Friday, March 04, 2011

Devils 2, Penguins 1 (OT)

So what happened?
The Pens picked a bad time to take their only minor penalty of the game. Zybanek Michalek's stick ever-so-slightly hooked the Devils player (I think it was Elias, but I can't remember) with just over two minutes remaining in OT. The Pens killed most of the penalty in heroic fashion, with Adams and Staal giving up their bodies to block shots. Unfortunately, Johnson sprawled out of the net to make a save, but didn't corral the puck. The Devils worked it quickly to Kovalchuk, who buried it in the back of the net.

At least the Pens earned a point... but we seem to be saying that way too much lately.

Overall it was a great effort by the Pens, especially in dominating the third period. There was no payoff for the hard work.

Who scored?
Kennedy (15)

The Good?
  • Great team effort, especially (as noted) in the third. The Pens didn't seem to struggle as much as usual with the trap employed by the Devils.
  • Letestu - 10-2 on the faceoffs.
  • Paul Martin and Zybanek Michalek really stepped up after Letang was booted from the game.
The Bad?
  • Letang has to have his fight strap tied down. No excuse for that one - the Pens can't afford to lose him for a game because of a wardrobe malfunction.
  • Brent Johnson was solid... except when he wasn't. The first goal by Zajac was really soft.
The Ugly?
  • Paging the offense - anyone there? 26 shots is better than the norm against the Devils, but not nearly enough good scoring chances.
Any Surprises?
  • Letang standing over Zajac and getting into the fight was a surprise. Letang usually doesn't do that kind of stuff. There must have been something that happened earlier that he was upset about.
What's their record now? Any important move in the standings?
The Pens are now 37-21-8.

Who's next?
A trip up to Boston to finish off this five game road trip tomorrow night.

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