Game #49 - at St. Louis Blues

2011-12 Game 49

Pittsburgh Penguins (27-17-4, 58 points) at St. Louis Blues (29-12-6, 64 points)

Nice two color patch.  Backes is a terrific hockey player who is hot right now.

Why does it matter?

Rangers?  Flyers?  Capitals?  They have nothing on the Blues.  The Blues have been absolutely dominant since the beginning of January (heck, since Hitchcock took over).  This is the toughest game so far this year for the Pens, hands down.

This post, by the way, was written before the Blues / Red Wings contest on Monday night.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Six wins in a row!  That's the high water mark for the season.
• Blues - Other than beating Detroit, they've done everything right since Ken Hitchcock took over.

Questions to be answered

• Will the Pens avoid the let down after the emotional OT win against the Caps?  The Blues certainly are capable of shutting down a team that isn't motivated.
• Will we see Halak or Elliot?  I know Elliot beat the Pens earlier, but I'd still rather see him.
• Can the Pens score?  Halak has FOUR shutouts in the month of January alone!

Keys to the game

• Keep it tight.  The Blues have lost by more than one goal just twice since the start of November.  Stay focused on not allowing the odd-man chances against.
• Get ready to work.  The Pens have been good at that recently, but the Blues are maybe the best team in the league at it (even better than the Rangers, in my opinion).
• Use the legs.  The Pens were resting in St. Louis while the Blues were playing the Red Wings on Monday night.  Keep the tempo high and try to tire them out.

Crosby Hangover - Blues 3, Penguins 2 (OT)

So what happened?

I'm a bit late with this (Happy Thanksgiving!!), but the short version is the Pens were completely dominated for the first half of the game or so, and they weren't able to earn two points.  Good job to earn one, but it would be better not to get your butt kicked for the first 20 minutes of the game.

Who scored?

Sullivan (3), Neal (13)

What's their record now?

The Pens are 12-6-4.

Who's next?

The Senators complete the three game homestand.

Game #22 - vs St. Louis Blues

2011-12 Game 22

St. Louis Blues (10-8-2, 22 points) at Pittsburgh Penguins (12-6-3, 27 points)

Steen is the leading scorer for the Blues this year.  I like the look of these Season Ticket cards.

Why does it matter?

The Blues are a new team (and a tough challenge) for the Pens under new coach Ken Hitchcock.  The Pens will be trying to avoid the hangover from the return of Sidney Crosby on Monday.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Sid came back and the Pens kicked butt against the Isles.
• Blues - Two straight losses, but the Blues are a new defensive team under Ken Hitchcock, with a 4-1-2 record since he started.

Questions to be answered

• What will we see from Sid and everyone else once the initial excitement of his return wears off?  How will they respond?
• Can the Pens score against the Blues?  Under Hitchcock, they've allowed three goals just once (not counting the extra goal allowed in losing two shootouts).
• Can the defense continue their strong play and avoid further injuries?  They're essentially at full strength for the first time in a long time (minus only Ben Lovejoy).

Keys to the game

• Get to their game.  If the Pens are able to "get to their game" as HCDB likes to say, they'll generate lots of shots.  The Blues are excellent at limiting shots against (during their recent three game winning streak, they allowed 22 or less in each game).
• Win at even-strength.  None of the top three goal scorers on the Blues have a power play goal.  Steen, Oshie and Backes have done almost all of their damage at even-strength.
• Watch out for Chris Stewart (who I think is returning from suspension tonight).  He has started slowly this season, but he's a tough hard-nosed player who can score (he had 28 goals each of the last two seasons).

Blues 1, Penguins 0 (OT)

So what happened?

The Pens lost the opening faceoff in OT and the Blues never gave up the puck. Erik Johnson put a shot past Brent Johnson that he'd probably save 9 times out of 10, and that was that. Really, other than some activity on the power play for each team, and the last few minutes of the third period, that was all that happened.

Who scored?
No one.

The Good?

• They got a point. It feels kind of hollow, but I'm sure they'll be glad they got something out of it.
• The Pens held St. Louis to just 24 shots, well below their season average.
• The offense put 19 shots on Halak in the second period, but none of them were of the "golden scoring chance" variety, in my opinion. Maybe that's because Halak looks so casual in his movements in the crease.

The Bad?

• Stat of the game - Geno on faceoffs - 0 wins, 1 BIG loss. To start OT, he jumped, forcing Sid to get kicked out of the circle. Geno went in and lost. The Blues only briefly lost the puck from that point on.
• The brief time they lost the puck was when Paul Martin had it in the corner, only to have Oshie strip him of the puck and set up the winning goal. Not a good play by Martin there.
• This game was an example of how a hard-hitting, defensive game can be deadly. Most of it was like watching paint dry as there were very few shots, and no one seemed to be able to get their legs moving or attack with speed.

Anything Ugly?

• The whole OT sequence was pretty ugly.

Any surprises?

• I was mildly surprised to see Johnson in net.

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

The Pens are now 5-3-1. They are in first place in the Atlantic and tied for first in the NHL (with four other teams).

Who's next?

A few days off until a trip to Tampa to play the Bolts, who are tied with the Pens atop the Eastern Conference right now.

Game #9 - at St. Louis Blues

Game 9

Penguins (5-3-0, 10 points) at Blues (3-1-2, 8 points)

Why does it matter?
This is a tough road game against a young team that has confidence right now, especially at home. They also have a goalie that will be familiar to the Pens, and not in a good way.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Four wins in a row, but five straight allowing a power play goal against.
• Blues - A win over Chicago last night snapped a three game losing streak.

Questions to be answered

• Who will we see between the pipes for both teams? My guess is Fleury and Halak (Ty Conklin is the backup for the Blues, so it should be interesting either way).
• The Blues have not been good on faceoffs. Can the Pens take advantage?
• Can the Pens avoid allowing a power play goal? This question is going to stay here until they manage to blank someone.

Keys to the game

• The Blues haven't been taking many penalties, so take advantage of the chances you get.
• No matter who the goalie is, get traffic in front.
• Stay aggressive and don't try to get too cute on offense. Get shots on net with traffic and crash.

Penguins 4, Predators 3 (OT)

So what happened?

This is an early nominee for regular season Game of the Year. It was fast and physical all over the ice. There was something for everyone: special teams play, great saves, great hits and great skill. The difference was Sid and Geno, who combined for 17 (!!!) shots. The Predators just didn't have an answer for them.

Who scored?
Malkin (3), Crosby 2 (5,6), Letang (2)

The Good?

• The Pens matched the speed and intensity of the Predators. They didn't back down or tighten up when the intensity ratcheted up a few notches.
• Marc-Andre played a good game. He made some key saves at crucial moments and his defense helped him out for the most part.
• Sid and Geno were unstoppable, and Bylsma had them playing together for large chunks of the game. It was good to see HCDB adapt to what was happening on the ice and stack his top line.
• The lines were rolling, and they needed to be. Tangradi was the low man in terms of minutes, and he played almost 9.

The Bad?

• I'm going to say that if Geno keeps playing really long shifts, it will bite the Pens in the butt eventually, especially if he does it in the third period again.
• Can someone besides Geno go after the other team's pest next time? It was nice to see Malkin take a shot at Tootoo, but I'd much rather see anyone on the third and fourth line do it.
• Rinne pretty clearly cheated off of the post on Sid's bad-angle goal. If he hugs the post there, Sid doesn't score.
• The Preds first goal was a letdown by the Pens' defense. The puck went side to side across the top of the crease (about a foot outside of the blue paint). No one stopped the puck and no one had the man on the far side (Legwand) who buried it.

Anything Ugly?

• No - this was easily the most entertaining regular season game I've seen in a LONG time.

Any surprises?

• Nashville only had 21 shots on net. Not only did it feel like more, but they were averaging 34 coming into the game.

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

The Pens are now 5-3-0. They are tied with the Isles for first place, not only in the Atlantic, but also in the Eastern Conference. Not bad for a team that lost their first three at home.

Who's next?

Off to St. Louis for a Saturday night game.

Penguins 5, Blues 1

Totally missed the game last night. I have DirecTV, which doesn't carry Versus right now.

It was nice to see the box score (and highlights).

A few quick thoughts:

• I can't remember seeing the Pens get so many chances in transition this season. Either the Blues aren't used to it, or the Pens are getting better at generating them.
• They kept the penalties to a minimum, tying their season low with having to kill only two penalties.
• 12 shots for Malkin with 11 more that were missed? Can those numbers be right?
• That goal post early by Winchester could have sent the game in a different direction.
• Hopefully Gonchar isn't hurt too badly.

Next up: Friday night at home against Florida.

Game #9 - vs St. Louis Blues

Game 9
Blues (3-2-1, 7 pts) at Penguins (7-1-0, 14 pts)


Mellon Arena - Pittsburgh

Two solid NHL wingers that came into the league in 03-04.

Why does it matter?
The Blues are a solid team with veteran leadership and good young talent. It's a good test for the Penguins.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Yeah, still rolling. No chinks in the armor other than the lack of scoring on the power play.
  
• Blues - Two wins against Detroit to start the season (overseas) and then three straight losses before a nice road shutout against Anaheim... these guys are inconsistent so far.

Questions to be answered

• The special teams will be key tonight, especially the Pens PK vs the Blues PP. So far this season, if the Blues score on the power play, they win. If they don't, they lose.
  
• Can the Pens exploit some of the younger Blues at even strength? Berglund and Perron have struggled early.
  
• Can the Pens continue to get the balanced scoring that is winning them so many games? This really is the key to a successful season, I think.
  

Keys to the game

• Keep the Blues off of the power play, and kill the chances they get.
  
• Roll four lines and exploit the Blues lack of depth on the third and fourth line.
  
• Keep Fleury in net - he's in the zone right now.

Penguins 6, Blues 3

Just a placeholder. I only saw the third period, but it was exciting.

The good news is that all of the real life activities that have been taking up my time are over, so I'll be back to a more timely posting routine.

The Pens are off until Thursday when Edmonton comes to town.

Game #12 - at St Louis Blues

Pittsburgh Penguins (5-4-2, 12 pts) at St Louis Blues (5-4-0, 10 pts)

Both of these teams are struggling right now.  The Pens have lost three in a row, while the Blues have lost three of the past four.

The formula to stopping the Blues this year is pretty simple - keep their power play in check.  When they score two or more on the power play, they are 4-1.  When they score fewer than two, they are 1-3.

Stopping them will not be easy.  The Pens' PK is improved over last year to this point (86% kill rate), but the Blues are insane on the power play so far this year, with a 31% scoring rate.

Keeping the Blues off of the power play is paramount this evening.  That's not good news for the Pens, because they have been taking some penalties while out on the road.

No word on whether Sid is going to play - it will depend on the morning skate.  That in and of itself is a good sign, because if the injury was severe, they wouldn't be considering it.

Looking forward to seeing a better effort tonight.  Heck, I'm looking forward to actually seeing an entire game...

Let's Go Pens!