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Game 4 Loss Spells Trouble For Penguins

In our series preview, we noted that this year’s Stanley Cup Finals would be a battle of experience versus youth.  Right now, experience has the strong upper hand as the Pittsburgh Penguins lost Game 4 to the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 2-1, and now trail 3-1 in the series.  The Red Wings are well positioned to win the Stanley Cup, and will try to do so on Monday night at Joe Louis Arena.  For the Penguins to take home the Cup, they would need to be perfect and win the remaining 3-games of the series, including 2 in Detroit.  While still a possibility, the odds are stacked heavily against the Penguins at this point. 

Things looked good in the early going for the Penguins.  In the first period, they were afforded 3-power play opportunities and capitalized on one to grab an early 1-0 lead.  The goal came on the first penalty at 2:11 against Dallas Drake for roughing.  With the Penguins’ loaded powerplay on the ice, Sidney Crosby broke into the zone and circled around before passing the puck along the blue line to Sergei Gonchar.  Gonchar let a blast go that was stopped by Chris Osgood, but the rebound found the stick of Marian Hossa.  Hossa took the puck and looked as if he was going to circle around behind the net, but instead quickly tucked the puck in behind Osgood for the goal.  The Red Wings fought back, however, scoring a goal just 2-seconds after a penalty to Pascal Dupuis (cross-checking) had expired.  Veteran defenseman Niklas Lidstrom found room just inside the blueline and let a rocket go that beat a screened Marc-Andre Fleury to tie the game 1-1.  The Penguins were 1-for-3 on the powerplay and 1-for-1 on the kill, but were outshot 14-9 in the first period. 

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The second period was a tightly played battle between both teams as the Penguins managed to outshoot the Red Wings 8-7.  Both teams were afforded just 1 powerplay, but neither were able to convert.  The Penguins had 3-really good chances during the period, but were stoned at every chance by Chris Osgood.  The first opportunity came at 3:24 as Crosby deflected the puck right in front of the net, but Osgood held on.  Then at 9:36, Pascal Dupuis had two excellent chances that were stopped by Osgood.  And again at 13:28, Sidney Crosby had an great chance on the backhand that was shut off by Osgood.  Despite it all, neither team scored in teh second and the 1-1 tie carried into the third period. Early in the third period, the Penguins got into trouble as they were unable to clear their zone.  The Red Wings took advantage of the opportunity, as Jiri Hudler flipped a dirty backhander that tipped off from Fleury’s shoulder and into the net to break the tie.  The Penguins had an outsanding opportunity to even the game back up in the middle of the period as they were afforded 1:26 of a 5-on-3 powerplay.  In a defining moment of the game, Henrik Zetterberg made an oustanding stick-on-stick defensive play on Sidney Crosby that prevented Crosby from tapping in the tying goal on the powerplay.  The Penguins ultimately failed to convert on the 5-on-3 opportunity, swinging the momentum decidedly to the Red Wings.  With time running out in the period, the Penguins made a frantic attempt to get the tying goal, but Osgood was equal to the challenge as he shut the door tight. 

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• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Game 4 Wrap and Interviews
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The loss, the Penguins first on home-ice in the playoffs,  was a disappointment for the Penguins who played a strong game, but failed to score at a critical point in the game to tie it up.  Unfortunately, the loss makes a huge difference in the series as the Penguins head back to Detroit down 3-1, rather than tied 2-2.  Evgeni Malkin continued to be frustrated with his play and inability to be the difference like he had been up until this series.  For Malkin, this is the longest season of hockey that he has ever seen, and it appears that he has possibly run out of gas.  Where Malkin has fizzled, Marian Hossa has stepped up and continues to shine in the playoffs.  Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 28-of-30 for a 0.933 save percentage, and had a good night in net. 

Game 5 will be played Monday night in Detroit, where the Red Wings will look to finish things off on their own ice and the Penguins will be battling to stay alive.  It will be a tall order for the Penguins to bounce back emotionally from the loss, and they will need to execute to perfection on the Red WIngs’ ice if they want to bring the series back to Pittsburgh. 

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Penguins Blanked Again by Detroit’s Stifling Defense

The Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans had another frustrating game against the Detroit Red Wings as they lost 3-0, marking a second consecutive game in which their highly potent offense was snuffed out by the exceptional defensive play of the Red Wings.  The Penguins seemingly played a better game than they did in the first game, but took too many ill-timed penalties and failed to convert on the few good chances that they were afforded.  To their credit, the Penguins never gave up in the game, but just could not break through the stifling defense of the Red Wings.  The Red Wings will take a 2-0 series lead to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, where the Penguins hope to extend their home playoff unbeaten streak. 

The Red Wings scored the ever-important first goal early in the first period, as Brad Stuart picked the corner on a semi-screened Marc-Andre Fleury to make it 1-0.  Valtteri Filppula picked up the assist on the even strength goal.  Then at 11:18, Tomas Holmstrom made it 2-0 as reached in behind Fleury and tapped in a puck that had trickled through his legs on a Henrik Zetterberg shot.  Shots were 12-6 in the first period, with all 6-Penguins shots coming on 2-powerplays.  The Penguins killed off 2-penalties of their own, including 14-seconds of a Gary Roberts roughing call that carried over into the 2nd period.

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There was no scoring in the 2nd period as the Penguins were again held to just 6-shots on goal.  The Red Wings put 11-shots on goal, all of which were stopped by Marc-Andre Fleury who did his part to try and keep his team within striking distance.  The Penguins successfully killed off the balance of Roberts 1st period penalty as well as a slashing call against Ryan Malone. 

In thr 3rd period, the Penguins took penalty after penalty and never gave themselves the chance to get back in the game.  At 7:49, the Penguins went on the power play and it looked like they might get an opportunity to cut the lead in half.  But just 15-seconds into the man advantage, Ryan Malone was called for goaltender intereference and the power play was negated as the teams skated 4 per side.  During the 4-on-4, Detroit scored their 3rd goal of the game as Valtteri Filppula made a spectacular move around Kris Letang and then connected on a Bobby Orr-like diving shot that beat Marc-Andre Fleury.  Then at 11:51, Max Talbot took a double-minor roughing call in a fracas with Detroit’s Johan Franzen, who got just 2-minutes.  Then again at 16:08, Ryan Whitney took an ill-timed roughing call when he took a shot to the head of Pavel Datsyuk after the whistle.  Then at 18:52 with the little question as to game’s likely outcome, Petr Sykora knocked Chris Osgood down as he skated by the net and a large scrum ensued.  Sykora picked up a goaltender intereference call while Malkin and Roberts each took 2 for roughing.  Gary Roberts also picked up a 10-minute misconduct.  Detroit’s Lilja and Franzen each got 2 for roughing, giving the Red Wings yet another power play. 

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

The Penguins return to Mellon Arena for Game 3 on Wednesday night with the hope that they can find a way to break the defensive juggernaut.  The Penguins will have the crowd on their side and the good fortune that they have enjoyed on their own ice throughout these playoffs, having yet to lose a game there.  If the Penguins can find a way to win on their own ice, they can claw their way back into this series and gaain some confidence and momentum.  Needless to say, it will be a tough challenge if Detroit can continue to play the way they have in Games 1 and 2. 

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No Sweep in Philly as Pens Lose 4-2

The Pittsburgh Penguins faltered early in Game 4 on Thursday and lost 4-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers, despite a late rally fueled by Jordan Staal.  The Flyers, facing elimination in front of the home crowd, came out strong in the first period and capitalized on 2 powerplays in the 1st period to gain the early advantage.  The Penguins turned up the heat in the 2nd and 3rd periods, drawing to within 1-goal in the final minutes of the game, but were unable to get the equalizer.  The intensity and snarl of this game finally lived up to what I had expected, but not yet seen, in this series between the Flyers and Penguins.  The loss is just the 2nd of the post-season for the Penguins, who will have another opportunity to put the Flyers away in Pittsburgh on Sunday. 

In the 1st period, the Flyers came out buzzing and outshot the Penguins 17-13.  The Flyers got on the board first at 8:27 as Joffrey Lupul put a shot on net that beat Marc-Andre Fleury after deflecting off from Hal Gill’s stick.  Scott Hartnell and Ryan Parent picked up the assists on the play.  Then at 11:48 with Sergei Gonchar in the box for holding, Daniel Briere backhanded a rebound past Fleury as the final seconds ticked off on the powerplay.  Randy Jones and Scott Hartnell chipped in for the assists.  Then again at 18:50, with Brooks Orpik in the box for roughing, the Flyers got another powerplay goal from Jeff Carter.  Assists were awarded to R.J. Umberger and Ryan Carter.  The Flyers powerplay finally got back on track as they connected on 2-of-3 powerplay opportunities in the 1st.  The Penguins were 0-for-1 on their man-advantage. 

In the 2nd period, the Penguins outshot the Flyers 12-9, but were unable to really pressure Martin Biron from close in.  Marc-Andre Fleury also sealed off the net as the period skated to a 0-0 draw on the scorecard.  The Penguins were 0-for-1 on the powerplay and successfully killed off 1 penalty. 

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In the 3rd period, the Penguins continued to pressure the Flyers as they had a 13-8 advantage in shots.  The Penguins finally got on the board at 3:16 when Jordan Staal chipped away at the puck at the side of the net and managed to bounce it in off Biron to make it 3-1.  Tyler Kennedy and Max Talbot picked up the assists on Staal’s 4th goal of the post-season.  Then at 14:11, the energy line of Staal, Kennedy and Talbot struck again as Jordan Staal picked up his 5th.  With Tyler Kennedy working the puck along the boards, Jordan Staal moved into the open ice where he took the feed and beat Biron with a quick release.  Max Taolbot and Tyler Kennedy were again credited with the assists.  Staal’s 2nd goal of the night quieted down the capacity crowd at the Wachovia Center as the spectre of a comeback loomed large in their minds.  But with the clock winding down and Fleury pulled for the extra attacker, Joffrey Lupul managed to thread a shot that found the empty net and prevented the Penguins from stealing the game in the end.  In the final seconds of the game, things got real chippy as both teams tried to send messages in advance of Sunday’s rematch in Pittsburgh.  Ryan Malone and Derian Hatcher exchanged punches for matching majors, and Sidney Crosby and Mike Richards were each assessed double minors for slashing and roughing. 

Image details: Pittsburgh Penguins v Philadelphia Flyers – Game Four served by picapp.com

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

It should be a spirited game on Sunday afternoon as the Penguins try to finish off these Flyers once again in Game 5 at Mellon Arena.  The Penguins will need to play a more disciplined game than they did in Game 4 to dispatch these Flyers who will be playing with a renewed confidence.

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No Sweep for Penguins as Rangers Win Game 4

After winning their first 7-games, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost their first of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs to the New York Rangers on Thursday night 3-0. The Penguins put 29 shots on goal but were stymied at every chance by the stellar play of Henrik Lundqvist, who picked up his second career playoff shutout. At the other end of the ice, Marc-Andre Fleury had a very strong night in net as he stopped 31-of-33 shots. The final Rangers goal was scored on the empty net. The loss sends the series back to Pittsburgh on Sunday with the Penguins owning the 3-1 advantage.

In the 1st, the Penguins outshot the Rangers 8-6 in a tightly played defensive period. The Penguins went 0-for-2 on the powerplay and successfully killed off their only penalty, a holding call on Marian Hossa.

In the 2nd period, Jaromir Jagr put the Rangers on the board, scoring his 4th goal of the post-season at 12:45. Brandon Dubinsky and Fedor Tyutin picked up the assists on the play.  Right after he released the puck, Jagr was flattened by Brooks Orpik and he lay on the ice for a few moments before being helped up by the trainer.  Late in the period, the Penguins had an excellent chance to even the score. Evgeni Malkin had raced in on a breakaway, but he was hauled down and drove Lundqvist and the puck into the Rangers net. A video review was inconclusive as to whether the puck went into the net before it came off from its moorings, so there was no goal allowed. However, Malkin was awarded the penalty shot. Malkin came in very slow on the 1-on-1, moving the puck back and forth before wristing a shot that Lundqvist stopped easily on the glove hand. Taking advantage of 3-powerplay opportunities, the Rangers outshot the Penguins 11-9 in the period.

In the 3rd period, the Rangers struck at 0:44 on a carryover hooking penalty from the 1st period to Petr Sykora to make it 2-0. Brandon Dubinsky scored the goal from Martin Straka and Jaromir Jagr. With a 2-goal lead, the Rangers increased their defensive stance and further frustrated the Penguins offense. At 13:32, both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby found themselves in the box for roughing after exacting retalliation on Daniel Girardi for what appeared to be a legal hit on Marian Hossa. It was at that point that Michel Therrien looked like he knew they would lose this game. The Penguins trailed by 2 through 19:46 of the period when the Rangers scored a powerplay empty net goal while Pascal Dupuis sat for high sticking and Marc-Andre Fleury rested at the bench. The game ended with pushing and shoving along the boards, but no real fight. The Penguins were outshot by the Rangers 17-12 in the final frame.

• 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, having stolen one game while in New York, will try to finish up the series again on Sunday and send the Rangers golfing. 

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Penguins Fall to Flyers, Will Face Senators in Round 1

The Pittsburgh Penguins closed out the regular season on the road today with a 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. With the loss, the Penguins ceded claim of the Eastern Conference title to the Canadiens by finishing with 102-points (47-27-8 ), 2-points behind Montreal (47-25-10). The Penguins will face an injury riddled Ottawa Senators in Round 1. Team Captain Sidney Crosby did not play in the game, apparently being rested for the playoffs as he continues to recover from a high ankle sprain. The Penguins added Gary Roberts (broken leg) and Kris Beech (broken wrist) back into the lineup after extended absences by both players due to injury.

The Penguins and Flyers played a largely lackluster game, with the exception of a few brilliant saves by both goaltenders Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Biron. The game lacked the intensity and emotion that existed in the last matchup on Wednesday night. Fleury gave up 1-goal on 21-shots, with the 2nd Flyers goal coming on the empty net. At 18:30 of the 2nd, Scott Upshall lifted the puck over Fleury to make the score 1-0. Mike Knuble and Jeff Carter were credited with the assists. The 2nd goal came at 19:07 from Mike Knuble as Fleury sat at the bench for the extra attacker. Jeff Carter got the assist on the empty netter.

The Penguins power play was fully ineffective as they failed to convert on 9 man-advantage opportunities. To their credit, they successfully killed off 5-penalties of their own. The Penguins were outshot 6-4 in the 1st and 10-8 in the 2nd, but bested the Flyers 8-6 in the final frame. With 2-minutes left in the 3rd, it appeared as if the Penguins would get a power play opportunity as Coburn hooked Evgeni Malkin and sent him to the ice. However, the referees made a questionable diving call on Malkin to make it 4-on-4 for the remainder of the game with the Penguins best player in the box.

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

The win advanced the Philadelphia Flyers into 6th place where they will take on the Southeast Division Champion Washington Capitals, as opposed to the Penguins had they lost the game. The Penguins will meet the Ottawa Senators in a reprise from last season’s Stanley Cup Playoff Quarterfinals. However, the dynamics will certainly be different this time around. First off, the Penguins have added more depth to their team from last year, and are no longer a single line team. Secondly, the team, while still very young, know better what to expect in the post-season than they did last year. Last year, most of the team was playing in their first ever playoff appearance. Third, while the Penguins have struggled with injuries all year long, they are now almost 100% healthy as the playoffs commence. For the Senators, they will be facing adversity as they play round 1 without three key forwards — captain Daniel Alfredsson, Mike Fisher and Chris Kelly. Finally, the Penguins will enter the series with the home ice advantage riding on the hot glove of Marc-Andre Fleury who finished the season 10-2-1 after coming back from an extended absence with a high ankle sprain.

The Penguins will host the Senators for the first game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs either Wednesday or Thursday this week. NHLPens.com will post a series preview in the coming days, so please be sure to check back.

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Penguins Fall to Rangers in OT, 2-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins came from behind in the 3rd period to force overtime, but gave up a powerplay goal to the New York Rangers in the extra marker to lose the game and the extra point that would have clinched the Atlantic Division title for them.  The Penguins need to get just 1-point in their remaining 2-games to lock up their first Division title in 10-years.  By earning a point in the overtime loss, the Penguins reached the 100-point mark on the season.  The Penguins now have a 2-point lead over Montreal for the Eastern Conference title, with the Canadiens having a game in-hand.   

In the 1st period, it was all New York Rangers as they outshot the somewhat listless Penguins 9-1.  The only sign of life for the Penguins in the period came at 5:22 when Ryan Malone took on Sean Avery in the game’s only fight.  Malone was never really able to get into a good fighting position, and only got in a few shots before going down to the ice after taking a blow to the head by Avery.  The Penguins failde to capitalize on a tripping call to Scott Gomez, but successfully killed off a boarding penalty to Georges Laraque. 

In the 2nd period, the Rangers got a 5-on-3 powerplay goal from Jaromir Jagr at 11:43 while Ryan Whitney (roughing) and Jeff Taffe (hooking) both sat in the box.  The goal was initially waived off as it appeared that Scott Gomez hit the puck out of mid-air and into the net with a high stick.  However, after a lengthy video review, it was determined that Rob Scuderi’s hand stopped Gomez’s stick just short of touching the puck.  The puck, still airborne above Fleury’s head from Jagr’s shot, then bounced off of Fleury’s mask and into the net for the goal.  The goal, Jagr’s 21st of the season, was assisted by Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan.  After a miserable start, the Penguins did manage to outshoot the Rangers 9-8 in the 2nd, but were 0-for-1 on the powerplay.

In the 3rd period, Penguins’ Coach Michel Therrien continued to shake the lines up and the Penguins found a way to score with a pairing of Max Talbot, Ryan Malone and Georges Laraque.  Georges Laraque made a beautiful up ice dish to Max Talbot who passed the puck to Ryan Malone for the give and go.  Malone made a nifty pass back to Talbot who shot across the grain and beat Henrik Lundqvist to tie the game at 1-1.  The goal was Talbot’s 12th of the season.  The Penguins failed to convert on 2 powerplay chances in the 3rd and killed off their only penalty as they outshot the Rangers 12-9. 

In the overtime, the Penguins’ Sergei Gonchar was assessed a penalty at 0:24 as he held Jaromir Jagr on a breakaway attempt.  The Rangers took full advantage of the powerplay and converted at 1:46 off from a screened shot by Chris Drury, his 24th goal of the season.  There were no less than 3 players in the line of sight between the Drury and Fleury, preventing him from even seeing the shot.  The goal gave the Rangers the much needed extra point to advance their standing in the Eastern Conference and bring them closer to a clinching a playoff berth.

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

The top two lines for the Penguins were held without any points tonight by the good defensive play of the Rangers.  Marc-Andre Fleury had his first loss in 8-games, and is now 9-2 since returning from the high ankle sprain that kept him out of the lineup for over 2-months. 

The Penguins host the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night before traveling to Philadelphia on Sunday for the last regular season game. 

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Penguins Tripped Up By Rangers

After playing two games in which they outscored their opponents 14-4, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost 5-2 on Tuesday night to the New York Rangers.  Penguins’ goaltender Ty Conklin gave up 5 goals on 30 shots and fell short of the performance he has routinely provided for the Penguins this season.  The red hot line of Evgeni Malkin, Petr Sykora and Ryan Malone also failed to record a point after putting up a combined 14-points in just the last 2-games.  The loss prevented the Penguins from re-taking the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference lead from the idle New Jersey Devils. 

In the 1st period, the Rangers outshot the Penguins and established a 2-0 lead on goals by Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan just 40-seconds apart.  At 11:07, Sean Avery scored his 14th goal of the season to open the scoring.  Jaromir Jagr and Michal Rozsival got the assists on the play.  Then at 11:47, Ryan Callahan beat Ty Conklin to make it 2-0.  Chris Drury and Martin Straka were credited with the assists.  The Penguins were outshot 12-8 in the first and failed to convert on the lone power play advantage of the period.

In the 2nd period, it looked as if the Penguins might rejoin the game after they scored 2 early goals to tie the game 2-2.  At 1:38, Jarkko Ruutu picked up his 3rd goal of the season as he beat Henik Lundqvist with a backhander.  Ryan Whitney and Darryl Sydor were credited with the assists.  Then at 3:11, Jordan Staal wristed a goal past Lundqvist to tie it up.  Newcomers Pascal Dupuis and Marian Hossa assisted on the tally.  But a little less than a minute later, the Rangers regained the lead on an unassisted wrister by Fredrik Sjostrom.  The Penguins outshot the Rangers 11-9 in the 2nd, despite being short-handed 2-times as Dupuis (hooking) and Staal (tripping) each sat for 2-minutes. 

In the final frame, the Rangers added 2-more goals to put the game out of reach for the Penguins.  At 5:37, Sean Avery scored his 3nd goal of the night to make it 4-2 on a feed from Daniel Girardi and Brandon Dubinsky.  Then at 11:29, Martin Straka collected his 14th of the season on a feed from Chris Drury.  The Rangers outshot the Penguins 9-5 in the 3rd as neither team was given a man-advantage. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The Penguins return home to host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday evening before hosting the New Jersey Devils on Saturday in a continuing battle for the Eastern Conference title. 

 

Malone Scores Twice as Penguins Fall 5-4 to Senators

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost a tough one to the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Saturday afternoon.  It is an afternoon that Sergei Gonchar would rather soon forget.  He would probably also like to forget the name Daniel Alfredsson.  Early in the 2nd period, Alfredsson blocked a Gonchar power-play shot and then blew past him to score a short-handed goal.  Then, late in the 2nd, Sergei Gonchar took a double minor for cross-checking Daniel Alfredsson after some chippy play.  During the ensuing 4-minutes in penalties, the Penguins gave up 2 goals.  The Gonchar penalty provided the game’s turning point by allowing the Senators to take a 5-3 lead.  Although Evgeni Malkin was able to get a goal late in the 3rd to draw within 1, the Penguins were never able to find the equalizer.

In the 1st period, the Penguins got on the board first at 8:43 as Ryan Malone tipped in an Evgeni Malkin feed.  Petr Sykora picked up the other assist.  AT 15:11, the Senators evened it up as Antoine Vermett tipped in a shot past Ty Conklin.  Wade Redden and Cory Stillman were credietd with the assists on the play.  Then, a minute later, Ryan Malone turned over the puck in the Penguins zone which led to a Daniel Alfredsson goal to make it 2-1.  Anton Volchenkov was credited with the lone assist.  However, with just 12 seconds left in the period and the Penguins on a power play, Petr Sykora roofed a shot over Martin Gerber to tie it back up at 2.  The Penguins were outshot 13-8 in the 1st, and were 1-for-1 on the man advantage. 

In the 2nd, the Senators got on the board first at 1:30 as Daniel Alfredsson blocked a Sergei Gonchar shot and then took the puck in and beat Ty Conklin short-handed.  But the Penguins would battle back to score a goal of their own about a minute later as Ryan Malone picked up a rebound and threw it behind Martin Gerber for his second of the night.  Alex Goligoski and Evgeni Malkin were credited with the assists.  Then at 13:40, Sergei Gonchar was assessed the double-minor for cross-checking Daniel Alfredsson.  The Senators took full advantage of the opportunity with 2 quick power play goals.  The first came from Martin Lapointe at 14:40.  Ty Conklin made the save, but the rebound deflected off from Darryl Sydor’s skate and into the net.  Then at 16:12, Dany Heatley rocketed one past Ty Conklin to make it 5-3.  The Penguins were outshot 11-9 in the 2nd and were 0-for-4 on the power play.  They gave up 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. 

In the 3rd, the Penguins doubled up the Senators by outshooting them 12-6, but it was enough to even the score.  At 14:06, Evgeni Malkin stripped Jason Spezza of the puck and skated it the length of the rink to blast it by Martin Gerber for an unassisted goal that made it 5-4.  The goal was Malkin’s 37th of the season and 3rd point (1G, 2A) of the night to extend his lead in the NHL scoring race.  The Penguins managed to kill off their only penalty in the 3rd.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• 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 Penguins return to Pittsburgh for a 3PM matinee against the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday. 

Hossa Injured in Debut as Penguins Lose to Bruins 5-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost a road game to the surging Boston Bruins on Thursday night 5-1.   Goaltender Ty Conklin gave up 3-goals on just 13-shots before being replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury at 2:21 of the 2nd period.  Fleury, who made several good stops went on to save 16-of-18 shots thrown at him.  New acquisitions Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis and Hal Gill all played, but Hossa left the ice in the 2nd period after a knee-on-knee collision with Glen Murray and did not return.  Initial reports indicate that Hossa’s injury will keep him out of the lineup about a week. 

Boston’s Marco Sturm scored the first 2-goals of the game and picked up his 200th NHL goal.  Zdeno Chara, P.J. Axelsson and David Krejci also scored for Boston, which has back-to-back victories over two of the top three teams in the East.  Ty Conklin gave up 3-goals on 13-shots after posting a career high 50-saves against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.  Marc-Andre Fleury was called in relief, making it the first game he has played for the Penguins since leaving the ice on December 6 with the high ankle sprain.  The lone goal for the Penguins came late in the 3rd period from newcomer Pascal Dupuis.  Jeff Taffe and Tyler Kennedy were credited with the assists.   

Marian Hossa had completed just 13-shifts when the injury occurred.  “It was an accidental hit, knee-on-knee,” said Hossa, who could miss about a week. “This is disappointing. I was trying to get comfortable with my linemates. But injuries happen, and this is the tough luck of the business we’re in.”

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

The regulation loss was the first for the Penguins in 7-games.  They completed February with an impressive 8-3-3 record and recorded 19-of-28 possible points (67.9%), much better than expected with Captain Sidney Crosby out of the lineup.  The surge can be largely credited to the play of Evgeni Malkin and Ty Conklin.  Although Malkin only scored points in 1 of his last 4 games, he scored 26-points (9G, 17A) in the 14-games during the month of February to take over the NHL scoring lead.  Ty Conklin went 6-2-3 in February and his 0.930 save percentage leads the league. 

The Penguins travel to Ottawa next for a matinee against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon, and then back to Pittsburgh for a Sunday matinee against the Atlanta Thrashers. 

   

Penguins Battle Hard, But Lose to Senators in OT

The Pittsburgh Penguins missed an opportunity to move into 1st place in the Eastern Conference as they lost to the Ottawa Senators with just 3.2-seconds left in ovetime on Saturday afternoon.  Despite outshooting the Senators 17-8 in the 1st period and building a 3-0 lead through the fist half of the game, the Penguins played a little sloppy late in the 2nd and allowed the Senators to battle back and pick up 2 goals and then one early in the 3rd to send it to overtime.  It looked like the game was destined for a shootout when Daniel Alfredsson scored the game winner with just seconds left on the clock to make it 4-3.  Red hot Evgeni Malkin played like a beast, but failed to put up any points, ending his 10-game points streak.  Despite the loss, the Penguins played a very strong game.

In the 1st period, the Penguins came out and man-handled the Senators with the help of 4-power play opportunities.  Petr Sykora cashed in on the first opportunity just 1:47 into the game.  He was assisted by Ryan Whitney and Ryan Malone.  The goal was Petr Sykora’s 20th of the season, marking the 8th time in his career to reach the 20-goal plateau.  The Penguins were unable to notch another power-play goal in the first, despite some fabulous opportunities.  The Penguins managed to stay out of the penalty box.

In the 2nd, it looked like it was going to be all Penguins as they continued to dominate through the 1st half of the period.  At 4:09, Colby Armstrong came down the right wing and blew a shot to the top of the net above Ray Emery to make it 2-0 on his 9th goal of the season.  Max Talbot and Rob Scuderi were credited with the assists.  Then at 10:20, it was Jeff Taffe who gathered some trash to the right side of a flailing Emery and lifted it into the net.  The goal, Taffe’s 3rd, was assisted by Jordan Staal and Darryl Sydor.  But at 12:47, a misplay by Ty Conklin led to a Cory Stillman goal that put the Senators on the scoreboard and ignited some fire in the lifeless team.  Chris Kelly and Antoine Vermette picked up the assists.  Less than 5-minutes later, the Senators scored again as Dany Heatley picked up his 29th of the season with assists by Cory Stillman and Wayne Redden.  The Senators ended up outshooting the Penguins 11-7 in the 2nd, despite being short-handed twice.  The Penguins were 0-for-2 on the power play and again managed to stay out of the penalty box. 

In the 3rd, it was Dany Heatley again, notching his 30th goal at 6:09 from Randy Robitaille and Jason Spezza to tie it at 3-apiece.  It was the last goal to be scored in regulation as both teams put 7-shots on the board.  The Penguins killed off their only penalty and had no more power play opportunities.  Through 3-periods, Evgeni Malkin had 7-shots on goal but was unable to put one home. 

The Penguins had more opportunities in the overtime frame, missing on 4-shots, including one by Ryan Malone that hit both the left and right goal posts but failed to go in.  Malone, who thought he had scored raised his hands in jubilation, but it wasn’t meant to be.  Play continued as the clock ticked down to 3.2 seconds when Daniel Alfredsson managed to put a backhander past Conklin for the win.  Andrej Meszaros was credited with the assist. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Locker Room Interviews w/Ryan Malone, Colby Armstrong, Ty Conklin
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline Show
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The Penguins picked up 1-point in the standings, to fall 2-points behind the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference race.  The New Jersey Devils won their game this afternoon against the New York Islanders, to put them 1-point ahead of the Penguions in the Atlantic Division.  Early in the 2nd, the Montreal Canadiens were losing 2-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Penguins have an opportunity to bounce back on Sunday as they host the San Jose Sharks in another 3PM matinee game. 

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