Lopsided - Penguins 5, Flames 3

So what happened?

This was nowhere near as close as the score indicated.  While the Pens did need an empty net goal from Jordan Staal to cement the victory, the Pens put on a clinic for about 45 of the 60 minutes of this hockey game.  The rest of the time, they were simply better than average, instead of tremendous.

My biggest takeaway from this game was that the Flames tried to get physical with the Pens.  The Pens not only ignored the nonsense, but also hurt the Flames on the score sheet, ruining their home opener.  I can't think of a better script.

Who scored?

Kennedy (1), Niskanen (1), Malkin (1), Adams (1), Staal (1)

The Good?

• Hurting the Flames on the scoreboard instead of responding to some of the shenanigans.
• Matt Cooke took a shot to the head, but was able to return in the third period.
• Another balanced effort in the TOI department.  Only Aaron Asham was under 10 minutes of ice time, and that's largely because he doesn't play on the PK or the PP.
• The power play had another multi-goal game and looked pretty decent.

The Bad?

• Almost blowing another lead.  Letting a better team than Calgary back into the game in the third is a recipe for disaster.
• Curtis Glencross had a cheap shot on Malkin off of a faceoff that may have led to Geno missing the latter part of the third period.  Hopefully he isn't hurt.

The Ugly?

• Fleury's save percentage - 85% - not pretty.  The goals that went in, however, really weren't ones that he had a chance to stop (especially the cross-ice pass - the D can't let that go through).

Any Surprises?

• We don't see the Flames that much, so I was surprised how chippy they were (borderline cheap).  Something tells me we'd really hate the Flames if the Pens played them more often.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 2-0-0.

Who's next?

Quick turnaround for a game in Edmonton tonight at 9:00 EST.

Game #2 - at Calgary Flames

Game 2

Penguins (1-0-0, 0 points) at Flames (0-0-0, 0 points)

Why does it matter?
Another night, another home opener to spoil.  The Pens, who strangely are the opponents in three consecutive home openers, will be looking to earn two points tonight to cement this road trip in the "Success" column on the score sheet.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - A solid performance against the Canucks on Thursday.
• Flames - Jarome Iginla will play tonight for the Flames after missing all of camp with back spasms.

Questions to be answered

• How will Iginla do with pre-season action under his belt?
• Will we see Brent Johnson tonight or tomorrow night?  You have to figure he'll play one of them.
• Will Jordan Staal drink enough water to finish a game?

Keys to the game

• The biggest thing that jumps out about the Flames is that they're solid from top to bottom, with an excellent captain in Iginla.  The Pens need to be consistent and focused for 60 minutes.
• Get the puck deep - there were too many turnovers against the Canucks where guys were trying to carry the puck through players.  Dump it behind and go get it.

Penguins 4, Flames 1

So what happened?

Missed another one. The holidays wreak havoc on the viewing schedule.

Nice to see Sid with the hat trick and Johnson with a solid performance in net.

Also nice to see the Pens throw another 40+ shots at the opposition.

Who scored?

Asham (3), Crosby 3 (16,17,18)

What's their record now? Any important move in the standings?

The Pens are now 15-8-2. With the Flyers' loss last night, the Pens are now just two points out of first place in the Atlantic

Who's next?

A trip to MSG with a chance to avenge one of the worst losses of the year on Monday night.

Game #25 - vs Calgary Flames

Game 25

Penguins (14-8-2, 30 points) at Flames (9-11-2, 20 points)

Why does it matter?
The Flames are another team that has been pretty bad so far this season. Since a 6-3 start, they are 3-8-2. The Pens have another golden chance at two points against what looks to be an inferior opponent. Make hay while the sun shines - the schedule won't be as favorable later in the season.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - 8-1-1 in their past 9 games. Yesterday saw a nice win over the Sens, with some great goaltending all around.
• Flames - Just three wins in the month of November, but one of those was yesterday in Philly. Beating the Flyers was something we can be thankful for to the Flames.

Questions to be answered

• Does Johnson play today?
• How can the Flames be this bad? They have a great goaltender and lots of offense in their lineup.
• Can we keep Olli bottled up? He always seems to play well against the Pens, and he's struggling so far this year.

Keys to the game

• Draw penalties and get onto the power play. That's the best recipe for beating Kiprusoff, and the PK of the Flames can be had.
• Match up well. The Flames can load up a top line better than most opponents, with Iginla leading the way. Expect a healthy dose of Michalek against Iginla.
• Let Iginla sleep. He has had a slow start to the season. Don't provoke him.

Penguins 3, Flames 1

So what happened?
Great game to watch - lots of action up and down the ice. The Pens used timely scoring and a great performance from Marc-Andre Fleury to beat the Flames.

Who scored?
Crosby (30), Guerin (15), Kennedy (8)

Any surprises?
The power play came up with a huge goal, retaking the lead (for good) about a minute after the Flames PP had tied the game at 1-1.

Any change in the standings?
Not much, and I'm falling asleep at the keyboard. I'll have more on this later.

Who's next?
Edmonton - tomorrow night. Quick turnaround, which could be good given the performance tonight.

Notes:

• Fleury really rebounded from a lackluster performance in Minnesota.
• Geno shows some signs of life, driving the net hard on more than one occasion.
• The Saddledome has GREAT camera angles. You're really close to the action and have a nice vantage point. Hopefully the Pens noticed that when designing the Consol Energy Center.

Game #48 - at Calgary Flames

Game 48

Penguins (28-18-1, 57 points) at Wild (26-14-6, 58 points)

Why does it matter?
The Saddledome is a tough place to play, and the Pens are having trouble lately. Both teams have struggled on the power play, and in their end result lately.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - A disappointing result in Minnesota due to some disappointing play on the power play and in goal.
  
• Flames - The Flames have lost three out of four and are not as tough at home this year.

Questions to be answered

• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)

Keys to the game

• No time for this (the game starts in under two hours) - just win the game!

Penguins 2, Flames 0

Remember last April and May?  It seems like a distant memory.  Tonight we were treated to our best reminder of what the games will look like in a few weeks.

Tonight was a tough, physical game with lots of action.  The Pens controlled play along the end boards in the offensive zone and were able to generate scoring chances from it.  I think that's the first time we've seen them be able to do that with any kind of consistency in quite some time.

Fleury was stellar, making all the saves in earning his fourth shutout of the season.

The D was excellent, both on the PK and in providing the scoring (the USS Gill goal is the latest sign of the Apocalypse).

Heck, even Olli Frickin' Jokinen didn't hurt the Pens tonight.

The bad news is that the Canes won again, staying one point ahead of the Pens.  The good news is that the Pens have a game in hand over the Canes, so they have the chance to earn the 5th spot if they win out.  The Rangers can tie the Pens, but I think the Pens would take the higher seed in tiebreakers.

Sure would be nice to get to that 4th spot and earn home ice in the first round... especially given how the team has responded on this home stand.

Next up:  Nothing is easy - the Blueshirts invade the Igloo on Saturday afternoon.

Penguins 3, Flames 2 (OT - SO - 2-1)

I think this is what hockey is supposed to look like. The third period and overtime were fast, well played and exciting. Each team had some great chances, there was some big hitting and some great goal tending.

It's a good thing the Pens and Flames don't play regularly, because I think Gary Roberts and Dion Phaneuf would wipe each other out, with the resulting explosion wiping out several city blocks.

The Flames had the lead, 1-0, after one period. Malkin tied the game on a wicked wrist shot in the second period on the power play. Iginla got his second of the game on the power play to give the Flames the lead, 2-1, going into the third.

The only reason this game made it to OT was because Ryan Malone, with the Pens on the PK, won a battle along the boards with one guy, chipped it past a second and blew past a third on his way to a breakaway goal against Kiprusoff.

OT was exciting, but uneventful, in that no goals were scored.

In the SO, Sykora puts a nasty move on Kiprusoff and roofs the puck. Let's hope this can kick-start his play in regulation. The guy can't buy a goal right now.

With the score tied 1-1 in the SO, Letang had the chance to win it. He used a sick move and flipped the puck off the back hand over the right leg of Kiprusoff. If you haven't seen the goal, you need to watch the highlights on penguins.nhl.com when they're posted. It's worth your time.

Notes:

• Fleury started, but was hurt during the game. No word on him yet.
• Orpik's minutes are really down with the Pens dressing 7 defensemen again.
• Iginla played over 26 minutes! That's big for a forward.

Next up: one more stop out west, in Vancouver on Saturday night. It's a late start, eh?

Game #28 - at Calgary Flames

Pittsburgh Penguins (13-12-2, 28 pts) at Calgary Flames (11-13-4, 26 pts)

The Pens stay on the West Coast for a game tonight against Calgary. They've finally managed to get back over .500 and are now 6-2-1 in their last 9 games. That's something to build on.

The Flames have been inconsistent this year. They've run off two different periods of impressive play, a 6-1-2 run and a 4-2 run, but they've also had a three, four and five game losing streak. They just snapped their four game losing streak by beating St Louis.

The Flames are the worst penalty-killing team in the Western Conference. They've tried to fix that by taking fewer penalties, which is a great idea. In their last three games, they've only had to kill 6 power play chances. They only killed four successfully. Not a great percentage, but not as big an impact.

I'd imagine we'll still see Fleury tonight, after Sabourin floundered in Toronto on Saturday (at least, I hope so - Fleury is playing well).

Flames blog - Five Hole Fanatics
Check out the review of the recent win over the Blues, which was more lopsided that the score would indicate.

Let's Go Pens!