessed a double-minor roughing, while Lapointe only took a 2-minute call.  Despite getting 3-opportunities on the power play, including nearly a minute of 5-on-3, the Senators failed to crack the Penguins defense or solve Marc-Andre Fleury.  The Penguins missed on 2-man advantage opportunities in the 2nd period. 

In the 3rd period, the Penguins again outshot the Senators 10-8 and converted twice, including a power play goal.  The Senators had their chances as the Penguins got in some penalty trouble that gave Ottawa a 50-second 5-on-3 opportunity.  But they failed to take advantage of the golden opportunity they were given.  The Penguins put the game out of reach with their 3rd goal which came at even strength as Evgeni Malkin dominated the offensive zone, moving the puck to Ryan Malone and Ryan Whitney before taking a feed back from Whitney.  The pass hit Malkin’s skate, but he quickly kicked it to his stick and lifted it over the shoulder of Gerber to ignite the crowd and make it 3-0.  At 16:35, Wayne Redden took a swipe at Sidney Crosby as he was battling at the side of the Senators net.  Crosby battled back before being pulled off by two Senator players, clearing the way for Ryan Whitney to come in and put the hurt on a jersey-headed Wayne Redden.  Redden and Whitney took 5 for fighting, while Crosby and Dupuis each took roughing calls (Dupuis got a double-minor).  Dean McAmmond also got a double minor along with Wayne Redden.  When the dust settled, the result was a 2-minute powerplay for the Penguins.  This time, the Penguins converted as Marian Hossa passed the puck to Evgeni Malkin, who threw the puck across the goal mouth and off Gary Roberts skate into the net at 18:25.  With 12-seconds left in the game, Gary Roberts put a hit from behind that angered Cody Bass and a scrum ensued.  Roberts picked up 16-penalty minutes in the fracas (boarding, roughing, unsportsmanlike and a game misconduct).  Cody Bass and Chris Neil each got 2-minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.  But it was inconsequential as the Penguins skated away to a 4-0 game 1 victory.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Interviews w/Gary Roberts, Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Ryan Whitney, Jarkko Ruutu, and Max Talbot
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The win gives the Penguins a 1-0 lead in the best of 7 series with Ottawa.  Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 26-shots for his first career playoff shutout, and his 2nd career playoff win as he was named the game’s first star.  He is now 11-2-1 since returning from the high ankle sprain injury.  Gary Roberts scored twice, his first goals since scoring twice on Dec 23rd against Boston, as he played tonight in just his 2nd game back after missing 42-games with a broken leg.  He was named the game’s 2nd star.  Evgeni Malkin’s 3-points earned him the game’s 3rd star.  Ottawa, already suffering from injuries, lost defenseman Anton Volchenkov early in the 2nd period after he was cut in the forehead by a Malkin slap shot.  He didn’t return to the game, and there was a delay as blood had to be cleaned from the playing surface.

The Penguins and Senators return to Mellon Arena on Friday night for game 2 of the series. 

 

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Round 1 Playoff Preview: Penguins vs Senators

The first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs will start on Wednesday, April 9th, with the Pittsburgh Penguins (47-27-8) facing off against the Ottawa Senators (43-31-8).  While we saw the same first round matchup last year with Ottawa winning 4-1 before advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals, don’t expect a replay of last year’s series.  A lot has changed in the course of a year and the now healthy and confident Pittsburgh Penguins team seem poised to take advantage of a wounded, less confident Ottawa team and make a much deeper run into the playoffs. 

After getting off to a slow start on the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins turned their season around after an emotional 6-5 overtime shootout win against the Ottawa Senators on Thanksgiving Day.  The Penguins went into that game 8-11-2 at the bottom of the Atlantic Division against the Eastern Conference leading Senators.  After that game, the Penguins went 38-16-6 to win the Atlantic Division.  The Senators started their season on fire going 16-4-0 before meeting up with the Penguins on Thanksgiving.  After that overtime loss to the Penguins, the Senators went 27-27-7, plummeting from 1st in the Eastern Conference to 7th, and nearly missing the playoffs. 

So what has changed from last season for the Penguins?  First, the Penguins players have matured as individuals and as a team.  Unlike last season, the young Penguins now know first hand what to expect in a playoff series.  They do not have to rely upon veteran players like Gary Roberts to try and explain what to expect in the playoffs.  Much more than that, the Penguins have matured as a team throughout the season as they have dealt with and overcome adversity.  The Penguins dealt with the loss of their #1 goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for over 2-months, their #1 player and league MVP Sidney Crosby for over 2-months, their wiley veteran Gary Roberts for nearly 3-months, and a number of other key players that missed games with various injuries.  Despite it all, the resilient young Penguins finished on top of the Atlantic Division, clinching their first division title in 10-years.  They also came 2-points shy of claiming the #1 spot atop the Eastern Conference. 

Another change for the Penguins is the upgrades made to the lineup.  Most notable among them was the NHL’s top-rated winger Marian Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers.  The creative, prolific scorer was acquired to complement Sidney Crosby on the team’s top line, allowing team MVP Evgeni Malkin to continue to center the hottest 2nd line in the NHL.  Along with Hossa, the Penguins acquired more speed on wing with Pascal Dupuis and a burly, tough defenseman in Hal Gill.  The Penguins trade deals were arguably a significant net positive for the team.  Additionally, the Penguins found a gem in third-string goaltender Ty Conklin, who stepped in and more than filled the shoes of Marc-Andre Fleury during his absence.  His outstanding play makes him a very formidable backup to Fleury as the Penguins enter the playoffs.  Through it all, the Penguins maintained that intangible element of chemistry that is the hallmark of all great sports teams. 

Aside from the maturity gained and the changes to the Penguins lineup, several players on the team are having career years.  Evgeni Malkin has been sizzling hot in the latter half of the season and finished second in league scoring with 106-points (47G, 59A).  Linemate Ryan Malone has come into his own this year by besting his previous career stats with 51-points (27G, 24A), and becoming a real force in front of the net.  Veteran Petr Sykora turned in his best performance in 7-years with 63-points (28G, 35A).  Veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar had his second best season and finished second in league defenseman scoring behind Niklas Lidstrom with 65-points (12G, 53A).  Goaltender Ty Conklingave an MVP-worthy performance by going 18-8-5, with a league 2nd best 0.923 save percentage and 2.51 GAA.  And despite an injury shortened season, Marc-Andre Fleury has been phenomenal going 19-10-2, with a career best and league 5th best 0.921 save percentage and 2.33 GAA.  Fleury has been 10-2-1 in his 13-starts after returning from injury.   

For the Senators, it has been a much different story.  At the beginning of the season, the Senators were a team poised to run away with the top seed in the East.  By the end of the season, they had to battle to stay in the playoff picture.  Things got so bad in the second half of the season that general manager Bryan Murray fired head coach John Paddock on February 27 and placed himself behind the bench.  Murray had been the head coach of Ottawa during their Stanley Cup finals run last season.  Murray’s presence did little to rouse the failing Senators who went just 7-9-2 in the remaining games and nearly fell out of playoff contention in the tight Eastern Conference. 

Heading into the playoffs, the Senators are dealing with additional adversity as top line winger and Captain Daniel Alfredsson is expected to miss the first round with knee and neck injuries.  The loss of Alfredsson could be a fatal blow to the Senators who depend upon him for his excellent two-way play.  In addition to losing Alfredsson, the Senators will also be playing without centerman Mike Fisher who will also miss the opening series with a knee injury.  Another challenge for the Senators is their tenuous goaltending situation.  Ray Emery went just 12-13-4 with a 3.13 GAA this season as he lost the starting job to veteran Martin Gerber. Emery’s lackluster play was underscored by disciplinary issues as he showed up late for practice several times andwas fined as a result.  Martin Gerber finished the season 30-18-4 with a 2.72 GAA and .910 save percentage, but has failed to keep the team in games as their performance has faded. 

While the Senators won the season series against the Penguins (3-0-1), the Penguins now clearly hold the upper hand in this post-season matchup.  The Penguins are playing as a team with confidence and are now nearly 100% healthy.  The Senators have lost their early season confidence and will be playing with critical elements of their lineup missing.  With special teams being a swing factor in the playoffs, the Penguins hold the advantage with a power play that is one of the most lethal in the league while the Senators have significantly struggled on the penalty kill.  In net, the Penguins goaltending situation is rock solid, while the Senators goaltending has been tenuous.  The Penguins have a huge 15-2-3 home record since January 1st, outscoring their opponents 80-42.  The Senators have gone 8-13-2 on the road in the same timeframe, and have been outscored by their opponents 80-61.  It would seem to follow that home ice should play heavily in the favor of the Penguins. 

After reviewing all of the factors, I am projecting that the Penguins will win the series handily in 5-games. 

UPDATED 9 Apr 08 - Video Links:

• VIDEO:  Coach Therrien Pre-Game Press Conference
• VIDEO:  Post-Practice Crosby Scrum 
• VIDEO:  Inside the Locker Room

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