Penguins off to fast start after strong opening weekend

The Pens opened up the 2012-13 season with two straight on the road, in Philadelphia on Saturday and in New York on Sunday.

They came away with four points, and even better, won both games in regulation (meaning, they prevented their division rivals from earning any points).

Things went about as well as you could hope for - here are the positives I took away from the first two games:

• No injuries -  Seriously - this is #1 for me given that these guys had almost no training camp and most of them were not used to game speed just yet.  I don't know if it's just me, but I still get nervous every time I see Sid get hit hard.  Not sure that feeling will ever go away.
• Distributing the minutes for the forwards - Every forward played less than 20 minutes in both games.  Geno only played 16:50 in each one.  Admittedly, it is much easier to roll the lines when you have a lead, but for the opening weekend, it was good to see everyone get into the flow.  The lowest minutes total for either game was Dustin Jeffrey in game 1 with 8:49.
• Glass - Tanner Glass has fit in very well with the team so far.  I don't think people realized what the Pens were getting when then signed him, ostensibly to take Aaron Asham's spot on the roster.  Glass is the #5 forward on the penalty kill (Adams, Cooke, Sutter and Dupuis are the top 4), and he brings a physical presence.  He also plays much more than Asham did and is a much better overall hockey player.
• Goaltending - Fleury and Vokoun give the Pens an excellent 1-2 punch in net.  There's no question in my mind that Flower is your #1 guy, but Vokoun gives them the best backup they've had during Crosby's tenure with the team (no disrespect to Brent Johnson, but he's no Vokoun)
• Power play - Remember all the talk before the season about James Neal on the point, and how disjointed the power play looked?  Starting out by converting four times on eight chances kind of kills that line of thought, doesn't it?  Even if one PP goal was a empty-netter, and two others were by the second unit and / or off of the rush (Dupuis' goal).

All things considered, you probably could not have scripted a better start to the season for the Pens.

The Maple Leafs will be in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.  Hope the magic continues.

Bright Lights - Penguins 5, Rangers 2

So what happened?

Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang each had highly successful returns to the lineup.  Sid had a point and was +3 in 16 minutes of ice time.  Letang also had an assist and was +5 while leading the Pens with over 24 minutes on the ice.

The Pens didn't play their best game tonight.  At times, it looked like things were going in slow-motion.  The Pens never were able to really get to their game, and they were guilty of several bad turnovers and poor play in their own end.

Having said that, they still found a way to win against the team that has been the best in the East to this point this season, and it wasn't all that close.  The Pens will be truly scary once Sid is back up to full speed and the power play heats back up again.

Who scored?

Cooke (13, 14), Malkin (39), Kunitz (21), Dupuis (19)

The Good?

• Both Sid and Letang came through healthy (as far as we know).
• Geno didn't disappear or defer to Sid.  He had 8 shots on goal and his line played well.
• Paul Martin had a pretty strong game as well, aside a poor decision to pinch, which allowed a two-on-one where the Rangers nearly scored.
• Flower was terrific, making several show-stopping saves look easy.  His stick save with less than a minute to go (in garbage time) was incredible (and incredibly lucky).

The Bad?

• Martin Biron was not good tonight.  The Rangers as a team just didn't seem to have it.

The Ugly?

• Jordan Staal took a nasty high stick to the face (it was inadvertent).  Wonder if he's ever going to wear a shield?

Any Surprises?

• No, not really.  Things went just as you might have hoped.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 43-21-5.  They are all alone in fourth place in the conference, two points ahead of Philly and New Jersey, and four points behind the Rangers.

Who's next?

A critical pair of divisional weekend games, both on the road, starting with New Jersey on Saturday afternoon.

Stars aligned for Pens tonight?

Not only will tonight's game against the Rangers feature the return of Sidney Crosby, but now Kris Letang will also make his return to the lineup.

The return of Letang adds another offensive dimension that the Penguins have been missing.  It also means that the power play will likely consist of Malkin, Neal and Kunitz up front with Crosby and Letang on the points.  If they want to work Sid down low, they can pull Kunitz and put Sullivan at the point with Letang.

The Rangers will be without Lundqvist and will start Martin Biron, who has not faced the Pens this year.

The Rangers are also without Ryan Callahan and Michael Del Zotto.  Callahan is their #2 in goal scoring.  Del Zotto is on the second defensive pairing.  Given the lineup for the Pens will have two excellent scoring lines (maybe three, depending on where Sid spends most of his time), being without Del Zotto is significant.  Suddenly you'll have either Anton Stralman or Stu Bickel going up against either Malkin or Crosby (pick your poison).

Of course, you know this means the Rangers will circle the wagons and this will be one tough game.

Game #69 - at New York Rangers

2011-12 Game 69

Pittsburgh Penguins (42-21-5, 89 points) at New York Rangers (44-18-7, 95 points)

Now this is a cool card.  Not sure I'd pay $55 for it, but still pretty cool anyway.

Why does it matter?

After their last game, the Pens were just two points behind the Rangers.  The Blueshirts have won twice since then, to give themselves a six point cushion.  Worse yet, a Flyers win with a Penguins loss would put the Pens back into a tie with the Flyers for second place in the division (with Jersey just behind).

To put it mildly, these divisional games today and over the weekend are critical.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Nine wins in a row, and it feels like the team just might keep getting better with a few guys returning.
• Rangers - They've looked tough in beating two cupcakes (the Isles and Hurricanes).  They lost three in a row prior to that to playoff teams like the Devils, Senators and Blackhawks.

Questions to be answered

• Will Lundqvist play?  The Pens have faced him every time this year, winning two and losing two.  King Henrik has been very solid overall against the Pens this year.
• Can the Pens put up enough shots to win?  The Rangers like to limit the chances against, and they've been pretty successful in doing so.  Generating offense consistently will be tough.  Fortunately, the Pens now feature three lines with world-class centers.
• Will Letang play?  As nice as it is to have Sid back, I think Letang is the real key to the power play.  If he plays, it makes that unit a difference maker every shift they're out there.

Keys to the game

• Shake off the rust.  Having Sid back will help with that, but the Pens haven't played since Sunday, and they have a bad habit of falling behind in recent games.  That would be death against the Rangers.
• Roll the lines.  This will help to keep the minutes down for Sid, and will keep everyone more fresh heading into the two big games this weekend.
• Get shots on net.  The Pens need to play in the offensive zone, and the shots on net is the best indicator that they're successful in doing that.

Game #60 - vs New York Rangers

2011-12 Game 60

New York Rangers (38-14-5, 81 points) at Pittsburgh Penguins (33-21-5, 71 points)

Richards has four points in three games against the Pens this year.

Why does it matter?

The Rangers are the top team in the East.  This is an important divisional game for the Pens.  They need to win more games in the Atlantic since 10 of their final 23 games are within the division.  This game is a good place to start.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Another split weekend, with a great Saturday followed by a nasty Sunday hangover.
• Rangers - Just rolling along with nine wins in their past 12 games.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens get back to their game?  The shot totals from the last three games (26,30,26) aren't looking good.  They need zone time to generate offense (and shots).
• Will Geno get things going again?  In his last three games, he has two points (both assists) and is a -3.
• How will Martin and Letang respond from their -4 performance on Sunday?  I think Letang will be flying.

Keys to the game

• Score three or more.  The Rangers have not won a game this year when their opponent scores 4, and their record when allowing three is also poor.
• Stay focused.  The Rangers don't score a ton of goals, and they count on converting on chances when they get them.  The forwards need to be especially aware in the defensive zone to help out.
• Initiate, don't retaliate.  Take it to them and be physical from the drop of the puck.

Dumb - Penguins 4, Rangers 1

So what happened?

Why are teams messing with Evgeni Malkin right now?  He is torching everyone in sight.  The Rangers tried to get into his kitchen tonight, and the result was two third period goals that put the game out of reach for the Blue Shirts.  Nothing could be more gratifying for Geno.

The game itself was excellent.  The Pens played their way for the first and third periods, and during the second, they held their own enough to escape with the score tied.

The third period is when the Pens seized control and did not let go.

Flower was solid, making several excellent saves.  Lundqvist was pretty good too, for that matter.  This could have been a much bigger victory for the Pens if not for him.

To put it curtly, the Pens beat the Rangers at their own game.

Who scored?

Kunitz (14), Park (4), Malkin (23, 24)

The Good?

• Kris Letang played inspired hockey in his first game back.  He was fearless (some may say dumb) in throwing his body around.  He was a +2 with one assist.
• The top line was good tonight.  They only fired 9 shots, but they accounted for three goals.
• Steve Sullivan played gritty hockey and was tied for the team lead with four hits.  He's the smallest guy on the team.  That takes heart.

The Bad?

• Faceoffs again.  Still.  Really bad.  Dustin Jeffrey - try other technique... ANYTHING.

The Ugly?

• Tangradi is not a great fighter right now.  He's big enough, and he isn't quite Ryan Malone-bad, but he's not good.  Give him credit for making the effort to stay in the NHL.

Any Surprises?

• The young forwards are really filling in nicely.  Jeffrey, Tangradi and Vitale are all trying to keep their NHL jobs (which are in jeopardy if / when Staal, Crosby and Asham return), and they're all playing their part very well. 

What's their record now?

The Pens are 25-17-4.

Who's next?

A quick trip back home to play the Canadiens tomorrow night at Consol.

Lundqvist - Rangers 3, Penguins 1

So what happened?

If you're going to do the dive play in a two-on-one, you can't let the man with the puck walk around you to the middle of the ice.  Unfortunately that's exactly what happened to Matt Niskanen when he dove and slid right past Ryan Callahan, turning a two-on-one into a two-on-none.  Flower had no chance as Callahan passed the puck to Dubinsky for the lay-up.

That was the game winning goal.  I know Flower mis-played a puck in the third period that led to another goal, but let's face it, the way the Rangers (especially Lundqvist) were playing, the Pens weren't likely to be able to tie the score.  Dupuis and Malkin both hit the goal post, but King Henrik was on top of his game, and the Rangers were on top of theirs.

Things started out well enough for the Pens when the seas parted for Ben Lovejoy, allowing him to fly straight down the middle and face Lundqvist one-on-one.  He beat him to the five hole giving the Pens an early 1-0 lead.  Totorella called timeout after that, and the game slowly but surely turned to the Rangers.

The Rangers are playing like the Pens need to play.  Hopefully the home team took a few notes, because they could use some help these days.

Who scored?

Lovejoy (1)

The Good?

• Nice shot by Lovejoy.
• Great start for the Pens, out shooting the Rangers 11-1 at one point and dominating the play in the first half of the first period.

The Bad?

• No consistency in the results.  It looked like the effort was there, but the Rangers were finishing all of their checks and the Pens sure weren't doing that (the Rangers out hit the Pens 35-22 on the evening).

The Ugly?

• Jordan Staal - potential serious knee injury.  I didn't think Rupp actually kneed him - it looked more incidental, but either way, the Pens can't afford another injury.

Any Surprises?

• Richard Park played well in his return.  He was very noticeable along the wall, winning several battles in the offensive zone.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 21-14-4.

Who's next?

The second half of a home back-to-back as the Devils come to Consol on Saturday night.

Game #39 - vs New York Rangers

2011-12 Game 39

New York Rangers (25-9-4, 54 points) at Pittsburgh Penguins (21-13-4, 46 points)

Pretty cool dual signature with Lunqvist and Hasek.  This is listed at just $22.50 with a bit under a day left in the auction.

Why does it matter?

The Pens have faced some tough opponents recently in Chicago, Philly and even New Jersey.  This might be the toughest game of the year to date with the way the Rangers are playing.  The Blue Shirts have won eight of their past nine games, including a win over the Flyers in the Winter Classic.  This will be a difficult one to win.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Things were going well until the last two games.  Now the Pens are in danger of three straight losses for the first time since October.
• Rangers - As mentioned above, they're hot.  They're on the back end of a back-to-back here, so maybe they'll be tired.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens get to the power play, which is converting when given chances?  The Rangers just don't take many penalties, so the Pens will need to keep the skates going hard to draw the calls.
• Do the Pens have an answer for a hot goalie?  They were just stymied by Brodeur (which seems like it was about a year ago).
• Can the return of Paul Martin help the Pens to shut down the top-heavy Rangers?  He and Michalek will have the job of stopping Gaborik and company.

Keys to the game

• Keep the Rangers to two or less.  Every loss for the Rangers this season (barring one) has been when they scored two or less.
• Out play King Henrik.  Flower has to be sharp and able to match Lundqvist note for note.
• Start strong.  The Rangers have played twice since the last time the Pens took the ice.  Start with vigor to get the rust off.

Bad Behavior - Rangers 4, Penguins 3

So what happened?

Too many undisciplined penalties in the third period derailed a comeback attempt by the Penguins.  The Pens were whistled for four straight minor penalties in the second half of the third period, leading to extended time for the Rangers on a two-man advantage, and a complete inability on the part of the Pens to get any offense going.

The problem is, if the PK hadn't faltered twice earlier in the game, the Pens would never have been in this position.  The Rangers first two attempts were both a success.  Neither one was what you'd call a weak or soft goal allowed by Fleury - it was just not good enough as a team effort on the PK.

The other issue was that I think the Pens got caught up in playing the physical game against the Rangers.  They were successful at it in the first period, when the Rangers took most of the penalties, but the Pens were whistled for six of the last seven calls.  You could have predicted it as soon as you saw John Tortorella whining talking to the refs before the second period.  One conversation, six out of seven calls against the Pens.  It's like MAGIC!

There were lots of other things that could be pointed out, but let's just say that this was pretty crappy and leave it at that.  Amazing that they almost got at least one point out of it.

It was a nice almost-comeback while it lasted.

Who scored?

Neal (14), Malkin (9), Dupuis (7)

The Good?

• Sid had two more points.  Geno and Neal both scored.
• No one else was hurt.
• I thought Bortuzzo played well, albeit in limited action.
• Nice job by the PK in the third period to kill off four minors and over two minutes down by two men.

The Bad?

• I almost don't know what to save for The Ugly... but here goes:
• Kennedy, on the Rangers second goal, appeared to be confused by cris-crossing players and left Mitchell all alone in the middle long enough to blast a great shot past Flower.
• The PK in the second period, allowing two goals on the two calls against the Pens.
• Taking four minor penalties in the space of five minutes in the latter half of the third period.
• Only managing three shots on net during that third period.  It wasn't like they were throwing pucks that didn't make it, either - that number was pretty indicative of how things went.

The Ugly?

• Saving the best for last - the faceoffs.  The Pens won just 17 out of the 57 draws.  If you eliminate Sid's 9 out of 20, the other Pens won just 8 out of 37.  That's really sad.

Any Surprises?

• I didn't know a high-stick on the puck had to be "controlled" by the other team before it could go in their own net.  Matt Cooke had a goal disallowed after he put a high stick on the puc when the War Room in Toronto said a puck bouncing off of Lundqvist and being batted in by Sauer.  Bob Errey mentioned that the rulebook doesn't say anything about "control"... maybe they made it up?

What's their record now?

The Pens are 14-7-4.

Who's next?

Off to face the Caps on Thursday with their new coach, Dale Hunter.

Game #25 - at New York Rangers

2011-12 Game 25

Pittsburgh Penguins (14-6-4, 32 points) at New York Rangers (12-5-3, 27 points)

Dubinsky is a weasel, per the Bastion of Truth - Jody Shelley of the Flyers.

Why does it matter?

The Rangers are playing really well (9-2-0 since October 29th).  This will be a good test for the Pens and a tough road match up.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Three wins in four games since Sid's return has pushed the Pens to the top of the NHL point total.
• Rangers - After a brief hiccup on the road with two straight losses, their winning has resumed with a win at Washington and against the Flyers at home.

Questions to be answered

• Will Sid keep torturing the Rangers?  He has 10 goals (and 22 points) in his last 11 games against them.
• Can we get a plus game out of Martin and Michalek?  They're a team-worst -9 and -8, respectively.
• Can Jordan Staal keep scoring, especially given how little he shoots?  His shooting percentage is currently near 25%, which is not sustainable (though he did finish with 22% in his rookie year).

Keys to the game

• Stop Marian Gaborik.  The Rangers are top heavy in the goal scoring department (and they struggle to score sometimes).  Control the big guns like Gaborik and suddenly one or two goals may be all you need.
• Take advantage of special teams.  The Rangers power play has a good ranking and percentage, but they've allowed power play goals in four of their previous five games.
• Keep them to two goals or less.  With the exception of one loss to the Sens, they Rangers have scored two or less in every loss.

Rangers 5, Penguins 2

So what happened?

This one falls squarely on the shoulders, or rather the elbow, of Matt Cooke. The Pens had played an excellent game and were tied 1-1 with the Rangers about five minutes into the third period. That's when Cooke delivered an elbow to the head of Ryan McDonagh.

Here's the problem with the hit - there was no reason for Cooke's elbow to be up high. He (Cooke) didn't stumble or lunge, he just raised his elbow and ran it straight into the head of McDonagh. I can't imagine what Matt was thinking - that kind of hit is never okay. I can't see any way that Cooke isn't suspended for a few games... probably not more than 5, because McDonagh wasn't hurt, but at least a few.

The Pens were able to kill much of the resulting major penalty, and even added a shorty along the way to take the lead, 2-1. Unfortunately, Matt Niskanen took an inadvertent high-sticking call (a double minor) that gave the Rangers two minutes of five-on-three hockey to work with to finish off the major, and a second minor penalty after that.

The Rangers scored on both halves of the double-minor to take a 3-2 lead and the wheels, as they say, were off of the wagon for good.

Who scored?

Staal (10), Kunitz (21)

The Good?

• Tremendous team effort for much of this game. The Pens largely dominated the territorial play and battered Lundqvist with the puck.
• Lundqvist, unfortunately for the Pens, was very good today. He wasn't perfect (which will disappoint Pierre McGuire), but he was solid.
• The Rangers power play took advantage of the elbow and high sticking calls to take over the game. The Pens could learn something from that - getting a big power play goal when you need it most.
• James Neal is looking more and more like an offensive force every time I see him.

The Bad?

• Alex Kovalev. He needs to simplify his game and get his excellent shot on net, especially on the power play.
• Mike Rupp - just 9 shifts in this game, good for a -2.
• Fleury in the third period. The game was there to be stolen, and the Pens were really close. Your goalie has to be your best penalty killer, and he wans't in the third period today.

The Ugly?

• Pierre McGuire saying, in all seriousness, that Lundqvist was perfect, other than the early goal by Staal, and saying later that, other than the shorty by Kunitz, King Henrik was awesome. That's like saying my game of bowling was perfect except for that open frame in the 3rd and spare in the 7th. How about you just say he's playing really well and avoid the inaccurate superlatives?

Any Surprises?

• I was honestly surprised by Cooke's elbow. I know he plays on the edge (what some would call dirty), but this was a blatant cheap hit. We've seen too many questionable hits from him this season as compared to the last few.

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

The Pens are now 41-23-8. The race for the 4th seed is heating up - the Pens have a one point lead over the Lightning and each team has 10 games left.

Who's next?

Not much time to think about this one as the Pens travel to Detroit to play tomorrow night.

Game #72 - vs New York Rangers

Game 72

Rangers (38-30-4, 82 points) at Penguins (41-22-8, 90 points)

Why does it matter?
The Pens want the #4 seed for the playoffs to earn home ice in the first round. They're one point ahead of Tampa Bay, so a win at every opportunity is critical. The Rangers may be without King Henrik - that would be a fantastic opportunity if it proves to be true.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Two strong wins against two cellar dwellers, followed by four days off. Not bad for hockey in March.
• Rangers - The Rangers have been downright offensive, scoring 27 over the past 6 games to go with a 5-1 record over that span.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens slow down the suddenly hot Rangers offense? That will involve a team effort, because the scoring has been spread around for the Blueshirts.
• Will Lundqvist play? This alone may determine the outcome of the game. If he can't, Chad Johnson will be in net. No word on whether he'll change his name to "Dos Nueve".
• Paging Alexei Kovalev and James Neal... please report to the offensive zone. Will they find it? They need to contribute if this team is going to do anything.

Keys to the game

• Keep working - the Rangers are an "effort" team. They try to work you to death. Fortunately the Pens have had to get used to playing that way in recent weeks.
• Score on the power play. The execution with the man-advantage has to improve (and heck, right now it has nowhere to go but up).
• No dumb penalties. The Rangers have been hot on the power play lately, so avoid going to the box for dumb stuff.

Rangers 5, Penguins 3

So what happened?

The Pens didn't play a bad game today.

At even strength they were pretty solid (other than one letdown that allowed Boyle to be all alone in front of Fleury for a deflection goal).

The PK certainly let them down. I'm going to attribute that not only to the absence of Matt Cooke, but also to the lack of depth at the forward spot. Guys that normally don't get big mintues (Talbot, Dupuis) are suddenly being asked to do more than they're used to. I think the overall effort level is down because they're more tired than they're used to.

Having said that, any time you take a two goal lead and allow five unanswered goals, something isn't working.

Hopefully they can get it figured out, because things are about to get really difficult schedule-wise.

Who scored?

Engelland (3), Johnson (1), Sterling (2)

The Good?

• More contributions from the young guys. I like what I'm seeing from the prospects like Johnson and Vitale.
• You have to give the Rangers credit. They got to the front of the net, and that earned them two deflection goals. Those are more luck than anything, but luck is when preparation meets opportunity. The Rangers took advantage of that luck.

The Bad?

• Special teams. The PK allowed three and is suddenly extremely leaky. The power play scored one, but when they had four minutes straight in the third, they couldn't get one. That's when they needed it most.

The Ugly?

• Fleury needs to find a way to stop some of those goals. Prospal's goal especially was on a pass that Flower should have poke-checked out of the way.

Any Surprises?

• Eight goals scored between these two teams is a big surprise.

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

The Pens are now 35-19-4. They've lost two in a row and four of their past five games.

Who's next?

The Avalanche are coming to Consol on Wednesday night.

Game #58 - at New York Rangers

Game 58

Penguins (35-18-4, 74 points) at Rangers (29-24-4, 62 points)

Why does it matter?
The Pens get to play another frustrated team in the Rangers, though I think we can count on the fact that they won't respond like the Islanders did.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Friday night was a game to forget as quickly as possible. Time to move on.
• Rangers - Six straight losses have the Rangers on the skids.

Questions to be answered

• Will the Pens be able to score enough to win? Three power play goals on Friday could help jump start that effort.
• How will the team respond after the craziness on Friday night? Can they quickly get back to playing hockey again after all of the extracurricular stuff?
• Can the Pens keep the Rangers offense quiet? The offense has been the biggest reason for their six game losing streak - they're scoring just enough to lose games.

Keys to the game

• Be careful on the power play - the Rangers would love to get a short-handed goal to get them going.
• Stay with Gaborik. He doesn't quite have the blazing speed that Grabner has, but his ability to accelerate quickly is something to be aware of.
• Establish a physical presence. I don't think this will be a problem, but get onto the forecheck and play clean, physical hockey.

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

So what happened?

The Pens played a great road game, getting some timely scoring and then hanging on to get to overtime. Once into the shootout, anything can happen (even against Lundqvist).

The Rangers scored the first two goals of the game, but the Pens came back by scoring three in nine minutes in the second period. The Rangers managed a power play goal late in the second to tie the score, and it stayed that way until Dustin Jeffrey gave the Pens the lead in the seventh round of the shootout, followed by Flower's save on Marian Gaborik to seal the win.

Nice to get two points, and nice to not have to listen to those horrible Versus announcers for a little while (tomorrow's game is also on FSN).

Who scored?

Jeffrey (3), Rupp (5), Kunitz (17)

The Good?

• The goalies were great tonight. Several of the goals were deflections or bad bounces around the crease. Neither of them were beaten cleanly until Jeffrey in the shootout.
• Speaking of Jeffrey - he's going to make it tough to get him out of the lineup, and with the news that Mark Letestu is on crutches, Jeffrey may get an extended look in the lineup.
• The penalty killers were tremendous tonight. Killing five of six isn't perfect, but they had to kill a five minute major penalty to Staal.

The Bad?

• Tyler Kennedy was a -2 on the night. Not great. He also didn't seem to have a physical game, getting bumped off of the puck too easily.
• Not good enough in the third period with just three shots to eleven against. The Pens were lucky they didn't lose the game in the third.

The Ugly?

• The Versus announcers were tremendously bad. The whole thing with Staal was a perfect example - Prust pretty clearly got him with an elbow in the chops. Staal retaliated and was whistled for it. It probably shouldn't have been a match penalty, but either way, the announcers watched the same replay over and over and made no mention of the Prust elbow, or that it was probably a bad call. The Versus crew between periods brought it up... but not Beninati. It's almost like he's an announcer for another team...

Any Surprises?

• The Pen won a game without the top three centers for most of the year. I'd call that a surprise for certain.

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

The Pens are now 32-15-4. They are in second place in the Atlantic, three points behind the Flyers, who lost tonight to Tampa Bay.

Who's next?

The All-Star game is this weekend. The Pens are back in action next Tuesday against the Rangers.

Game #51 - at New York Rangers

Game 51

Penguins (31-15-4, 66 points) at Rangers (29-20-3, 61 points)

Why does it matter?
The All-Star break is over and we've made the turn for the home stretch of the season. The Pens badly need to improve on their mediocre divisional record of 6-5-2. Two points over the Rangers tonight would be a good start.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Five wins in six games heading into the break makes for a nice change after losing six out of eight.
• Rangers - The Rangers reached their high-water mark of 10 games over .500 back on January 8th. They've been treading water since then (4-5-0), but have won two of their past three games.

Questions to be answered

• Will the Pens be able to dictate the pace and put some shots on net? The Rangers have allowed no more than 23 shots in each of their past three games.
• Can the Pens control the NHL's fastest skater, Marian Gaborik? The defense will need to be on their toes.
• Who will step up and provide the offense?

Keys to the game

• Avoid the shootout. Lundqvist is good at those, and the Rangers have lost just one all year.
• You know Tortorella will have his guys ready to work. The Pens need to be able to exceed the Rangers' effort level.
• No more Pittsburgh North at MSG - Fedotenko and Christensen are both out and Rosival was traded to Phoenix.

Rangers 4, Penguins 1

So what happened?

The first two periods were fine. The third period? No so much.

The Pens had it all going in the first period, outshooting the Rangers 15-6 and possessing the puck in the offensive zone for much of the last 5 minutes of the period. It culminated in a great goal by Geno off of a nice pass from Sid.

After that, the Pens didn't have the same tenacity, or at least not the same level of success.

Who scored?

Malkin (11)

The Good?

• Geno scored his third goal in two games on a beautiful move to beat Lundqvist.
• Sid's point streak will continue after his assist on Geno's goal.
• Johnson was great through the first two periods.

The Bad?

• Johnson was really bad in the third. His defense didn't help him, but he seemed to be off his angle on several of the goals.
• Asham engaged Avery early in the third with the Pens holding a 1-0 lead. I don't like fighting at that point - there's nothing to gain and everything to lose. The Rangers seemed to be able to turn up the intensity and feed off of that.
• Only six shots in the third period is not enough offense.

The Ugly?

• The Pens had a goal disallowed that would have tied the game. The refs ruled that Dupuis went into Lundqvist, preventing him from having a chance to make the save. It was a HORRIBLE call, since the replay showed clearly that Rosival pushed Dupuis into King Henrik. Really, really bad.

Any Surprises?

• The lack of zone time and shots on net during the second and third period... again... were disappointing and surprising.

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

The Pens are now 21-10-2. Let's avoid talking about the standings until they get the ship righted, okay?

Who's next?

The Pens have some time to work on things with no games this weekend. The Coyotes come to Consol on Monday.

Game #33 - vs New York Rangers

Game 33

Rangers (18-13-1, 37 points) at Penguins (21-9-2, 44 points)

Why does it matter?
The Pens are fortunate to have a chance to rebound quickly after their winning streak was snapped last night in Philadelphia.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - 15-2-1 in their past 18 games. Even with the loss last night, those numbers look pretty good, don't they?
• Rangers - The Blueshirts have been all over the map lately in terms of consistency. Their most recent result, however, was impressive - a 7-0 pasting of the Caps.

Questions to be answered

• Will we see Brent Johnson? Fleury played really well last night, and the Pens don't play again until Monday... but my money is on Johnson.
• How will the Rangers respond to the return of Chris Drury? He has only played in one period so far this season.
• Will the tenacity and urgency be there now that the streak is over?

Keys to the game

• The power play will be key. The Rangers PK is all kinds of inconsistent. Catch them on a bad night and it is party time.
• Ignore Sean Avery - only go after him if he does something stupid (which should be about once per period).
• Get back to your game - focus on offensive zone time and getting the puck deep. That, more than anything, will be key to earning two points again.

Penguins 3, Rangers 1

So what happened?

The Pens had a relatively easy win tonight over the Rangers, who didn't look ready to play during the first two periods of the game. They were lucky to be down by only two when the third period started. By the time they turned it on, it was too late, because the Pens were up to the challenge of stopping them.

Top to bottom, this was an excellent road win. Tight play, great penalty killing, great work ethic and great goaltending.

Who scored?

Talbot (5), Letang (5), Conner (2)

The Good?

• The PK gets the gold star of the night with two HUGE kills during the third period.
• Flower was excellent again, allowing only a laser beam by Gaborik to beat him.
• The defense was solid around Fleury, clearing several pucks out of harm's way.
• The third line of Conner, Letestu and Kennedy has been excellent. They're not really playing the typical "shutdown" role that we're used to seeing when it was Staal and Cooke out there, but they're generating offensive pressure consistently.
• Sid was 14-5 on faceoffs. That's an incredible number, just like the last time these two teams met.
• Kennedy answered the bell with Sean Avery after Avery took a few liberties with Sid and Geno. That's one of the things that TK does really well.

The Bad?

• Steigerwald - "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night" - sung on live TV. That is about as bad as it gets.
• The ice was tilting against the Pens in the third. Ideally, you'd like to see them be able to keep the intensity and push back a little bit... but they didn't allow a goal, so you can't really complain too much.

The Ugly?

• The Rangers on Talbot's goal. It was like the Keystone Cops - Girardi caught the puck and dropped it towards his own net, not seeing Marc Staal. Staal stepped over the puck, cutting off Girardi, allowing Talbot to wrist it past an unprepared Lundqvist. Pretty ugly.

Any Surprises?

• The Pens lost the overall faceoff battle, despite Sid's amazing numbers (28-26)

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

The Pens are now 16-8-2. They are tied with the Flyers for the Atlantic division lead, and just two points behind the Caps for the NHL lead.

Who's next?

A few days off until the Thrashers come to town on Thursday.

Game #26 - at New York Rangers

Game 26

Penguins (15-8-2, 32 points) at Rangers (14-10-1, 29 points)

Why does it matter?
The last loss the Pens suffered this season was at the hands of the Rangers two weeks ago. This is a chance to avenge that loss, as well as earn two points in a divisional match up.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - 9-1-1 in their past 11 games. Things have been going great for the Pens, led by Sid and Fleury.
• Rangers - They've won four out of five, and Lundqvist is in a zone. He has stopped 69 of the previous 70 shots he has faced.

Questions to be answered

• Can Flower get back into the swing of things after getting a game off?
• Can the Pens beat on Lundqvist? They've had some decent success against him recently (he has won just 2 of the previous 9 against the Pens).
• Can the Pens exploit the Rangers' PK like Tampa did last Wednesday when they lit the lamp three times with the man-advantage?

Keys to the game

• Ignore Sean Avery.
• Keep the effort level high. Players like Dubinsky and Staal don't quit... ever.
• Be disciplined in your own zone. The Rangers have speed and like to forecheck. Make sure to do the simple things and get the puck out.