The Pens weren't ready for the start of the game. Perhaps no one was less ready than Brent Johnson, who allowed a 47 foot unobstructed shot by Brian Rolston to get by him just 1:22 into the game. That put the Pens behind the Eight Ball for the rest of the night.
Brodeur made a few key saves, but the Pens were unable to mount any kind of sustained pressure until later in the third period.
The legs, tenacity and urgency just weren't there at the start.
Who scored?
No one.
The Good?
- Kovalchuk didn't do anything of merit.
- No one was hurt.
The Bad?
- Where was the skating and hitting, especially on the forecheck, during the first period? I know Brodeur can handle the puck enough to short-circuit some of that, but I also watched too many forwards not finish their checks when they had the chance.
The Ugly?
- The refs were wildly inconsistent again. Matt Cooke absolutely should have been called for goaltender interference.
Any Surprises?
- I can't say the outcome is a surprise. We've seen the Devils do this to the Pens too many times.
What's their record now? Any important move in the standings?
The Pens are now 29-15-4. They are five points behind the Flyers for first place in the Atlantic.
Who's next?
The Hurricanes come to Consol on Saturday night with All-Star captain Eric Staal.
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