Tough - Penguins 2, Coyotes 1

So what happened?

The Pens started slowly again.  They took a lead, again.  This time, however, they had to hang on for the win.

Phoenix fired lots of shots on Marc-Andre Fleury.  Fortunately, most of them were from some distance (at least for the first two periods) and there were no significant rebounds.  The goal they did score was in the third on a nice chip by Ray Whitney.  I thought Malkin should have been busting his tail get get back into the play - he looked more like he was gliding from the blue line in.

On the other end of the ice, Smith was playing very well, but he flubbed two shots in the first period.  Both went over the right pad and under the right arm / blocker.  Both were slightly deflected by Smith himself (in other words, he was just a tiny bit off in trying to stop them).  The Pens were very close to being shut out tonight.

There were no significant special teams chances, which is somewhat surprising given how physical this game was.

Who scored?

Michalek (2), Kunitz (19)

The Good?

• Michalek with his second of the year against his former team, and it was a seeing-eye shot.
• Tyler Kennedy seemed solid in his return.
• The Pens put together several great shifts in the offensive zone, and they didn't really allow any extended shifts to Phoenix.
• HCDB rolling the forward lines in a tight games.  Only Jordan Staal played more than 20 minutes up front.  That's good to see - in a tight game that is mostly even strength, it tells you the coach trusts his team.

The Bad?

• Getting out shot again.  I think that may be more a function of how Phoenix was playing, but you know HCDB can't be happy with the shot totals.

The Ugly?

• More faceoff headaches.  Staal and Vitale combined to win 11 while losing 22 (yikes).

Any Surprises?

• Brian Strait - four blocks and four hits.  It was a solid night for him in just over 12 minutes.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 39-21-5.  They are all alone in fourth place in the conference, four points ahead of Philly and New Jersey, and eight points behind the Rangers.

Who's next?

Wednesday night the Leafs come to Consol.

Game #65 - vs Phoenix Coyotes

2011-12 Game 65

Phoenix Coyotes (33-23-9, 75 points) at Pittsburgh Penguins (38-21-5, 81 points)

30 goals for this guy.  Also - Pinnacle has some really different photos in their set.  I like the different shots they get.

Why does it matter?

The Penguins have somehow found their way to the #2 spot in the points race in the East.  They can't enjoy it, however, with New Jersey and Philadelphia breathing down their necks.  Earning two points before moving on to some tougher Eastern Conference opponents is key.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Five in a row after kicking the stuffing out of the Avalanche on Saturday.
• Coyotes - After winning six in a row, the Coyotes have lost two in a row, both at home, including their most recent debacle against the Blue Jackets.

Questions to be answered

• Who are these guys?  Ray Whitney a +23 with 59 points?  Radim Vrbata has 30 goals and is a +21?
• Anyone call Cal O'Reilly?  He spent 23 games with the Coyotes this season and could probably lend some insight.
• Will the secondary guys keep scoring?  This could be the biggest factor in the Pens' chances for continues success.  Teams are going to focus on Geno more and more, so the other guys will need to get used to stepping up.

Keys to the game

• Thank the Blue Jackets.  Seriously - they softened up the Avs and we saw what happened in Colorado. Now they've worked their magic on the Coyotes.  Let's hope for a similar result (though I think this one will be tougher).
• Don't be afraid of the power play.  The Coyotes power play is woeful (though they have scored on the power play in each of the past two games).
• Kennedy.  Tyler Kennedy is a game-time decision.  He would add some more speed and shooting to the third line.

Penguins 6, Coyotes 1

So what happened?

The Pens were both lucky and good while the game was close. After that, they were in cruise control.

The Pens converted on their first power play chance of the night to get the game going in the right direction. After that, they took four consecutive penalties, with the Coyotes power play doing everything right except for putting the puck in the net.

The key play of the game was Shane Doan taking a really dumb penalty during the Coyotes fourth power play in the first period. It negated the power play and put the teams at even strength (4 on 4). Two seconds later, Sid won the draw going forward, creating a two-on-one. He got the puck over to Geno, who buried it.

The Pens added some insurance markers, but they really dominated the game from that point forward.

Who scored?

Letang (6), Malkin 2 (12, 13), Crosby (27), Cooke (6), Conner (3)

The Good?

• Just about everything, but my top item worthy of praise tonight was the penalty kill. They'd allowed a goal in seven straight games but managed to (somehow) weather the storm tonight in the face of 8 chances for the Coyotes. It wasn't pretty, and they got some help from bad ice and broken sticks, but it worked.
• A five point night for Geno and three more for Sid.
• Not sure if this is "good" or not... but EVERY player for the Pens played on the penalty kill. All of them. Seriously. Even Asham and Kennedy... Rupp and Letestu... Engelland... wow.
• Great work by Flower during the first period especially to stone the Coyotes until the Pens could get things going.

The Bad?

• Taking four penalties in the first and then the extended five-on-three debacle late in the second. Fortunately it didn't hurt the Pens, but those are seven penalties you can't take, and most of them were mental mistakes.
• Hopefully Taylor Pyatt isn't hurt. Engelland hit him with a KO punch.
• Scottie Upshall is annoying to watch when he's not on your team. I remember when he and Hartnell were on the Flyers together... boy that was aggravating to see as a fan... I can't imagine what it was like to play against them.

The Ugly?

• Keith Yandle, early in the second, doesn't make the easy play to get the puck out while on the PK. He decides to try to kill some more clock and trips on his own feet behind his own net. Faster than you can say "dumb", the puck is in the back of the net courtesy of Sid and Geno. Really ugly for Yandle. I know he doesn't get a minus for that, but boy he sure should.

Any Surprises?

• The shenanigans between Shane Doan and Matt Cooke (they bumped after the game) were surprising in the sense that we don't see much of that from Cooke against teams from the East. He and Doan must not like each other from way back.

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

The Pens are now 22-10-2. They are three points behind the Flyers for the lead in the Atlantic division and the NHL.

Who's next?

A day off and then back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday is the warm-up act as the Panthers come to Consol.

Game #34 - vs Phoenix Coyotes

Game 34

Coyotes (15-9-7, 37 points) at Penguins (21-10-2, 44 points)

Why does it matter?
Two straight losses make the winning streak seem like a distant memory. The Pens need to right the ship, and Sid needs to start getting the puck on the net again.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - There has been some time off after last Wednesday's loss to the Rangers. That gave us all time to watch 24/7 on HBO!
• Coyotes - They've had mixed success on their East Coast trip, going 1-1-1 in New Jersey and New York.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens take advantage of a leaky PK and a goalie not playing well? Bryzgalov is not likely to play, and LaBarbera has been average (three goals per game with a decent save percentage over the last two).
• Can the Pens plug their own leaks? The PK has allowed a goal in 7 straight games.
• Can the Pens match the work ethic of the Coyotes? This has been a problem for them in the past.

Keys to the game

• Sid shooting the puck is paramount. The ESPN preview has the stat of the year so far - when Sid has four or more shots, the Pens are 14-1-1. They're just 7-9-1 when he doesn't.
• Jump all over Yandle and Morris. Yandle was a minus player in six of his past nine, and Morris in four of the past five.
• Play 60 minutes. Zone time early on is great, but it needs to be followed up by more zone time later in the game to be effective.

Penguins 4, Coyotes 3 (OT - SO - 1-0)

So what happened?

Things started out poorly for the Pens but they were able to battle back to tie the game and send it to OT. They were unable to score in OT, despite a power play for the last 90 seconds or so and the game went to a shootout. The last of the shooters was the only one to score. Marc Letestu beat Bryzgalov with a quick wrister right through the wickets to send the Pens back home with something positive to build on.

Who scored?
Crosby (9), Malkin (4), Kunitz (3)

The Good?

• The power play scored again.
• Johnson was excellent in relief of Fleury, allowing just one goal (though you'd have to say it was a soft one). The Coyotes didn't mount too much offense, however.
• Nice effort to try to take the lead in the third period. The Pens out shot the Coyotes 14-7 during the period.
• Mike Comrie was involved offensively a few times. It seems like that's the first time this year that he's been able to be noticed.
• Sid and Geno led the way, showing that the hard work will pay off. Both goals (especially Sid's goal) were the product of being in the right place at the right time.
• Great play by Letestu to reverse the puck back to Kunitz for the game-tying goal. Great shot by Kunitz to roof the puck.

The Bad?

• Flower was yanked. The first goal certainly wasn't his fault, though you'd like him to make that save. The second one, however, was likely his worst all year.
• I think we're going to see Lovejoy when the Pens play on Wednesday at home. Engelland played less than 7 minutes. He was directly culpable on the first two Coyotes goals. Last night wasn't much better, with just over 10 minutes of ice time (that's low for a defenseman).
• Another slow start by the Pens. There were several times where they just didn't appear ready for the speed brought by the Coyotes.

Anything Ugly?

• The officiating was the most confusing I've seen in any game this year. The players had to be frustrated on both teams - no one had any idea what was or was not a penalty.

Any surprises?

• We haven't seen a shootout this year, so Letestu getting the call in the SO over Goligoski or Malkin was a surprise to me. I'm anxious to see if he has any slick moves (ala Letang) - tonight all we saw was an advantageous wrist shot (not that I'm complaining - it worked!)

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

The Pens are now 7-7-1. They are four points behind Philly for the lead in the Atlantic.

Who's next?

A few days off (again) until a game on Wednesday night at home against Boston.

Game #15 - at Phoenix Coyotes

Game 15

Penguins (6-7-1, 13 points) at Coyotes (4-5-3, 11 points)

Why does it matter?
The Pens need to stop the bleeding. Facing the Coyotes penalty kill could be the perfect thing to cauterize the wound.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - A great effort with nothing to show for it last night in Anaheim.
• Coyotes - The Coyotes have been really inconsistent so far. Two wins in their past four games is the best stretch of the season to this point.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens keep the intensity and work ethic for the entire game? The Coyotes have played really well against the Pens the last few years.
• Who will be in goal? I didn't think Fleury played poorly last night.
• The Coyotes PK allowed four goals last night. Can the Pens take advantage the same way?

Keys to the game

• The Coyotes are usually outshot and have fewer chances on the power play. That's a recipe for disaster.
• Yandle and Morris, two of the Coyotes top D, have been pretty bad. Yandle is a -7 and Morris is a -6.
• Have Geno keep shooting. He had 5 last night, but only 8 total in the three games prior to that. If he's playing the point on the power play, get him set for the one-timer and let it rip.

Coyotes 3, Penguins 0

Holy trap game, Batman!

The Pens just didn't seem to have it together from the start of the game. Matt Cooke took an interference call just 40 seconds in, and that was typical of the entire night.

The Pens took 10 minor penalties, resulting in 7 Phoenix power plays. The Coyotes used the power play to get two of their goals (the third was an empty netter). The Pens, by contrast, couldn't score on the power play and seemed stubborn in their insistence to carry the puck into the offensive zone, despite what you, me and everyone else watching could see, namely that the Coyotes were lining up to make the Pens dump the puck.

The only positive we can take out of tonight is that Brent Johnson looked pretty good in his debut.

All told, this was a thoroughly disappointing effort.

Let's hope tomorrow is better.

Next up: Yeah - tomorrow in Philadelphia. They better be up for that one, or the score will be 12-0, not 3-0.

Game #3 - vs Phoenix Coyotes

Game 3
Coyotes (1-0-0, 2 pts) at Penguins (2-0-0, 4 pts)


Mellon Arena - Pittsburgh

If Mueller is OUTSTANDING, what does that make Geno? I'm going with SUPREME.

Why does it matter?
This is one of the games that you'll look back on late in the year if the Pens fail to get two points. It's a weaker team at home - the Pens need to take care of business, especially considering the game tomorrow night.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens make this one look easier than the first two games?
• The Coyotes opened with an impressive road win, spoiling the home opener of the improved Kings. Can they keep it up?
  
• Is Sid healthy enough?
  

Keys to the game

• Dominate the offensive zone - keep possession of the puck and apply pressure.
  
• Stay out of the penalty box.
• Continue to execute on the power play - even though they didn't score against the Isles, I thought they played well.

Coyotes 4, Penguins 1

These late games are killing me.

This is another one I saw very little of, but the numbers show the maddening inconsistency:

• First period: 2 shots
  
• Second period: 18 shots
  
• Third period: 8 shots (trailing)
  

The Pens had a 5 on 3 for over a minute in the third, trailing by one, and couldn't get one home.  That's the ballgame right there.

Therrien has to be losing a bit of patience.  He was quoted after the game as saying: 

"The system's only 50 percent of the game, after that, the players have to play hard. It's an excuse."

Sid was hurt with five minutes remaining in the second.  He's listed as day-to-day currently.

Next up:  a Saturday night fiesta in St Louis, who have an insane power play.  If the penalty killers aren't ready to go, it'll be a long night.

Game #11 - at Phoenix Coyotes

Pittsburgh Penguins (5-3-2, 12 pts) at Phoenix Coyotes (3-4-0, 6 pts)

The Coyotes have been among the havenots in the league for several years running, despite the presence of Wayne Gretzky.  The young Coyotes have played better in limited action at home (2-1), and Bryzgalov is still an excellent goalie.

Sid and Geno are being split up to generate a more balanced attack across all lines.  The interesting thing is that Staal is being used as a center as well, on the third line.  I'm anxious to see how the ice time is divided up.

Olli Jokinen has been a Penguins killer in the past.  The Coyotes have not done the same, losing the last three to the Pens.

Let's Go Pens!

Penguins 3, Coyotes 1

I thought this was going to turn into a game from 03-04, with the Coyotes playing the role of the Penguins.

The Coyotes are clearly challenged offensively, especially on the power play. They managed only nine shots through the first two periods, and 18 for the game. They managed to finally get a power play goal, but they were unable to generate any kind of sustained pressure throughout the entire game.

The Pens, for their part, were unable to convert on numerous power play chances during the first two periods. The thing is, they weren't unable to score because of their own play. I think it was largely the play of Bryzgalov. He was really good tonight. I'm surprised he wasn't one of the three stars.

The Pens finally did break through on the power play in the third period to break a 1-1 tie. Crosby faked a shot, freezing just about everyone in the building, and threw a pass across to Letang. The most impressive part about the shot by Letang was that he didn't try to one-time the puck. He took a split second to settle the hard pass before firing it into the empty cage (Bryzgalov got a stick on it anyway, amazingly).

Great win for the Pens. They stuck with their system and kept working. They received scoring from three guys that aren't counted on to score. They also received some great goal tending. Most of all, they received a win.

Next up: To the West Coast! The Pens play Edmonton on Wednesday night.

Game #25 - vs Phoenix Coyotes

Phoenix Coyotes (11-13-0, 22 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (11-12-2, 24 pts)

Last year, the Pens (11-10-4) played the Coyotes in game #25, in Phoenix, crushing them 7-2. This year, under similar circumstances, the Pens hope to replicate the results.

The Coyotes got a nice bump from picking up Bryzgalov off of waivers, winning four games in a row. That surge appears to be over, as they've lost three in a row since then. They have been a decent road team so far this year, but all three of the recent losses were on the road.

The Pens will try to get back on track after a poor effort in Toronto on Saturday. I'd expect to see Fleury back in net for the Flightless Birds. He's been solid lately.

I'm wondering when we'll see a resolution to the Mark Recchi situation. You can't imagine they'll keep scratching the guy. Shero seems to have more respect for his players than that. Just look at the way he handled the John Leclair situation last year. Something will happen soon, I think.

I'm also wondering when we'll see Sergei Gonchar back in the lineup. I'm thinking that with all of these games packed in tight, they'll take their time with him. You don't want him to be hurt worse than he is now, and 4 games in 6 nights doesn't lend itself to a good groin recovery (not that I'm an expert on groins or anything...).

Coyote blog - One Fan's Perspective
Check out their preview of tonight's game. PB says tonight is a must-win for the Coyotes to have a nice finish to their poor road trip.

Let's Go Pens!

Pens acquire Georges Laraque

The Pens acquired Georges Laraque from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Daniel Carcillo and a third round draft pick.

Laraque is signed through next season. He has a $1.1 million salary this year and $1.3 next. He will essentially make a guy like Ronald Petrovicky unnecessary.

I like the addition of Laraque. He's big (6'3", 240 lbs) and is arguably the best fighter in the NHL. He has decent hands and can contribute offensively. The only thing I don't like is that his skating is sub par.

Giving up Carcillo isn't easy, but considering his possible upside, along with the people already in Pittsburgh, there wasn't much room for him to play.

Hat tip to Will for pointing this one out to me.

Penguins 7, Coyotes 2

There were so many impressive things about this game. I'll just point out several of them:

• Crosby's goal on the backhand while falling over was another highlight reel goal. He had four points in the game. He leads the scoring race by 10 points. Looks like he's going to run away with it.
• Every player on the team got almost a full minute of time on the power play. This was largely due to the major penalty assessed to Josh Gratton in the third period with the game already decided. Still, pretty unusual.
• Among the latest signs the Apocalypse is upon us, the Pens got goals from Talbot, Ruutu and Petrovicky. Ruutu and Talbot continue to show some offensive skill. Ruutu's goal was a really nice one, faking the pass on a two-on-one and the beating Tellqvist by going five-hole.
• Along the same vein, the third and fourth line have continued to show the ability to generate chances in the offensive zone. The mantra would seem to be "Grinders with some skill".
• The Pens came out in the third period up 4-2. As we all know, there's nothing more dangerous than a two goal lead, especially when your team might be tired from playing the previous night. There were no signs of fatigue at all, and the Pens dominated.
• Thibault played his best game of the season. He wasn't asked to carry the team, but he made key saves when they were needed in the second and third periods.
• The Pens responded to the physical challenges issued by the Coyotes. This is especially important, because other teams are going to try to intimidate them down the stretch by beating on them at every opportunity.

Next up: a three game home stand starting Tuesday vs the Panthers. Time for a little payback.

Game #48 - at Phoenix Coyotes

Pittsburgh Penguins (22-17-8, 52 pts) at Phoenix Coyotes (23-24-2, 48 pts)

The Coyotes are sitting 8 points out of the playoffs. They need a win badly.

The Penguins are in the eighth and final playoff spot, with six teams within six points. They need this win badly.

The Coyotes started out the season poorly, going 4-12 in their first 16 games. They're 19-12-2 since that point. They also have a winning record at home (12-10-1). This won't be an easy game for the Pens.

The area to pick on the Coyotes is special teams. Their power play isn't very good, clicking at just 15.4%. Their PK is equally bad, even worse than the Penguins, at 79.3%. They also take lots of penalties. The Pens need to use their speed to draw penalties and then go to work on the power play. The question in my mind is do they have the legs to work that hard after their emotional win last night? We'll find out a lot about this team tonight.

Hidden stat - the Coyotes are 5-1 against the Eastern Conference.

Coyotes blog - There aren't many, but One Fan's Perspective is a good one. They (shockingly) want the Pens to lose tonight. Evidently Darren Pang was falling all over himself praising Crosby during the Coyotes telecast last night.

I'm anxious to find out what this team has in the tank tonight. They're going to be a little tired having expended so much energy last night, and tonight should be a good indicator of what we can expect later in the year when the schedule is equally crowded.

Let's Go Pens!