Canadiens 5, Penguins 2

So what happened?

First off, congratulations to the Canadiens. They played a great game and were the better team in the series.

Fleury just didn't have it last night, from the first goal he allowed to the last one, those pucks simply cannot go in the net.

Having said that, I really thought the Pens were going to make it back to at least tie the game. I haven't seen them play like they were playing late in the second period (and start of the third) in a long time. That begs the question: where was this desperation and level of play through the series?

The Pens cut the lead to 4-2 and were flying. They had a power play to start the third. It all looked set up for a comeback. Sid and Geno both had shots point blank on Halak, but the Montreal netminder was able to stonewall both of them. Sid tried to get the puck up, but Halak was on top of him, and Geno needed to get the puck up, but he couldn't because of the pass he was taking. That sealed the fate of the Pens.

Halak was the story of the series. When the Habs won, it was largely because of him. That was never more true than last night. He held the fort and kept the Pens from being able to come all the way back.

Ending the season this way certainly stings.

Who scored?
Kunitz (4), Staal (3)

Any surprises?
One goal each in the series from Sid and Geno.

Where do we go from here?
The Consol Energy Center will open next October!

Notes:

• It was a turbulent season and a turbulent post season. Probably best we put this one behind us and look ahead.

Canadiens 4, Penguins 3

So what happened?

The Habs just don't quit. They showed remarkable resiliency in winning the game last night. The Pens had taken a 2-1 lead and were threatening to blow the game open. Halak held the fort, and Cammalleri tied the score.

The Cammalleri goal is worth talking about because it is a great example of how the Habs have stayed in this series. The Habs looked like they might have a 3-on-2, but Max Talbot hustled back to cover Cammalleri on the far side of the ice coming across the blue line. Unfortunately, Max lost track of Cammalleri briefly, and Mike used the chance to cut across the middle, taking the puck and getting off a perfectly placed backhand that went in because Flower was off his angle ever so slightly. Everything had to be perfect, and the Habs were able to execute. The Pens also were guilty of two small mental mistakes, and it cost them dearly.

The Habs added two more, and the fourth goal would prove especially costly, as the Pens would score with about 90 seconds left to pull to within one goal. They didn't seriously threaten after that, however.

Who scored?
Crosby (6), Letang (5), Guerin (4)

Any surprises?
More long shots on Halak, more goals. I think if the Pens can lock down the Habs defensively, they can get one or two past Halak.

Where do we go from here?
Wednesday night is Game 7 at the Igloo.

Notes:

• Not very often you see a shot from the point go along the ice and go in. Spacek's goal was a change of pace, for sure.

Penguins 2, Canadiens 1

So what happened?

The Pens took advantage of a first period power play to take a lead which the Habs couldn't overcome. Gonchar added an insurance marker midway through the second period. The Canadiens were the beneficiary of Orpik kicking the puck into the net with 30 seconds left, but never really threatened to tie the game in the last 30 seconds.

Fleury was excellent, and the defense was good enough to bail out Flower the few times he left a rebound hanging.

The interesting thing is that Halak is getting beat by long shots. I know there was traffic in front of him on both goals, but it looks like the Pens have found a hole they're exploiting.

Who scored?
Letang (4), Gonchar (2)

Any surprises?
Goals from the blue line are always a nice surprise.

Where do we go from here?
The Pens can end things in Montreal on Monday. That would be very satisfying.

Notes:

• Great determination on the part of Flower and the five guys in front of him to keep the puck out of the net on several of those scrums in front of the cage.
• There were several nice surges in the offensive zone by the Pens, keeping the Habs locked down in their own end. This started with the very first shift of the night.
• I would love to have seen Letestu score on his mini-breakaway. I like what Letestu brings, and he seems much more willing to do the little things than the scratches last night.

Canadiens 3, Penguins 2

So what happened?

The explanation is very simple. The Pens had all the momentum in the world in the first period and had several golden chances to build a big lead on Halak and the Habs. They were only able to get out of the first with a 2-1 lead (it could easily have been 4-1). The Habs got a few bounces in the third, most notably on the game winner, which deflected off of Letang's skate, and pulled out the win.

It was a classic playoff game, and one that you hate watch your team lose.

Who scored?
Talbot (2), Kunitz (3)

Any surprises?
The Pens were unable to withstand the charge that came in the third period. After allowing just 9 shots in the first two period combined, the Habs threw 16 at Fleury in the third. Not good enough.

Where do we go from here?
It's a best of three, with two of the games being in Pittsburgh. I like the Pens' chances.

Notes:

• Seriously, Montreal fans, you're embarrassing yourselves. It's really ironic that a Montreal reporter would publish a story calling Sid a "whiner" when the arena is full of thousands and thousands of them.
• Since we're being cheerful, Versus was poor tonight too. No replays of key moments, including Geno's breakaway late in the third.
• I still like what the Pens are doing, and I still think their chances are good. Cut down on the mental mistakes (helloooo Flower) and they'll be okay.

Penguins 2, Canadiens 0

So what happened?

The Pens withstood the storm in the first period, when they only managed three shots on net. The Habs had their best period of hockey so far this series. Unfortunately for them, they didn't have anything to show for it.

The Pens came out in the second period as a different team. They carried the play and dominated. It paid off at the end of the period when Sid, Dupuis and someone else (I can't remember - Kunitz?) had an extended shift in the offensive zone, culminating in Gill taking a penalty.

The Pens used the ensuing power play (most of which carried over to the third period) to take a 1-0 lead on Geno's blast on the short side past Halak.

The Habs had two or three golden chances throughout the third, but Flower was at his best and shut them down at every turn.

Dupuis added the empty net goal to seal things.

Great win, and great playoff hockey.

Who scored?
Malkin (5), Dupuis (2)

Any surprises?
Fleury outplayed Halak. What a pleasent surprise.

Where do we go from here?
The Pens can't shut the lights out, but they can dim them quite a bit on Thursday in Montreal.

Notes:

• Do the Habs have the world's most annoying fans? I know that's almost cliche at this point, but sometimes enthusiasm can go a bit over the top. The best comparison I can come up with is that Heineken commercial with the guys screaming about the beer room.
• Great job by HCDB to roll the lines.
• Letestu was solid at the third line center. I'd expect that we'll see him in that role again. Not sure what they'll do when Guerin comes back... do you want Fedotenko on the fourth line or Letestu on the third?

Canadiens 3, Penguins 1

So what happened?

Some timely scoring by Montreal and three failed power plays by the Pens when they needed it most. It boils down to being that simple.

Halak was great. Fleury didn't see many shots.

The Pens need to find a way to score.

Who scored?
Cooke (4)

Any surprises?
Not really - Halak was great, and what you thought might happen (if he was great) is exactly what did happen.

Where do we go from here?
Game 3 in Montreal on Tuesday. The Pens need the same mantra the Habs cited here in Pittsburgh: "We want a split".

Notes:

• Sid and Geno? Puck --> Net?
• We need a signature game from Fleury. How about a shutout on Tuesday?

Penguins 6, Canadiens 3

So what happened?

The Pens were too much offensively for the Habs. Scoring four goals on four power play chances? That's the kind of thing we've been waiting to see for a few years.

The scoring was nicely distributed with three goals from the blue line and three from the forwards. Everything was working for the Pens.

Halak just didn't have it tonight. Listening to Versus and hearing Elliot say he would have started Price had to be one of the dumber things I've heard in a LONG time. On the Goligoski goal, it almost looked like Halak tried to scoop the puck up with his glove and simply missed it. With any luck, this will be a problem for Halak all series long.

Does this remind anyone else of the Carolina series last year?

Who scored?
Gonchar (1), Staal (2), Letang (3), Adams (2), Goligoski (2), Guerin (3)

Any surprises?
I was surprised the Pens were out shot when I looked at the box score. I don't think Montreal had many quality scoring chances, and I think the Pens were trying to be patient.

Where do we go from here?
Game 2 is on Sunday afternoon in the Burgh.

Notes:

• Do you start Halak or Price on Sunday?
• Hopefully Staal is okay.
• The Habs aren't this bad. The Pens need to expect a tougher game on Sunday.
• Nice to see a team pay for dumb penalties (jumping Cooke after the clean hit on Markov was a dumb penalty).

Penguins 4, Senators 3 (OT)

So what happened?

Another epic game. This series sure did turn into a good one at the end, didn't it?

The Sens held a 1-0 lead after one period, and it was obvious that the Pens simply were not ready for the start of the game again. They were tentative with the puck and not aggressive with the dump and chase.

Things got worse in the second, and when Alfredsson scored about halfway through the period, the Sens were up 3-0. I was muttering and planning for a Tuesday night hockey game.

Matt Cooke scored about a minute later, and from that point on, the Pens largely dominated the game. The Sens, who had out shot the Pens 23-21 through two periods, suddenly tried to turtle and hope for the best. The Pens out shot the Sens 18-4 in the third period, and the boys from Ottawa got what they deserved. They couldn't protect the lead well enough with that dumb trap and the Pens tied the game.

Despite a few tense moments in OT, the Pens largely carried the play there too. Dupuis put them out of the misery with the series winning goal in OT, which immediately reminded me of Darius Kasparitus (in that they've both won a series in OT for the Pens).

Who scored?
Cooke (2,3), Guerin (2), Dupuis (1)

Any surprises?
I was honestly surprised the Pens had it in them to come back like they did. I thought after the OT game and falling behind 3-0 that we'd be in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Where do we go from here?
Wait and see who wins the other two series. If the current leaders hold, the Pens will play Boston. They only team they cannot play is Washington.

Notes:

• Leclaire was good in making a bunch of saves, but what happened to the Ottawa defense that had become so good at gumming up the works? The Pens blasted them with shots, especially over the last three games.
• Flower wasn't spectacular, but he made most of the saves he should and made several big saves at the right time.
• The PK came up big tonight, killing off both of the Sens chances.
• Gonchar deserves a nice rest after another 30 minutes of ice time tonight.
• I still can't get past 18-4 in the third period. That isn't playing like you want to force a Game 7.

Senators 4, Penguins 3 (3 OT)

So what happened?

Epic game. It had something for everyone. Ottawa jumped out to a 2-0 lead. The Pens battled back and took a 3-2 lead in the third. Regin blasted one past Fleury to tie the game and we went to OT. There was a goal by the Sens that was disallowed (kicked in), and Geno hit the post later. In the third OT, Carkner took a shot from the point that hit something on the way in and found it's way past Fleury.

Sucks to lose one like this.

Who scored?
Letang (2), Kunitz (2), Crosby (5)

Any surprises?
Once Sid scored to give the Pens the lead, I thought they were going to roll. It was surprising to see the Sens tie the game.

Where do we go from here?
A tough Saturday night match in Ottawa.

Notes:

• I'm exhausted after watching this game. I've got nothing.

Penguins 7, Senators 4

So what happened?

The Senators managed to generate some offense, but it was too little, too late. The Pens simply have too much firepower for Ottawa to contain.

The first period was tight, with only Geno's power play goal giving the Pens a 1-0 lead. Elliot was playing well and it was a one-shot game. Then the wheels fell off of the wagon for Brian Elliot. The Sens allowed three goals in about 150 seconds. Elliot was yanked, trailing 4-0.

Leclaire didn't do much better, and while the Sens made a little bit of noise, they could never get closer than a two goal deficit. They needed some miraculous goaltending, and what they got from Leclaire was anything but.

I was disappointed to see Cory Clouston put Chris Neil and Jarkko Ruutu on the ice with 90 seconds left. Everyone in the building knew why they were out there. That's the kind of stupid stuff that needs to be kept out of the game of hockey. Maybe in the playoffs, penalties at the end of games need to carry over to the next game, or at least any misconduct penalties should carry over (Neil, Ruutu and Carkner all received 10 minute misconduct penalties).

Who scored?
Malkin (4), Crosby (3,4), Cooke (1), Talbot (1), Kunitz (1), Staal (1)

Any surprises?
The forwards were not taking long shifts tonight. Great job by HCDB to roll the lines.

Where do we go from here?
A chance to put the Sens out of their misery on Thursday.

Notes:

• Talbot played a great game. He's really rounding into shape.
• Hopefully Kennedy is okay.
• Great goal by Kunitz, absolutely ripping a Crosby pass from the goal line past Leclaire.

Penguins 4, Senators 2

So what happened?

I think the Pens have flipped the switch for good on the Sens. There were some stretches where the Sens brought some pressure, but most of the game was slanted towards the Pens. They finished their checks, they were relentless in both the offensive and defensive zones, and they converted on their chances. The Senators simply could not match the offensive output.

I'm not going to say this series is over, but if the Sens don't find a way to generate some offense, it won't go past Thursday.

Who scored?
Ponikarovsky (1), Malkin (3), Crosby (2), Guerin (1)

Any surprises?
The ice time leader for the Sens? Erik Karlsson. That's an awful lot of pressure to put on a 19 year-old defenseman. It also says a lot about the state of the blue line for the Sens.

Where do we go from here?
A win on Tuesday essentially finishes off the Sens, if they're not done already.

Notes:

• Ponikarovsky still hasn't found his niche. He's not playing many minutes, and when he does get on the ice, he's not there for long. I'm guessing HCDB doesn't trust him defensively yet.
• The Pens did allow two more power play goals. They need to toughen up the PK if they want to go deeper than Round 2 in the playoffs.
• Fleury sure isn't doing much to help us remember Game 1 - that seems like a different goalie out there.
• Great game by GoGo, logging over 8 minutes of ice time in the third period when the game mattered the most.

Penguins 2, Senators 1

So what happened?

Letang got a shot on net.

Really, it's as simple as that.

With about four minutes left in the third in a 1-1 game, Crosby was dancing with the puck beneath the goal line, and the Sens slowly started to sag towards the net. After going back and forth three or four times, Sid got the puck out to Letang at the point at the same time as Bill Guerin (doing his best grazing cow impression) wandered in front of Elliot. The Ottawa goaltender never saw the shot, and Letang didn't miss.

It didn't start out quite as nicely, with the Sens scoring just 18 seconds into the game on a great shot by Regin over the glove hand of Fleury. The good news is that they kept trying to pick on Flower over the glove hand, but kept missing the net.

Sid tied the score at 1-1 on a rebound of a Kunitz shot up high on Elliot.

Who scored?
Crosby (1), Letang (1)

Any surprises?
You knew the Pens were going to come out with some motivation, but 52 hits? Wow! Every single player on the bench for the Pens tonight was credited with a hit.

Where do we go from here?
The Pens will get a chance to prove they turned the tide in Ottawa on Sunday.

Notes:

• Personally, I couldn't be happier for Kris Letang. It seems like he misses the net constantly, so for him to score when this much is on the line is tremendous.
• Elliot wasn't as shaky tonight, though he did bobble the Kunitz shot up high, which allowed Sid to score.
• Flower was great tonight, keeping the Pens in the game by making the saves he should make.
• Hopefully Leopold is okay (he was crushed by a hit from Sutton). If not, we'll see McKee on Sunday.

Senators 5, Penguins 4

So what happened?

The Pens were facing a shaky goalie tonight and were unable to take advantage. In fact, for much of the first two periods, they were unable to do much of anything.

Clearly this team was not ready for what the Senators brought to the table. I'm not sure if the problem was mental on the part of the players, or the game plan on the part of the coaches, but they were unable to consistently break the trap. I'm leaning more towards the players, because the dump was there, and Elliot doesn't come out of the net much. Either the forwards were unable to get any speed to retrieve the puck, or they weren't able to get numbers in place after the first guy got in.

Fleury didn't play particularly well, and was especially poor on the Neil and Ruutu goals. On the Neil goal, he went down on the short side, and on the Ruutu goal, he was not able to keep the pads together coming from left to right.

The really disappointing part is that the Pens were a stupid bounce goal (Kelly's goal was off of a bounce off of a partition while Fleury was behind the net) from getting the game tied and going to OT.

Who scored?
Malkin (1,2), Adams (1), Goligoski (1)

Any surprises?
The really poor first period was a complete shock. How can what we saw on the ice be a surprise, and how could they not have been ready for it? No shots in 16 minutes will get you bounced from the playoffs pretty quickly.

Where do we go from here?
This is where HCDB proves his mettle as a coach. The Sens have thrown down the gauntlet and showed their hand. Bylsma now has to come up with a way for the Pens to counter the trap and get more shots on net. I think Elliot is going to struggle, especially during the games in Pittsburgh.

Notes:

• If you want to see a shining example of how to play a three-on-two, see the Regin goal when Spezza took the puck wide on the right and fired a shot (on net) for the right pad of Fleury. Flower kicked it out, right into the middle of the ice.
• If you want to see how not to play a three-on-two, both Fedotenko and Adams fired shots from the exact same place (as Spezza) and both missed wide of Elliot, leading to a Senators breakout. Take something off of the shot if you have to - just get the thing on net! You're going against a shaky goalie - force him to make plays.
• The Pens seemed to go wide on the far side of Elliot several times, which makes you wonder if they saw something in how he challenges. Adam's goal was a shot to the far side (though it was on the backhand).
• The third line (Staal, Kennedy and Cooke) was a collective -6 on the night. That line has to do better.
• On the plus side, the power play looks like it could be a difference maker right now.

Penguins 6, Islanders 5 (OT)

So what happened?

Wow - what didn't happen? Sid had points on the first five goals for the Pens and entered the third period needing three points to catch Sedin for the Art Ross. The Pens also held a three goal lead. I can't have been the only one thinking "let the Isles make it interesting so Sid keeps pushing." Of course, I wasn't expecting the Pens to give up that three goal lead in the third (two of them on crazy deflection shots) and take the game to OT.

Once they hit OT, it didn't really matter what the outcome was, because the game result was meaningless. Having said that, it was nice to get the W.

Sid did earn a share of the Rocket Richard trophy by tying Stamkos with 51 goals on the season. I'm glad to see Sid earn that. I'm even happier that he didn't have to share it with Ovechkin.

What exactly was Geno doing with three minor penalties?

Who scored?
Malkin (27,28), Godard (1), Crosby (50,51), Leopold (11)

Any surprises?
Godard scored!!! If Craig Adams had put one in too, I'd be checking for the impending Apocalypse.

Any change in the standings?

Nope.

Conference: 4th

Who's next?
The Sens, hopefully without the gladiator walking through their locker room as part of their intro.

Notes:

• I see Leopold and still think back to Scuderi. Jordan brings more offense without sacrificing too much in the way of defense (Leopold was a minus player in just three games after joining the Pens).
• Nice to see Tangradi. In our completely-too-short-to-make-any-meaningful-judgement observation, he looks like a 50 goal scorer.
• Hopefully Geno has the PIM out of his system. He can't put the Pens short handed (and take himself out of the game) in the playoffs.

Thrashers 1, Penguins 0

So what happened?

The Pens simply couldn't score (they hit two posts). They were stoned by Hedberg, who always seems to play well against them. What is it about these former Penguins? Anyway, they did just about everything right with a good defensive effort and good offensive zone time. They out shot the Thrashers 33-22 overall, and won that battle in each period. The PK also killed off 7 chances for the Thrashers.

Despite losing the chance for the #2 seed, I feel pretty good about the way the Pens are playing right now. The goals will come.

Who scored?
No one.

Any surprises?
It was surprising to me that the Pens could go from scoring 7 in a game to getting shut out.

Any change in the standings?

Yep - Jersey won, so the Pens will finish 4th in the conference and play Ottawa in the first round.

Conference: 4th

Who's next?
A meaningless finale against the Islanders. Maybe Sid can get his 50th.

Notes:

• Not good by Geno in taking two minor penalties. The second one was particularly bad as it came with less than 4 minutes left in the game and while the Pens were surging.
• HCDB really had to shorten the bench. Sid, Geno and Staal all played significant minutes.

Penguins 7, Islanders 3

So what happened?

It was a great evening at the Igloo. All of the Pens' alumni were in the house and the Pens seemed to turn back the clock to the 90s in terms of their scoring.

The game was pretty close early on, and would have been much closer if not for Fleury. He made several amazing saves during the first two periods, most notably three in quick succession with the Pens on the power play early in the second period.

Sid was originally credited with Guerin's first goal, but he went to the official scorer after the game and had it changed to Bill. It would have been his 50th, and it is just another example of the exemplary character that Sid possesses.

The only real trouble spot for the Pens tonight was the defense. They allowed the Isles to get tons of great chances early in the game. If not for Flower, this could have been a different game.

Who scored?
Orpik (2), Goligoski (8), Malkin (26), Crosby (49), Guerin (20,21), Kennedy (13)

Any surprises?
The Pens scored first, and it was just 23 seconds into the game!

Any change in the standings?

Yep - both New Jersey and Buffalo lost, so the Pens, while still in 4th, are tied in points with the Devils. It was the best possible outcome for the evening.

Conference: 4th (tied with New Jersey, behind due to tie breaker)

Who's next?
On the road to another key game in Atlanta on Saturday night.

Notes:

• Not sure how many folks realize this (they mentioned it in the post game show), but Bill Guerin is the first player in NHL history to score 20 goals with 7 different teams. Congrats to Bill.
• Nice job balancing the ice time by HCDB. Only three guys with more than 20 minutes (Gonchar, Eaton and Staal).
• Nice job also by the PK to kill off a 5 minute major during the third period.
• The power play had a multi-goal game, and generally looked good. That could be really big heading into the playoffs.

Capitals 6, Penguins 3

So what happened?

If you've seen a game this year against the Caps or Devils, then you know what happened. The result was the same. Ten games against those two teams... ten losses. It's not even worth discussing the specifics.

Yeah, I'm mailing this one in.

Who scored?
Crosby (48), Leopold (9,10)

Any surprises?
Not really - this one played out like you thought it might based on recent history.

Any change in the standings?

Jersey won, so the Pens are getting themselves behind the eight ball as far as winning the division. That could lead to a second round match up with the Caps.

Playoff seed: 4th (two points behind New Jersey)

Who's next?
Last home game ever at Mellon Arena against the Islanders on Thursday night.

Penguins 4, Thrashers 3 (OT)

So what happened?

The Thrashers made some key mistakes, and it cost them two points.

Jim Slater took a completely unnecessary holding penalty with about two and a half minutes left in the game. I know Thrashers coach John Anderson didn't like the call, but there was no reason at all for Slater to put himself in that position. All he needed to do was shadow Leopold and maybe try to hit him after he touched the puck. He *clearly* grabbed him with his free hand and spun him around a little bit. Completely dumb, and honestly the type of mental mistake we've been used to seeing the Pens make. The Pens made them pay and tied the game at 3-3. There went the two points.

It was nice to see a team that turtles to protect a lead get burned by it. The Thrashers managed just 6 shots on net at even-strength during the second and third periods combined. They tried to trap it up and got burned by it.

Who scored?
Malkin (25), Kennedy (12), Gonchar (11), Leopold (8)

Any surprises?
Every time the Pens would score to tie the game, the Thrashers would take the lead right back. It was surprising that the Pens seemed to have a mini-letdown in those situations.

Any change in the standings?

Jersey won and Buffalo lost, so the Atlantic division winner is in the Driver's Seat for the #2 seed.

Playoff seed: 4th (tied with Jersey, but behind them by virtue of a tie breaker)

Who's next?
(To the tune of the Oreo commercial) O, O, O, Who's that dork with the stupid gold shoelaces?

He's coming to the Igloo on Tuesday. The Pens need to be ready.

Notes:

• Think they missed Sarge and Geno? Wow.
• Fleury had a nice game overall with several great saves to keep the deficit at one goal.
• Sid had a three point night and was a +2.
• Kunitz left the game with an injury and did not return. Hopefully he's okay...

Lightning 2, Penguins 0

So what happened?

If there was ever a game that was the definition of a "snoozer", this was it. After two nice rushes to start the game (one by each team), things were deadly boring. The key play was probably Craig Adams biting on a St. Louis pass fake with the Lightning on the power play during the first period. That opened up the passing lane for Stamkos' one time shot that he blasted past Fleury. That was all the Bolts needed, as they clogged and jammed things up the rest of the night.

Boy, you hate to see a team get rewarded for jamming things up for an entire evening. If every team did that, the NHL's ratings would plummet.

Who scored?
No one.

Any surprises?
Nothing would get the Pens going tonight. There was no urgency. That was the biggest surprise.

Any change in the standings?

Buffalo won and passed the Pens for 2nd in the East.

Conference: 3rd (one point ahead of New Jersey)

Who's next?
The Thrashers come to town for a Saturday afternoon game.

Notes:

• Letang missed about 74 shots on net.
• Fleury had a nice sprawling save on Bochenski to stop a two-on-one in the third period.
• I hate the Trap.

Capitals 4, Penguins 3 (OT - SO - 3-2)

Missed this one entirely, so no writeup.

Just a placeholder blog entry.

Nothing to see here. Move along.

Regular blog posting will return next week.