Winter Classic Postponed and More

Game moved to 8:00 PM Saturday

After a week of denial, the NHL has finally come to the realization that monsoon-like downpours and outdoor hockey just don't mix. So instead of starting at it's original time at 1 the game will be postponed until 8:00 in hopes of avoiding the rain. The latest forecasts call for a steady rain throughout the day tapering off late-afternoon so hopefully we will be high and dry by the time 8:00 rolls around. So here's the updated schedule:

Parking lots at Heinz Field open at 2:30
Spectator Plaza at Heinz opens at 3
Gates open at 5:30
Pregame festivities start around 7:30
Hopefully they can get the puck dropped by 8.

In the event that they cannot then they will postpone the game to Sunday at noon. There is also a whole list of strange scenarios involving in-game delays and calling the game. Basically, if the game is past 2 periods and conditions worsen, whoever is winning at the time will be the winner. If they are tied, then the winner will be decided by a shootout to be held Feb 6 at Verizon Center before the game between the 2. (whatever the rules for that involving players I am uncertain of at the time but I am certain that there will be riots in Pittsburgh if 65k people shelled out hundreds of dollars a ticket to see an unfinished game.)

But if things go as planned it will be the first ever Winter Classic to be held at night. It is already the first ever NHL game to be rain delayed. The TV ratings in the US will skyrocket because it no-longer needs to compete with the likes of Penn St-Florida or the Rose Bowl. The only football game on at the time is Oklahoma-UConn which probably wouldn't have drawn ratings anyway. But people in certain markets of Canada are out of luck because it looks like CBC will be showing Ottawa-Toronto instead.

Heinz Field will look awesome tomorrow night. Here's a pic taken by Pierre Lebrun.
Staal Game Time Decision

Jordan Staal may be making his highly anticipated return on hockey's biggest stage in prime-time. Or maybe he won't. The only one who can answer this question is Dan Bylsma, who has declared Staal a GTD. The final x-rays looked clear and Staal participated in practice at Heinz Field today so it all depends on how comfortable Disco is with starting him. Dan also said that the weather would not be a factor in his decision. Staal actually lost the shootout in practice today, but rather than having to sport a mustache his punishment was to run up Heinz Field and touch the sign marking section 527 (about as far as anyone can possibly be away from the field). I'm sure HBO will have the whole story on that next week.

Alumni Game

Yep, it ended in a tie. 5-5 was the score. Mario didn't score but he had a few assists. It seemed like nobody was really trying that hard to win and they all just seemed content to be able to skate on the Heinz ice before the actual teams did. I heard a few fan complaints about the game. The puck dropped before everyone had a chance to get in and there was no television coverage of the event. The only way to watch was a small box streaming on NHL.com and the Pens site. But all in all it was a good time and a way to make the old-timers more involved in the sport again.

Pens Practice

Here's a few photos (I didn't take them) of Pens practice today.

Sid stepping on the ice

Dupuis sporting a Steelers helmet to support the boys that usually call the field home.

And the group photo.

The players weren't exactly thrilled with the condition of the ice but the general consensus was that it was better than they expected and (assuming the rain doesn't cause total havoc) shouldn't be too much of an impediment to the game.

So get ready because we are (hopefully) only hours away.

Let's Go Pens!

Whole Bunch of Stuff

Just going to shorten and combine everything into 1 post.

Hershey 1, WBS 0
Really not a whole lot to say. CEC hospitality was great. The 13,000 + fans that showed up were great (except for the Hershey ones obviously). The first game (RIT 4, RMU 3) was quite interesting.

But the game itself was a poor showing by a tired Pens team. Theissen did his best to hold the fort and the one goal he did allow was somewhat of a strange bounce. The Pens were absolutely dead tonight. The number of true quality scoring opportunities was so few that I can probably count them on 1 finger. Tangradi looked awful. Jeffrey and Johnson were playing hard but made too many mistakes. Some guys like Lerg, Sterling, and Craig were working hard but couldn't get any opportunities. Defense was average.

But this game wasn't nearly as important as the next one is to WBS. Norfolk on Saturday should be quite a classic of its own, especially considering the way the last one ended.

Alumni Game
I actually don't see a scrimmage between a bunch of old timers as that big of a deal, but since tickets sold out in .00005 seconds apparently a lot of people do.

Here's a quote from PPG about the rosters:

"Penguins Hall of Fame center and owner Mario Lemieux headlines the home team.

The rest of the Penguins old-timers are: Hockey Hall of Famers Paul Coffey, Ron Francis, Larry Murphy and Bryan Trottier, plus Rod Buskas, Gary Roberts, Greg Malone, Bob Errey, Bill Guerin, Jay Caufield, Craig Simpson, Francois Leroux, Gary Rissling, Troy Loney, Kevin Stevens, Gilles Meloche, Phil Bourque, Dave Hannan, Peter Taglianetti, Warren Young, Frank Pietrangelo, Rob Brown and Rick Tocchet. The coaches will be Eddie Johnston, Randy Hillier and Pierre Larouche. The honorary general manager is Jack Riley, the Penguins' original GM.

Peter Bondra, a 500-goal scorer, leads the Caps' alumni roster, which also includes Dino Ciccarelli, Michal Pivonka, Sylvain Cote, Don Beaupre, Pat Ribble, Ken Sabourin, Yvon Labre, Mark Lofthouse, Nick Kypreos, Alan Hanglesben, Dean Evason, Errol Rausse, Alan May, Craig Laughlin, John Druce, Dennis Maruk, Greg Adams, Blair Stewart, Gord Lane, Robert Picard, Paul Mulvey and J.R. Reich. The coaches will be Granny Grant, Joe Reekie and Bucky Gallagher."

Pens old-timers should win by at least 5.

WC Weather:
Still high forties but now updated to an 80% chance of an all-day rain. Sunday looks all clear. Worst case scenario the game gets postponed to nighttime or Sunday.

Heinz Field

Looks great. They should play hockey here more often.

Let's Go Pens

Game 39: Islanders 2, Pens 1 SO (short version)

Ok, its late, I have to get some sleep soon, and to be honest...this game was so painstakingly boring that it doesn't even deserve a full recap post.

Yea, so the Pens lost to the Islanders. Isles were in full blown trap mode and the Pens just weren't willing to compromise their gameplan to compensate. If we weren't already halfway to Heinz Field the Pens would have easily won this game by 3 or 4. But have to give credit where credit is due. DiPietro was solid, Josh Bailey was in beast mode, and the trap worked (as it usually does against the Pens). Bailey had the goal for the Isles and Schremp, Nielsen, and Parenteau scored in the shootout.

Fleury was good during the game but fell apart in the shootout. Buzz line was buzzing. Conner got the goal. Tyler Kennedy looked like he was having a good game, but then missed a WIDE OPEN (and I'm not kidding, DiPietro wasn't even in front of it) net to give the Pens a 2-1 lead late. Sid's streak is done at 25. I'm happy for him, it was really an incredible thing to watch, but in a strange way I'm kind of glad its over.

Pens tried too many times to force plays to Sid that just weren't there. It was a distraction to the team's overall focus as a whole, and it looked at times like they weren't trying to score unless Sid was out there for the point. Let's face it, even the best has to eventually have an off night and the team just can't stand there and keep feeding him when there are clearly better options available. So it's time for 87 to shave the mustache and start fresh on tearing through the league starting on the NHL's biggest stage of the year.

And...apparently the Islanders also won the cup tonight.
Strange, must have missed that memo...

But on a good note...

WBS beat the stuffing out of Syracuse 5-0 in a final tune-up for their CEC showdown with Hershey tomorrow. Nick Johnson had a hat trick and Ryan Craig and Bryan Lerg also scored. Theiss in the crease with 23 saves and a shutout. I just hope he's not burnt out because he will have to go again tomorrow because Curry is still up with PIT. Apparently the word is that the Caps also sent Gordon and Aucoin back down to the Bears for this game. (and all they need to do to rejoin the big club is cross the river so I'm sure they won't miss any time) Shows how much Hershey wants this one. Bring it.

Puck drops tomorrow at CEC around 7 after the RMU-RIT game.

Let's Go Pens!

Game 38: Pens 6, Thrashers 3

Sid being Sid!

PENS LINEUP

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Cooke-Malkin-Talbot
Kennedy-Letestu-Conner
Rupp-Adams-Asham
Orpik-Letang
Martin-Michalek
Goligoski-Lovejoy
Fleury

THRASHERS LINEUP

Ladd-Peverley-Stewart
Kane-Burmistrov-Little
Eager-Cormier-Modin
Boulton-Slater-Thorburn
Byfuglein-Enstrom
Oduya-Bogosian
Sopel-Hainsey
Pavelec

SCORING
Penguins- 6
-Sidney Crosby (Letang) 1-10:34
-Sidney Crosby (Goligoski) 1-18:34
-Craig Adams (Cooke) 2-11:38
-Chris Kunitz (Crosby, Dupuis) 3-0:09
-Mark Letestu (unassisted) 3-13:00
-Matt Cooke (Crosby, Michalek) 3-16:16
Thrashers- 3
-Evander Kane (Little, Burmistrov) 1-0:47
-Dustin Byfuglein (Enstrom, Little) 1-15:18
-Eric Boulton (Slater, Thorburn) 1-16:51

FIGHTS

(none)

GOALTENDING
Pens- Fleury
W- Fleury (31-34)
Thrashers- Pavelec
L- Pavelec (30-36)

POWERPLAYS

Pens- 1/3 (4:24)
Thrashers- 1/8 (13:20)

1st Period
-Right off the bat, major malfunction in the Pens defense. Little and Burmistrov rush up the ice, plow right through the D, and then find Evander Kane wide open in the back door. Don't know how Kane slipped through undetected, but either way its 1-0 47 seconds in.
-Pens get a powerplay. Nothing cooking except a legitimate shorthanded attempt by Atlanta.
-Pens spend the next 5-7 minutes constantly forcing passes that just aren't there. About 5 long head man home run attempts that end up as turnovers.
-Chris Kunitz finally breaks through the Thrashers D midway through the period. He is hooked from behind but somehow manages to get the shot off. Pavelec stops the shot, but the Pens are awarded a powerplay.
-Few seconds later the Pens get to work. Great keep in by Letang and he dishes it to a wide open Crosby who had half the cage to shoot at. 1-1. Streak at 25.
-Fleury with 2 incredible saves in a matter of a minute. First one on Slater, and then again on Little.
-Thrashers powerplay (common theme of the night). After some average PK work by the Pens, Enstrom dishes it across to a wide open Dustin Byfuglien who blasts it 150000 mph into the back of the cage. 2-1 ATL.
-Pens respond by taking another penalty (Goligoski hooking) but they kill it off nicely.
-After coming out of the box, the puck comes to Goligoski and he dishes it up ice for Sid. Crosby splits the 2 defenders, regains his footing, and buries it. 2-2

Notes: Pens are lucky to be tied after 1. If Sid wasn't there to bail them out after all that penalty trouble than this one may have taken a totally different turn early. Thrashers came to play hockey, and some locker room adjustments were needed.

2nd Period
-Much better looking start for the Pens.
-Peverley with a good opportunity 5 minutes in but Fleury was there to deny it.
-Malkin with a great chance to score a short while later but just missed the net.
-Pens dominating the shots 9-1 through the midway point of the period.
-Tyler Kennedy with a golden opportunity to score (especially considering he was playing with 87 and 71) but he whiffs.
-More penalty trouble for the Pens, but they respond in a big way. Matt Cooke works the puck away from his man behind the net and places it in front for a charging Craig Adams to put it home. Great work by both! 3-2 Pens.
-Paul Martin with a backhand chance that barely catches Pavelec's pads. It would have given Pittsburgh a 2 goal lead with 3 minutes to go in the 2nd.

Notes: Much better. It was clearly visible that the Pens were wearing down the Thrashers as the period went on and they managed to capitalize on a great opportunity to seize the game. These penalties are still a cause for concern.

3rd Period

-Pens waste no time putting this one on ice. Sid takes the opening faceoff right down the right side and backhand flicks it right to the stick of Kunitz. Bingo. 4-2 in just 9 seconds.

-But that doesn't mean the penalty woes are over. Pens stuck killing an extended 5 on 3. Max Talbot takes control of the first shift, and then Adams and Cooke take care of the 2nd. Penalty killed.

-Malkin with a breakaway to make it 5 but he is unable to get a good shot off. Hainsey takes out his own net to avoid any rebound. No call.

-Arron Asham checks Evander Kane on the side boards. Kane comes up slowly and hobbles off the ice. Absolutely nothing wrong with this hit by Asham. Must have just been a fluky injury.

-Cooke in the box again shortly after (3rd time of the night). Thrashers get some shots but nothing even close to beating Fleury.

-Burmistrov struggles to take a drop pass from a teammate and Letestu pounces all over him. Letestu actually muscles Burmistrov out of the way before regaining his footing, patiently juking out Pavelec, and stuffing the puck into the net. 5-2.

-And the fun continues a few minutes later. Crosby takes a long shot that deflects off the stick of Cooke before beating Pavelec. Fans throw hats because they thought it was Sid's. But he still got 4 points. 6-2.

-Eric Boulton scores a late goal for the Thrashers but by that point nobody cared.

-Pens Win 6-3.

Notes: The Kunitz goal took absolutely all the air out of the Thrashers and pretty much destroyed any hopes they had of a comeback. Plus, the Pens were clearly the better conditioned team in the 3rd.

Final Thoughts and Notes:

-Matt Cooke played a hell of a game, but something needs to be done about those 3 penalties.

-Craig Adams and Max Talbot were the unheralded MVPs.

-Zbynek Michalek is a brick wall.

-Letang was doing what he does best and that's make plays.

-Byfuglien really only had 1 or 2 quality chances, so the Pens did a pretty good job limiting him.

-Kennedy needs to play smarter. Shoot if you have the shot.

-Goligoski needs to learn defense.

-Individual members (well actually just 10 and 18) of the buzz line did well but the line as a whole just didn't seem to be clicking tonight.

GRADES:

Line 1: A

Line 2: A-

Line 3: B-

Line 4: A-

D1: B

D2: B+

D3: B-

Fleury: B

Powerplay: A-

Penalty Kill: A

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT:

"I don't need to say any secrets, he's the best..."

-ATL goalie Ondrej Pavelec about 87

GAME CHANGING PLAY:

-Atlanta may be leading the league in 3rd period comebacks but they were completely sunk by Kunitz's early put-away goal at the 9 second mark.

My 3 Stars:

1. Sidney Crosby

2. Matt Cooke

3. Craig Adams

Penguins Gameday #38 (Thrashers)

Penguins (24-11-2, 50 pts)

Thrashers (19-13-6, 44 pts)

Where: Consol Energy Center

When: 7:00 ET

TV: FSNPIT

Both teams come into this game looking to get back on track after tough Sunday losses. The Pens have had success against the Thrash so far this season, but these are not the Thrashers of last year. These guys can beat any team on any given night and are right up there with Tampa and the Caps for the division.

Players to Watch:

Dustin Byfuglien: Only slightly smaller than an average U-Haul truck, one of the hardest slapshots in the league, and deceptively quick. You don't want this guy anywhere near you or the puck.

Alex Burmistrov: One of the most impressive rookies of the year in my book. He has all-star written all over his future, but for now he is a solid 2nd/3rd line scoring threat.

Niclas Bergfors: This guy just has a knack of playing well against Pittsburgh. But he has been doing pretty well against everyone this year with 7 goals and 11 helpers.

THRASHERS STATS:

Win %: .579 (16th)
PP%: 21.0% (8th)
PK%: 80.3% (22nd)
GF/G: 3.13 (7th)
GA/G: 2.82 (18th)
Differential: +12
Faceoffs: 50.2% (15th)
-Thrashers 2nd worst when scoring 1st (only at .500) but lead the league in comebacks after giving up the first goal (also .500).
-The Thrashers have blown 4 2nd intermission leads, but have come back 4 times when trailing through the 1st 2 frames.
-Atlanta is tied with PIT and PHI for the 2nd in shorthanded goals with 6.
-Thrashers lead the league in recorded blocked shots. (634)

KEYS TO VICTORY:

-Don't let Buff get the puck
-60 minutes
-Establish a zone presence and behind the net.

Notes:

-Still no word on any improvements to Asham's status so it looks like Godard again.
-Curry again will be the backup for MAF.

Final Thoughts:

Take a look at this promotion the Thrash are having for their post-holiday home games.

I got such a kick out of this when I saw it (not to mention the Caps shirt). But it's for a good cause.

4 points before the Classic would be nice. Get the first 2 tonight. Lets Go Pens

TiGO's Top 5 Songs of 2010

Here are my top 5 songs of 2010.

#5 Tame Impala - Solitude Is Bliss

Psych rock done right. I'm a sucker for lyrics and "you will never come close to how I feel" is perfect.

#4 Kanye West - Monster (feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj)


I am not the biggest hip hop fan in the world but again, it's all about lyrics for me. "I crossed the line and I'll let God decide" just may be the best rap lyric ever.

#3 The Dead Weather - Blue Blood Blues

I am Jack White fan. From The White Stripes to The Raconteurs to The Dead Weather, I enjoyed it all. This song about leaving never sound so true.

#2 Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill

Originally called Ring Ring, Rill Rill is just a bop your head and jam tune. Is it about awkward realizations about growing up? Are there sexual lesbian innuendos? Who cares. See you on the moon then.

#1 Free Energy - Bang Pop

The best song of the year is some bubblegum pop/rock. This was a great album too but Bang Pop stuck out like a sore thumb. Bang Bang Pop Pop.

2011 Bridgestone Summer Classic

Well, here is what the weather channel is predicting for Saturday's Classic.

The warm temps actually aren't a problem because of the ice cooling system they have installed, but rain can be very, very bad. It causes uneven levels in the ice and then it becomes unsafe for the players to play (not to mention the potential for lightning).

It's probably too early to tell if this will actually happen. These guys are sometimes wrong the night before, so who's to say we should believe them a week in advance. Plus, the NHL doesn't want their premiere event of the year to be cancelled so you can bet they'll pull out all the stops to get the show on the road.

But...if it has to happen the make-up date would be the day after (Jan 2). But the weather for that day looks even worse so if they can't play it the day after they have to refund everyone for their tickets and move the game to Consol Energy Center on a later date.

This weather scare has happened every year since the WC was started in '08 and every year they have played the game. Plus, I thought it always snows in Pittsburgh. Has there ever been a December Steelers game without even a flurry? This forcast will change, but hopefully for the better.

But in the meantime the Pens still have to take care of business for 2 more games. Thrashers Tuesday, Isles Wednesday. Let's Go Pens.

AHL Game 32: WBS 5, Albany 4 SO

Back and Forth.In a game of ever changing momentum, sometimes it is the unlikely heroes that step up to the plate. Tonight, those heroes were Bryan Lerg and Chris Collins. Lerg had 2 goals and Collins had one of his own to lead the Pens to a 4-4 tie which they would break with a shootout victory.

After Nick Palmieri got a rare 1st goal vs WBS, it was a familiar hero who was there to tie it up. Eric Tangradi pushed the puck past Devils netminder Jeff Frazee to tie the game up at 1 and pick up his 13th of the season. But Albany responded 3 minutes later with a Rob Davidson shot that beat Theissen. But...Bryan Lerg responded 1 1/2 minutes after that with a goal of his own to tie the game back up at 2. Lots of momentum shifts and lead changes makes for an interesting period, and the 2nd would be more of the same.

Chris Collins struck first for the Pens at 5:18, but of course Albany responded a few minutes later with a Michael Swift powerplay goal. Lerg notched his 2nd of the game less than a minute later to put the Pens up 4-3, and then the goalies took over for a while. WBS registered 15 shots in the 2nd and Albany got 13 so it would be an understatement to say that Theissen and Frazee got a bit of a workout.

Things calmed down a bit in the 3rd, but Albany still managed to tie it up when Dan Kelly scored his first goal of the year. Overtime was full of Pens' opportunites, but they just could not cash in during the short 5 minutes span. A shootout would be necessary.

Dustin Jeffrey was unable to cash in for the Pens, but then the flood gates opened when Nick Johnson, Kevin Veilleux, and finally Brett Sterling were able to beat Frazee and clinch the win for the Pens. Theissen was perfect on the other end.

WBS can take the week off (although they might need it to travel in the snow) before they hit the Consol Energy Center on Thursday to take on their hated rivals from Hershey. If you are a serious fan here in WBS, you may probably already be going to this game. If you are from Pittsburgh and don't know much about WBS, you should really consider it because these games are always entertaining. Plus, it will be sort of a JV game to the Winter Classic featuring the Pens and Caps AHL affiliates. Let's Go Pens!

Game 37: Senators 3, Pens 1

Holiday Hangover

PENS LINEUP

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Cooke-Malkin-Talbot
Conner-Letestu-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Godard
Orpik-Letang
Martin-Michalek
Goligoski-Engelland
Fleury

SENATORS LINEUP

Michalek-Spezza-Shannon
Foligno-Fisher-Alfredsson
Ruutu-Kelly-Neil
Regin-Winchester-Kovalev
Phillips-Karlsson
Kuba-Carkner
Campoli-Gonchar
Elliott

SCORING
Senators- 3
-Mike Fisher (Karlsson, Gonchar) 1-9:14
-Erik Karlsson (Kelly, Spezza) 1-13:42
-Erik Karlsson (Spezza) 2-0:20
Penguins- 1
-Sidney Crosby (Cooke, Kunitz) 3-16:38

FIGHTS
Godard vs Carkner (1-2:07)
-Carkner dominated early and looked like he caught Godard with one huge right but Godard rebounded and landed a few rights of his own before getting Carkner to the ground. Godard appeared to have gotten hurt.
Engelland vs Foligno (2-6:01)
-They actually didn't even get fighting majors for it because Foligno's teammates jumped in before Engelland could even get started on him. Don't even know what Foligno was thinking in engaging in the 1st place.

GOALTENDING
Senators- Elliott
W- Elliott (44-45)
Pens- Fleury
L- Fleury (21-24)

POWERPLAYS
Pens- 0/4 (5:12)
Senators- 2/4 (2:53)

1st Period
-Godard and Carkner go at it right off the bat after a bit of a chippy first few minutes.
-Buzz line comes out for a solid shift 4 minutes in but can't generate any scoring chances.
-Sid whistled for hooking at 8:13. Sens PP
-Sens strike first. Erik Karlsson shoots one that bounces off the stick of Paul Martin and then the body of Mike Fisher before going in. Puck rose after it hit 7 but went straight back down off of Fisher. Fleury had no chance. 1-0
-Chris Phillips smothering Crosby all period so far.
-Delayed penalty against the Pens' Line 1. All five Penguins (87-14-9-44-58) looked like they were tripping over each other trying to hold their assignments and Karlsson cashes in with the 6 on 5 advantage. 2-0
-Bylsma shifting the lines. Malkin out with Conner and Letestu.
-Kunitz takes a late charging penalty with 20 seconds left in the period. It was a horrible call, in fact, because Kunitz was gliding long before he made contact with his man. Sens PP carries over.

Notes: Pens were not ready for this one at all. Sens had the extra step on them all period long. Easy to see how this transfers to the 2 Ottawa goals, as the penalty killers were just outworked by the passing of the Sens. Pens only got 6 shots all period long and none of them were quality. Why? Don't know for sure but a possible explanation is that it's hard to play a road game the day after a holiday because of a different travel and practice schedule. Nonetheless, no excuse for the sloppy play.

2nd Period
-Right off the bat the Sens strike again. Karlsson shoots a slapshot right through the screen and past Fleury, who wasn't expecting it. 3-0
-Crosby line comes out looking desperate. Solid shift and the momentum starts to shift the Pens way.
-Letang and Spezza battle on the boards. Spezza loses his balance and hits the boards awkwardly. Ottawa jumps all over Letang. Spezza leaves the game holding his wrist. Letang sent to the box (they penalized the result not the hit) and so is Shannon for jumping him. 4 on 4.
-Scrum. Engelland and Foligno come out of it engaged with each other. Sens panic (Foligno is nowhere near a fighter of Engo's caliber) and jump in to protect him. 3rd man in called on Phillips. Pens get PP but look awful.
-Godard (don't even know how he managed to get back on ice) wants a rematch with Carkner midway through the 2nd. Carkner wants no part of it. Godard slapped with 10 min misconduct.
-2 headed monster out at the 11 minute mark. Probably the best shift of the night and the Pens come close to scoring when Crosby hit the post but no dice.
-Ruutu starting trouble and going after Letang. Pens PP.
-Sens get shorthanded 2 v 1 rush. Crosby defends his man well, but then he dives and Sid is sent to the box.
-4 on 4. With 14 seconds left in the period Malkin steals the puck in the offensive zone. Elliott stops the original shot and then Kennedy's rebound attempt for his 22nd save of the period.

Notes: Apart from that first PK, the Pens really controlled this period. They dominated the possession and shots (22-6) but couldn't generate the type of quality shots needed to beat Elliott. Malkin/Kennedy's last chance and an earlier opportunity by Craig Adams were the only real quality opportunities and you need more than that to beat a goalie having a hot night. Also the game really started to get nasty in the 2nd. Pens like to play physical hockey, but not nasty. Chris Neil and Jarkko Ruutu's dirty play didn't allow the Pens to build much momentum after they had a good shift.

3rd Period
-Buzz line 3 once again clocks in a solid shift early in the period.
-Bylsma again toying with the lines. He had Crosby and Malkin out there with Rupp. I don't know if he did it to protect his superstars so they could generate offense or just being cautious of a hostile game but it was certainly an interesting move.
-Foligno gets past Orpik and Letang at the 9:30 mark and it's off to the races. Orpik gets him from behind (penalty shot) but he still gets the shot off. Fleury bobbles it and it trickles on the goal line before Orpik scoops it out. Replay was incredibly close and even the highest level of zoom still couldn't generate conclusive proof either way so it was called no goal. Personally, I thought it was a goal but I'm not complaining.
-On the penalty shot itself, Foligno put a good deke on Fleury but Flower recovered in time to stuff his backhand. SAVE.
-Pens unable to capitalize on the momentum yet again and things get ugly.
-Ruutu takes a run at Talbot. Neil and Cooke get into shoving match. Only Ruutu and Cooke are sent off.
-At this point (7 min to go) it looks like the Pens have abandoned all hope of a comeback and are simply trying to set up Sid for the streak. No hustle by any other line or the defense.
-Sid finally breaks through on a fluky shot that deflects off Carkner before trickling behind Elliott. 3-1 and all of a sudden the Pens have life.
-Fisher called for tripping 7 seconds after the Crosby goal and the Pens go to work on a 6 v 4 powerplay.
-Pens generate many shots in the final 3 minutes but simply cannot beat Elliott. PENS LOSE 3-1.

Notes: Again, the Pens picked up the effort but just couldn't get their game going the way they like to. Bylsma shuffled the lines quite a bit and the entire motif of the period shifted to extending Sid's point streak. Once that was accomplished, the Pens put in a mad effort to score the other 2 but it was too little too late.

Final Thoughts and Notes:

-I always tell myself that the Pens have many more dimensions than Crosby, but tonight the Pens were flat when Crosby was flat and the team picked up when Crosby picked up. That is dangerously similar to OV and the Caps, but hopefully it was just a 1 night thing.
-The Pens should recall Jeffrey again if Asham can't play because Godard is not getting the job done. He is on the team solely for the purpose of fighting (and Engelland has clearly surpassed him in that category) and if he is going to take stupid penalties than he is just dead weight.
-3rd line continues to generate energy.
-Kunitz, Dupuis, Talbot, and Cooke were silent. (except for the post-whistle scrums)
-Goligoski needs to work on his defense. He looks confused out there sometimes.
-I'm going to bring back the old "flip the switch" metaphor. The Pens just couldn't flip it in time tonight.

GRADES:

Line 1: B-
Line 2: C
Line 3: A-
Line 4: C+
D1: C+
D2: B+
D3: C-
Fleury: B
Powerplay: C+
Penalty Kill: C-

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT:
"It's just a matter of how we're going to play the game and our mentality going in and in the first we didn't look to execute too much"
-Dan Bylsma

Game Changing Play:
-That bogus boarding call on Kunitz eventually lead to the Sens 3rd goal. Not making excuses for a poor PK, but still that was a huge moment in the game.

My 3 Stars:
1. Brian Elliott
2. Erik Karlsson
3. Sidney Crosby

Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!, PIT vs. CAR (Week #16)

Merry Christmas From TiGO

Merry Christmas from everyone at This is Getting Old. Let's Go Pens!

Penguins Gameday #36 (Caps)

Penguins (23-10-2, 48 pts)

Capitals (10-12-4, 44 pts)

Where: Verizon Center

When: 7:00

TV: FSN

On paper, this game is worth 2 points. But the pride, hype, and the fact that essentially an entire HBO episode will be dedicated to this game takes this matchup to the next level. Pens are coming off a dominant win but they do have to travel. Caps had the day off. Get ready, because this is gonna be a wild one.

Opponents to Watch:

Alex Ovechkin: Self-explanatory. Don't let him get his feet set on the powerplay and keep an eye on him when he brings the puck up the ice from the D-Zone.

John Carlson: Working his way into the spot of being Washington's best D-Man, and the two-way skills set he offers is probably more dangerous than Green.

Nicklas Backstrom: Don't let him pass to OV. Don't let OV pass to him.

CAPS STATS:

Win %: .611 (8th)
Powerplay: 20.0% (10th)
Penalty Kill: 83.3% (10th)
Goals For: 107 (7th)
Goals Against: 98 (19th)
Differential: +9
Faceoffs: 52.0% (5th)

-Caps have only lost 1 OT game when leading after 2, but have only come back twice when losing after 2.
-Washington, like Pittsburgh, does the majority of their scoring in the 2nd period.
-Both Washington and Pittsburgh lead the league at 9-2 in winning games in which they were outshot.

KEYS TO VICTORY:

-Shut down the 2 Alexs
-Goaltending
-Establish a solid physical presence without getting nasty.

NOTES:

-Dustin Jeffrey has been recalled from WBS, probably to replace Asham.

-Don't know what the situation is for Johnson. If he cannot back up Fleury, the Pens may need to fly in a WBS goalie. The only problem is that both Curry (Minnesota) and Theissen (Canada) will be quite far away on a holiday break so they should move fast.

-Caps look healthy

As if anybody needed extra motivation...

be careful what you wish for Caps fans...

Now go show these muppets up in their own barn. Let's Go Pens!

Game 35: Pens 5, Panthers 2

Trap Game? Not today.

PENS LINEUP
Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Cooke-Malkin-Talbot
Kennedy-Letestu-Conner
Adams-Rupp-Asham
Letang-Orpik
Martin-Michalek
Goligoski-Lovejoy
Johnson (Fleury)

PANTHERS LINEUP
Booth-Santorelli-Bernier
Reinprecht-Weiss-Frolik
Higgins-Reasoner-Dadonov
Matthias-Thomas-Hordichuk
Allen-Wideman
Kulikov-McCabe
Garrison-Weaver
Vokoun

SCORING
Penguins- 5
-Mark Letestu (Kennedy, Conner) 1-1:30
-Sidney Crosby (Kunitz, Johnson) 1-7:44
-Matt Cooke (Talbot, Malkin) 1-10:57
-Ben Lovejoy (unassisted) 2-6:19
-Pascal Dupuis (EN) (Letang, Kunitz) 3-19:32
Panthers- 2
-Stephen Weiss (Frolik, Weaver) 1-2:33
-Bryan McCabe (Thomas, Hordichuk) 3-16:24

FIGHTS
Lovejoy vs Matthias (1-11:22)
-I'd actually have to give the advantage to Ben on this one. He got a few shots in and got his man to the ground.
Rupp vs Hordichuk (2-12:04)
-Yeah, Hordichuk handed Rupper a new one on this. Almost looked like he was caught by surprise.

GOALTENDING:
Pens- Johnson/Fleury
W- Johnson (20-21)
ND- Fleury (15-16)
Panthers- Vokoun/Clemmensen
L- Vokoun (11-14)
ND- Clemmensen (18-19)

POWERPLAYS
Pens- 0/4 (7:48)
Panthers- 0/3 (5:48)

1st Period
Pens get on the board quickly. Letestu takes the outlet pass from TK and patiently waits for Vokoun to fall over himself and then just throws it into the cage. Panthers respond quickly. Stephen Weiss shoots one on net that goes off Johnson's glove before going in. Also it was Florida's 1st shot of the game. 5 minutes of up and down before Crosby snipes one from the left side. Amazing how much power he got behind it, and Brent Johnson also gets a point on the play. 3 minutes later the 2nd line comes up with a great shift. Talbot throws one on goal, Vokoun can't control it and Cooke steals it and fires it home. Vokoun chased. Panthers start to dig for momentum and Shawn Matthias challenges Ben Lovejoy to a fight (he must not have studied much film). Lovejoy answers the bell and takes care of business. Pens put together some great puck possession but take a late penalty. Florida dangerously close to scoring at the end, but Johnson holds on.

Notes: I was a little worried about Johnny after that first goal but he recovered quite well. Never even considered Florida's PP a threat. Still can't believe Ben Lovejoy fought. We got this one in the bag already.

2nd Period
Pens kill off the rest of the penalty easily. Zbynek Michalek in beast mode. Then the game turns to nothing for a few minutes. Pens start to pick things up and then Lovejoy cashes in for his 1st NHL goal. Panthers get desperate and the hitting starts to pick up. Midway through the period Hordichuk beats the stuffing out of Rupp. Pens get a powerplay, no dice. Then Florida gets a powerplay and the Pens kill it off easily. Then Florida continues the cycle and takes another late penalty but Clemmensen holds his ground from the Pens' barrage.

Notes: All I was really looking for out of them was one more insurance goal, which they got, and a clean game, which for the most part it was. I'm sure there will be things written about how the 2nd period shifted the momentum to Florida but the scoreboard will say otherwise

3rd Period
Fleury starts the 3rd because Johnson got some sort of lower-body injury late in the 2nd. Asham is also missing from the bench. Fleury does a stellar job holding off an early Florida powerplay (especially because he had no warmup) to keep it at 4-1. Then the game turns into a sleeper for a while. Florida had some chances but Flower was on it. Finally the Panthers score but it's way too late to count for anything. Scary moment when Lovejoy takes a puck to the face in the final 3 minutes and he heads off for stitches (he seemed to be ok after the game). Dupuis adds an empty netter in the last 30 seconds. PENS WIN 5-2.

Notes: They played a 3rd period? I didn't notice because the Pens were already on the bus for D.C. This would be cause for alarm in a 1 or 2 goal situation, but nothing to worry about in this case.

Final Thoughts and Notes:

-Sid's point streak extended with his 1st period goal.
-Malkin wasn't quite as hot as he has been, but he did get an assist.
-Buzz line was fantastic.
-Zbynek Michalek was yet again golden in the PK.
-Lovejoy showed toughness and talent and maybe stated his case for more minutes.
-Kunitz giving 100% as usual.
-Has anybody seen Alex Goligoski lately? I thought he was playing...
-Have no idea what happened to Asham. Hope he's ok or else somebody from WBS will have their holiday vacation cut short tonight.
-Panthers actually weren't bad tonight, but they just didn't have the firepower.

Grades:

Line 1: A-
Line 2: A-
Line 3: A
Line 4: B-
D1: A-
D2: A-
D3: B+
Johnson: A-
Fleury: A
Powerplay: C+
Penalty Kill: A

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT:
"The game was over in the first 10 minutes."
-FLA coach Peter Deboeur.

Game Changing Play:
-Cookie's goal was lights out for Florida.

My 3 Stars:
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Mark Letestu
3. Ben Lovejoy

Penguins Gameday #35 (Panthers)

Penguins (22-10-2, 46 pts)

Panthers (15-16-0, 30 pts)

Where: Consol Energy Center

When: 7:00 ET

TV: FSNPIT

This game just has trap game written all over it. Both Pens and Panthers coming off huge wins (Florida hammered the Flyers 5-0 on Monday) but I just get the feeling that the Pens may be looking ahead to their road trip to Verizon Center tomorrow. Hopefully they will still show up enough to get the job done. 2 points are 2 points.

Opponents to Watch:

Michael Frolik: About as good as it gets offensively in Florida. 8 goals, 19 points aren't earth-shattering stats but nonetheless he is a dangerous 2nd liner.

David Booth: Tough, gritty guy who can screen, tip-in shots, and shoot. Probably an assignment for Orpik.

Dennis Wideman: He gets a lot of assists via tip-ins and one time passes.

PANTHERS STATS:

Win %: .484 (23rd)
Powerplay: 9.3% (30th)
Penalty Kill: 84.0% (9th)
Goals For: 83 (24th)
Goals Against: 78 (6th)
Differential: +5
Faceoffs: 52.5% (4th)

-The Panthers dismal PP has just 10 PPG all season. (doesn't sound that bad but to put it into perspective the mediocre PP unit of the Pens has 26)
-Panthers are 12-4 after scoring first, but just 3-12 after giving up 1st goal.
-Florida has given up 3 2nd intermission leads. (tied for most in league)
-Florida is 2nd from the bottom in recorded hits and averages a NHL low 8.0 PIMS per game. Should be a refreshing change of pace from the previous few slugfests the Pens have been involved in.

KEYS TO VICTORY:

-Ride the Geno wave.
-Score first
-Outskate them and outhustle them

Notes:
-Staal and Comrie out for the Pens.
-Bitz, Olesz, Stillman, and Dvorak out for the Panthers.
-Wouldn't be surprised to see Johnson in the net but that's just a guess.

Deryk Engelland KO Taylor Pyatt

Here's the video for anyone who missed it last night.



Wow, Engo sure is building quite the reputation across the league. Pyatt isn't known as a fighter, so nobody knows why the hell he even thought about dropping the gloves with Engelland but I'm sure he'll think twice about doing it again.

He left the game, but should be fine (upper body injury) AKA probably just a headache.

It's just a shame we weren't treated to a Engelland-BizNasty rematch, but even Paul probably cringed at that outcome. No harm intended from Engelland. He obviously backed off once he realized that he clocked the guy.

Of course Phoenix fans are more than happy to blame Matt Cooke (who isn't). Instigator fines could have easily been slapped on the entire Yotes lineup for the way they handled themselves at the end (with Doan and Yandle claiming to be on a quest to avenge themselves with Cookie). Truth be told, if Yandle never ducked then nothing more would have been made out of the hit.

Whatever, we won both games. See you next year jokes.

Panthers tomorrow, Caps Thursday. Lets Go Pens

Game 34: Pens 6, Coyotes 1

Geno's 5 points leads Pens to victory!

Penguins- 6
-Kris Letang (Kennedy, Malkin) 1-6:56
-Evgeni Malkin (Crosby) 1-19:25
-Evgeni Malkin (Crosby) 2-0:51
-Sidney Crosby (Malkin, Letang) 2-2:50
-Matt Cooke (Talbot, Malkin) 2-7:21
-Chris Conner (Letestu) 3-18:21
W- Fleury (26-27)

Coyotes- 1
-Wojtek Wolski (Morris, Belanger) 3-8:07
L- LaBarbera (17-22)
ND- Climie (15-16)

RECAP
Evgeni Malkin had 5 points Monday night to help the Pens snap their losing skid and to continue his incredible stats. Geno finished the game with a total of 2 goals and 3 assists, and just missed on several point blank opportunities for the hat trick.

Kris Letang got the Pens on the board 7 minutes into the game when he unleashed a powerplay slapshot that tore past starting goaltender Jason LaBarbera for the early lead. Malkin (who was credited an assist) would pick up his first goal of the game in the closing seconds of the first after Sidney Crosby easily won a faceoff and centered it to a wide open Geno in front. Crosby made that faceoff win look so easy that it was almost unfair to see on the replay.

Malkin would score again less than a minute into the 2nd, and again it was Sidney Crosby who gave him the feed. Crosby picked up the puck behind the net after Keith Yandle lost an edge and fed it to a wide open Malkin. Geno surely must have wanted to return the favor, and sure enough 2 minutes later it was Sid who found the net after a nice feed from Malkin. Matt Cooke added another goal at the 7:21 mark of the 2nd, giving him his 6th of the season and Geno's 5th point of the game. By the time the 2nd had ended, the Coyotes had already conceded the game and instead focused on switching their game plan to fight mode.

The third period started out a bit chippy, but things really heated up at the 1:39 mark when Taylor Pyatt dropped the gloves with Deryk Engelland. Pyatt (who is not known as a fighter) got his first taste of Engo's fighting style and was actually knocked out cold for a while. He would be fine. Wojtek Wolski ruined Fleury's shutout with a flukey goal at the 8 minute mark when the puck hit him in the foot, bounced straight up into the air, hit Fleury in the mask, and then trickled behind them. Chris Conner would get another goal for the Pens in the final 1 1/2 min for his first at home of the season.

GRADES:

Offense: A Anybody cheering for the Pens had to love the pressure they kept on LaBarbera throughout the entire game until finally chasing him from his crease. Total domination by the 2-headed monster.

Defense: A Blocked shots, saved goals, and big hits. Just another day at the office.

Fleury: A Can't really hold him accountable for that one goal, so in theory he got a shutout.

Powerplay: A+ Converted on each of their first 3 opportunities, and looked like clockwork.

Penalty Kill: A+ Killed off all 7 penalties (including an extended 5 v 3 in the 2nd) to bail out their teammates in the box and keep the game going in the right direction.

3 BIG POINTS:

-Everything was good. Can't pick out one particular area that was better than others, nor can I find anything that really looked in need of work. I'd say that the 4 practice days to stew on last week's hardships paid off.

-It's scary how good Geno can be when he turns it on. To see him effortlessly pick up 5 points through 32 minutes of play is downright scary.

-The Yotes were none too happy with Matt Cooke after the game, and had some less than flattering comments about him to the media. There was one incident in which Cooke was whistled for a 2 minute elbowing penalty, but it really didn't look malevolent enough to get Phoenix so angry. I guess somebody has to lose.

My 3 Stars:

1. Evgeni Malkin
2. Sidney Crosby
3. Marc-Andre Fleury

Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!, PIT vs. NYJ (week #15)

Penguins Gameday #34 (Coyotes)

Penguins (21-10-2, 44pts)

Coyotes (15-9-7, 37 pts)

Where: Consol Energy Center

When: 7:00 ET

TV: FSNPIT

The Pens try to snap a 2 game skid Monday night when the Pheonix Coyotes visit the burgh. The Pens defeated the Coyotes back in November 4-3 in a shootout in what may have been the turning point of their season, and also a very important win at the time. I'd watch for lots of shots, transition game, and of course the big Engelland-BizNasty rematch (assuming Bissionette plays).

Opponents to Watch:

Keith Yandle- To compare him to Penguins, he is a hybrid of Letang's speed and Paul Martin's moves, making him very dangerous on the transition and essentially giving the Yotes a 4th forward when he is out on the ice.

Shane Doan- Can't say enough about this guy. Scoring threat, solid checker, usually outworks all of his teammates. The only thing is that he is starting to fall behind the younger guys in terms of speed and creativity.

Wojtek Wolski- Hasn't been playing his best this year, meaning he is certainly due for a good few games. Wolski is probably the best pure shooter on the team.

COYOTES STATS:
Win %: 0.597 (14th)
Powerplay: 18.2% (13th)
Penalty Kill: 81.6% (15th)
Goals For: 88 (2.77/game) (18th)
Goals Against: 87 (2.71/game) (9th)
Goals Differential: +1 (17th)
Faceoffs: 52.5% (3rd)
-The Coyotes lead the league in overtime losses with 7.
-Phoenix has given up just 18 first period goals this year.
-Yotes are 3rd from the bottom in blocked shots with 376.

Keys to Victory:

-Bryzgalov is doubtful to play, and Pheonix gives up quite a few shots so the table is set for a big offensive day from the Pens.

-Even though Phoenix doesn't specialize in takeaways, they are still dangerous in transition so puck possession in the neutral zone is critical.

-Phoenix comes up right in the middle for just about every stat in the book. There really isn't one area to put all the eggs into that basket. Balance is the key to winning this one.

Notes:

-Bryzgalov doubtful for the Coyotes

-Staal and Comrie out. Kunitz doubtful.

-Jeffrey had been sent down, so maybe Godard will be returning to the lineup.

AHL Game 31: Syracuse 3, WBS 1

"Power-less" PlayEven most casual hockey fans can recognize that special teams win games, but what is often forgotten is how it can also lose them. The Pens squandered 6 powerplay chances including one at the end of the game and lost 3-1 at the hands of the Syracuse Crunch.

Things seemed to be going as well as usual when Ryan Craig jammed a shot past JP Levasseur during a scrum in front of the net just 5 minutes into the game, but the Pens could not extend their lead when they had the chance. They failed on back to back powerplay chances later in the period, and were forced to settle for a 1-0 intermission lead.

The second brought an absolute onslaught of shots by WBS (22) but no dice. Syracuse, on the other hand, had little over half that number (12) but converted on one when Dan Sexton beat Curry (who finished with 29 saves) to tie the game at 1. And again...2 powerplays for WBS, no goals.

After yet another failed PP by the Pens, the Crunch got the go-ahead goal off the stick of Trevor Smith. But Smith wasn't done, because he scored again less than 2 minutes later to put his Crunch up 3-1 with just 8 minutes remaining. WBS tried to catch up, and had another powerplay opportunity with less than 4 minutes remaining, but they just could not find the net and the game ended at 3-1.

It's easy to blame the Pens powerplay struggles for the loss, but it would be an injustice not to give Levasseur some credit as well. He withstood an absolute barrage in the 2nd with little help from the defense in front of him and then finished the game in the 3rd. He seems to like playing against WBS, as it was also him that dealt the Penguins their first loss of the season.


But I'd still say that a 23-7 record and 1st place overall is a fine Christmas present the Pens have given themselves. Next game is Dec 26 vs Albany.

AHL Game 30: WBS 5, Abbotsford 2

Beast of the East.Being from the Vancouver area, it's not often that the Abbotsford Heat head east to play teams like the Pens, and the teams often don't remember much about each other afterwards. But they should have plenty of film to take home this time because the Pens put on a Friday night clinic en route to a 5-2 victory. The Pens, energized by the return of their star center Dustin Jeffrey, offensively and defensively dominated the Heat for essentially the entire game.

Eric Tangradi continued his recent streak of superb play and put the Pens up 1-0 on a 2 on 1 pass from Joe Vitale. As usual, this early goal gave the Pens control of the game and allowed them to extend their lead at their own tempo. Joe Vitale would be rewarded for his nice pass leading to the Tangradi marker, and would get an opportunity of his own to score. He converted, and the Pens took a 2-0 lead into intermission.

Dustin Jeffrey then scored his 1st goal since returning from Pittsburgh, and he did it on the penalty kill. Jeffrey's 3-0 SH goal was essential the deathblow to Abbotsford, and although they did score a few to briefly make in interesting in the 3rd, they could never catch up.

Tangradi got the games 4th and his 2nd of the night when he tipped in a Wagner shot that shot straight up into the goal off ET's stick. Brett Sterling got Pens goal #5 when he fired one right after a faceoff to take everybody by surprise. Brad Theissen was a solid 30 for 32.

The game really started to get chippy in the 3rd, but then escalated almost out of control at the end. Chris Collins had for some reason become a favorite target for Abbotsford's goons and they took every opportunity possible to slap him around. Collins finally said enough was enough and dropped the gloves with John Rheault with 3 seconds remaining. The Pens' enforcers lined up at the end of the game to avenge their 5'8'' comrade, and both teams engaged in a shoving and jawing match as the final horn sounded. The scrum was eventually broken up, and I wouldn't expect any further discipline. Kevin Veilleux, Robert Bortuzzo, Brian Lerg, and Ryan Craig also engaged in fights during various parts of the game.

Pens head to Syracuse tomorrow for their last game before a well-deserved holiday break. It would make the holidays that much sweeter if they can finish with an extra 2 points.

Yinz Luv 'Da Guins!, '10-'11 (Ep. #2)

Game 33: Rangers 4, Pens 1

Meltdown City

Rangers- 4
-Erik Christensen (Gaborik) 3-10:10
-Alex Frolov (Boyle, Girardi) 3-10:25
-Artem Anisimov (Rozsival, Del Zotto) 3-14:55
-Brian Boyle (Frolov, Staal)
W- Lundqvist (27-28)

Penguins- 1
-Evgeni Malkin (Crosby, Orpik) 1-19:47
L- Johnson (18-22)

RECAP
I have a feeling that next week's episode of 24/7 is going to have a bit of a different feel to it. One can only wonder what the reaction of the usually mild-mannered coach will be after watching his team give up 4 3rd period goals in a span of just over 6 minutes to turn a 1-0 lead into a blowout loss. Ok so let's look at the positive first.

The Pens pretty much dominated the entire 1st period, but especially the end. The last 4 minutes of the 1st featured some of the best hockey the Pens played all season courtesy of the buzz line and then the 2nd liners. Henry stood on his head for pretty much the entire time, but Geno finally juked one by him after a rediculous pass from Sid (point streak up to 20). Standing ovation after 1.

The second period was literally a whole lot of nothing. No goals, one powerplay each, and only 13 combined shots. Meh.

Third period was the disaster. The first 10 minutes progressively got more and more dangerous for the Pens as the Rangers got closer and closer to scoring, and then the entire thing just imploded in a matter of minutes. 2 goals in 15 seconds from Christensen and Frolov completely changed the dynamics of the game, and suddenly the Pens found themselves trailing just like that.

Small spark of hope when the Pens tied it up only to see the goal waved off by a bogus interference call. Sure Dupuis ran into Lundqvist but that's what happens when you shove a guy into your own goalie. Would that have made a difference in the long run? Personally I think so but you can never be sure. Rags would score a few more goals that just looked way too easy and then head out with the win.

Was this one a disaster? Yes. Was this entire week a disaster? Yes. But the Pens have a good 4 days to rest up, make some adjustments, and get ready for the last full week of 2010.

Game Changing Play:
Have to say the goal that was called back. Blatently terrible call that not only shifted the score but the momentum of the game.

Grades:

Offense: C 1 (well actually 2) isn't good enough to win consistently at this level. Great 1st period, nothing afterwards.

Defense: B- Only reason they are in B range is because they were so awesome in the 1st and 2nd periods.

Johnson: C One or 2 of those goals were a bit soft.

Powerplay: C+ 0-3. Just wasn't happening tonight.

Penalty Kill: B Killed 2 for 3. Mehhh.

3 Big Points:

-Lovejoy wasn't on his game at all. Obviously everyone saw it with NYR's 2nd goal, but he had a hard time all game. Really looked like a rookie.

-Sid and Geno together all night. Wonder what's up with that?

-Go watch a rerun of 24/7. You'll feel quite a bit better after watching this game. But as I said, it's certainly no time for panic now.

My 3 Stars:

1. Henrik Lundqvist
2. Erik Chirsstensen
3. Brian Boyle