Saturday, February 09, 2008

Penguins 4, Kings 2

Nice game by the Pens today to beat a hot team. It wasn't as close as the score indicated. The score was 4-0 after two periods, and was 4-1 until about 1:30 remaining in the third period. Getting it down to two goals allowed the Kings to pull LaBarbera and make it a bit exciting, but they really didn't have a chance.

Sabourin played well enough to get his first home win of the season. More importantly, he came up big in the first two periods when a soft goal could have turned the course of the game. He essentially did a Conklin and made all of the saves he was supposed to make. The Pens defense helped him out by clearing any rebounds and keeping the chances to the outside.

Malkin continues to show everyone he's an elite player in the NHL. If he can continue this kind of effort when Sid comes back, this team can go a long way in the playoffs. The top line of Malkin, Malone and Sykora should be kept together as long as possible - they're really good (even if they occasionally get trapped in their own zone).

The Kings aren't bad, but they were a little flat early on today. Maybe because the start time was equivalent to 10:00 AM on the West Coast. I'm not complaining - it's two more points for the Pens.

The Pens have sole possession of first place and are just 5 points behind Ottawa for the top spot in the East.

I have some pictures from the game that I'll have up tomorrow at some point.

Next up: HUGE game with the Flyers at the Igloo tomorrow at 1:00. It's time to get a win against these guys! No preview for this one.

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