Sunday, February 20, 2011

Blackhawks 3, Penguins 2 (OT - SO - 1-0)

So what happened?
You never like to let that extra point slip away, but this one can't sting too badly for the Pens.

There wasn't much of a sustained offense for the Pens today, and they were just trying to stem the tide in the early part of the game. They managed to tilt the ice back to a more level playing surface but never really took control of the game.

If not for the efforts of Marc-Andre Fleury, this game would n0t have been close.

So, take the point and head back home.

Who scored?
Cooke (11), Sterling (3)

The Good?
  • After a slow start, the effort was there. Cooke's shorty was a perfect example of that. Aside from the one defenseman that was back, Talbot and Cooke started out pretty much even with the other Hawks players. It was their effort level that got them the two-on-one which Cooke converted.
  • Brett Sterling again showed a nose for the net. He has five points in his first five games (3 + 2).
  • Flower was great. I think the lone stinker (the Bickell goal) deflected off of Michalek, but of course NBC didn't slow down the replay enough for us to get a good look.
  • Good job by HCDB in not shortening the bench too much given that the Pens play tomorrow night.
The Bad?
  • The power play really struggled in some of their early chances. They couldn't seem to enter the zone in an organized fashion.
The Ugly?
  • You want to see how not to play a two-on-one? Take a look at the Cooke goal. Special mention also goes to the other Blackhawk players - the effort simply wasn't there.
Any Surprises?
  • Brett Sterling's continuing point streak is a surprise.
What's their record now? Any important move in the standings?
The Pens are now 36-19-5. They are six points behind the Flyers for the division lead, but five points ahead of the Caps for the fourth spot in the East.

Who's next?
The Caps come to Consol tomorrow night. No rest for the weary.

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