Penguins 2, Kings 1 (OT)

So what happened?

Jordan Staal was exhausted. He came onto the ice with 2:21 remaining in OT. His shift was due to change when the Pens iced the puck with 0:54 left in the game. HCDB was concerned, so he called timeout. That gave Staal and Dupuis (also on the ice, along with Letang and Martin) time to breathe.

After the timeout, the Pens got the puck out and worked it down the ice. After a Jack Johnson turnover, Staal had what seemed like his 37th good scoring chance, and he buried this one, with just 0:19 remaining in OT.

It was the type of shift the Pens were hoping to get from Staal in the absence of Sid and Geno.

The Pens brought the heart and desire tonight. They were certainly outgunned against the Kings, but they didn't let that stop them. Four lines rolled, and everyone (except Jeffrey, who got hurt) played over 10 minutes. That's terrific, especially when you consider it was the first NHL action of the season for all four of the Wilkes-Barre players.

This was a great way to earn two points.

Who scored?

Sterling (1), Staal (4)

The Good?

• Sterling has the offensive instincts, doesn't he? His goal was a great shot.
• The defense, especially Michalek, stepped it up big time. The Pens could not afford breakdowns and lapses, and they really didn't have any. The Kings nearly had a few odd-man rushes, but the Pens always shut them down.
• Marc-Andre Fleury was also great. He made every save you'd want him to.
• Jordan Staal played like a #1 center.
• The Pens were able to weather the storm and counter the momentum in the second period, which is good since I think the Kings would have blown things open had they kept going like they were in the first.

The Bad?

• Nothing really - a few dumb penalties to take in the first period that help put the team behind the 8-ball.

The Ugly?

• The Clueless Zebras decided that nothing would be called for the last five minutes of the third period. The result was essentially a free-for-all kind of melee. One of my least favorite phrases is "let the players decide", because it is a complete cop out on the part of the refs when it comes to doing their jobs.

Any Surprises?

• The four guys from Wilkes-Barre - who would have thought they'd all play this well in their debut? Certainly you hope things go this well, but I don't think anyone expected 10+ minutes and a big goal.

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

The Pens are now 35-17-4. They have 74 points and are still three points behind the Flyers for first place. The Flyers won tonight over the Canes and also (through the magic of NHL scheduling) have two games-in-hand over the Pens again.

Who's next?

The newbies need to get some rest because they're back at it tomorrow night against the Islanders.

Game #56 - vs Los Angeles Kings

Game 56

Kings (29-22-2, 60 points) at Penguins (34-17-4, 72 points)

Why does it matter?
Tonight is the return of Rob Scuderi to Pittsburgh. Scuderi was one of my favorite players when he was here. Other than being a great defensive guy, he had the role of the last guy on the 5-on-3 perfected. He was able to get down on one knee (to take away the cross-ice pass) and back up faster than anyone I've seen.

Oh, and the Pens could use some offense and two points while they're at it.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Two straight losses and a rash of injuries (plus a suspension) has the Pens in some deep trouble.
• Kings - 5-0-1 over their past six, along with some signs that the power play might be waking up.

Questions to be answered

• Who will score? Paging Jordan Staal and Pascal Dupuis...
• How will the Wilkes-Barre guys fit in? For those of you just joining us, Tangradi and Wallace were sent down and Vitale, Craig, Johnson and Sterling were called up.
• Can the defense step up and carry this team? That's where the money is, and they've been pretty good at shutting folks down. They need to do it now more than ever.

Keys to the game

• Circle the wagons. Play the "no respect" card if needed.
• Stay out of the box - no lazy penalties.
• Use the D. Have Letang, Goligoski and Martin get involved more offensively.

Game #16 - at Los Angeles Kings

Game 16
Penguins (12-3-0, 24 pts) at Kings (9-4-2, 20 pts)


Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

Two great young defensemen.

Why does it matter?
It's not quite the Clash of the Titans, but these are two of the top teams so far this season.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - The Pens won a thriller over the Ducks on Tuesday. Their power play continues to struggle, while the role players have stepped way up.
  
• Kings - The Kings are coming off of a nice road win at Phoenix and have points in 7 straight games.
  

Questions to be answered

• LA limits the shots against them - they've allowed 31 in the last two game combined (that's really low). Can the Pens generate consistent offense?
  
• What is up with the power play? I know they're short-handed right now, but they still have some good talent out there.
  
• Neither team has taken many penalties of late. Who will win the battle at even-strength?
  

Keys to the game

• Despite the low shot totals, the Kings allow their share of goals. Jonathan Quick has average numbers.
  
• Keep Kopitar in check - he's the leading scorer in the NHL so far this year.
  
• Make it a team effort again.
  

Penguins 4, Kings 1

I didn't watch this game. There was something far more important to do - the finale of Battlestar Galactica!

If it had been the Flyers or Caps as the opponent, I might feel differently (probably not), but this took a complete back seat.

Here are the video highlights, so that I'll know as much about the game as you do:


Next up: Flyers. Sunday. Need I say more?

Penguins 4, Kings 2 - Video Highlights

Here are the video highlights from the home win over the Kings.

You can read the full review here.

Penguins 4, Kings 2

Nice game by the Pens today to beat a hot team. It wasn't as close as the score indicated. The score was 4-0 after two periods, and was 4-1 until about 1:30 remaining in the third period. Getting it down to two goals allowed the Kings to pull LaBarbera and make it a bit exciting, but they really didn't have a chance.

Sabourin played well enough to get his first home win of the season. More importantly, he came up big in the first two periods when a soft goal could have turned the course of the game. He essentially did a Conklin and made all of the saves he was supposed to make. The Pens defense helped him out by clearing any rebounds and keeping the chances to the outside.

Malkin continues to show everyone he's an elite player in the NHL. If he can continue this kind of effort when Sid comes back, this team can go a long way in the playoffs. The top line of Malkin, Malone and Sykora should be kept together as long as possible - they're really good (even if they occasionally get trapped in their own zone).

The Kings aren't bad, but they were a little flat early on today. Maybe because the start time was equivalent to 10:00 AM on the West Coast. I'm not complaining - it's two more points for the Pens.

The Pens have sole possession of first place and are just 5 points behind Ottawa for the top spot in the East.

I have some pictures from the game that I'll have up tomorrow at some point.

Next up: HUGE game with the Flyers at the Igloo tomorrow at 1:00. It's time to get a win against these guys! No preview for this one.

Game #55 - vs Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles Kings (23-30-3, 49 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (30-19-5, 65 pts)

Wasn't Cammalleri the guy on the poker show with Talbot?


Conklin is the man.

Kings = dangerous. That's the very simple lesson the Penguins need to remember. It's easy to forget, because they ARE the Kings, right? But consider these fun facts:

• Last 12 games - 8-3-1.
• Last five games, all on the road, 3-1-1, with wins in Detroit and MSG.
• Four of those road games against the other teams in the Atlantic - 2-1-1 (better than the Pens have managed this season).

Now, their offense isn't going to strike fear into your heart, and their power play is decent, but streaky. The PK has been getting it done, however, with only one goal allowed in the past 8 games. That's tremendous, and it's something the Pens will have to crack.

I'll be in attendance at this one, so there will be more pictures, I think. Hopefully this time I won't be eating nachos and miss the fight.

Let's Go Pens!