Penguins 6, Islanders 4

So what happened?
Star power shone for the Pens against the Isles, and it almost wasn't enough. The Pens had a 3-0 lead, but when the Isles tied the score at 4-4 in the third period, I thought it would be another disappointing loss. Geno took care of those thoughts, absolutely blasting a puck past Roloson on the power play in the later half of the third. That was all the Pens needed to seal the deal.

Sid had 6 points (two goals) and Geno had the hat trick. Johnson was decent. He made some key saves (including two breakaways and a penalty shot on Okposo) at key times.

Who scored?
Crosby (31, 32), Guerin (16), Malkin (15,16,17)

Any surprises?
The biggest domination of the night was on the faceoffs. The Pens won those battles 41-19! That's one of the biggest advantages I can remember.

Any change in the standings?
The Pens are getting closer to the Devils, but the Devils still have four games-in-hand.

Division: 2nd (two points behind New Jersey)

Conference: 4th (two points behind New Jersey)

League: 7th (two points behind New Jersey)

Who's next?
It's the first meeting of the season with Knee-O and the Caps.

Notes:

• Godard played only two shifts. Talbot was hurt, but didn't play much prior to getting hurt. The Isles didn't have anyone with less than 10 minutes, and they kept rolling their lines. Shortening the bench is going to hurt the Pens in the long run.

Game #51 - vs New York Islanders

Game 51

Islanders (22-19-8, 52 points) at Penguins (30-19-1, 61 points)

Mellon Arena - Pittsburgh

Why does it matter?
The Islanders are 9-2-1 in their last 11 games, and Rick DiPietro is back. This couldn't come at a worse time.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - You'd have to call the road trip a success despite the poor ending in Vancouver.
• Islanders - As noted, the Isles are on fire right now.

Questions to be answered

• Will DiPietro play in two straight? It might not be any better to see Roloson - he shut out the Red Wings last week.
• Can the Pens find a way to beat the Isles goaltending, no matter who is in net?
  
• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)
  

Keys to the game

• Score on the power play. The Isles haven't been taking many penalties lately, so take advantage of the chances.
  
• Keep them to the outside. The Isles are young and have speed.
  
• Support the goalie, no matter who is playing.

Canucks 6, Penguins 2

So what happened?
The Hockey Gods looked down on the Penguins tonight and boomed "THOU SHALL NOT WIN!" Seriously, that's the only explanation I have for all of the really weird bounces that went against the Pens early while this game was still in doubt. The shot that banked in off of Curry, the bouncing puck that Gonchar couldn't corral that led to Burrow's breakaway goal and the bouncing puck that scored the third goal... all of them were really unusual. It just wasn't the Pens' night.

Who scored?
Malkin (14), Cooke (10)

Any surprises?
Did anyone think that Pechursky would get into this game? He didn't do too badly either, and the Vancouver media named him the third star.

Any change in the standings?
There sure wasn't any gain. I don't have the energy to check to see if they've fallen right now.

Who's next?
Back home, finally, to face the Isles on Tuesday. With the Caps coming in on Thursday, it could be a huge trap game.

Notes:

• Curry was decent, but was completely unnerved by a few bad bounces. I think he could be a good backup in the future.
• Matt Cooke scores on his return to Vancouver. Very nice.
• Geno also scored, finally. Hopefully this will lead to bigger and better things for him.

Game #50 - at Vancouver Canucks

Game 50

Penguins (30-18-1, 59 points) at Canucks (27-18-2, 56 points)

Why does it matter?
It's a tough road test against one of the better teams in the Western Conference. A victory over the Canucks would be the perfect capper to the five game road trip.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Being away from home has been good to the Pens so far. The PK has been leaking like a sieve, however.
  
• Canucks - After a 7-0-1 streak, the Canucks have lost three in a row.
  

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens withstand the onslaught when the Canucks are on the power play? The folks from Vancouver have the top power play in the West.
• How will John Curry fare in a big time game? Fleury has a fractured ring finger and is likely out tonight.
  
• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)

Keys to the game

• Get on the power play and go to work. The Canucks have allowed as many goals on the PP as the Pens have over the last two games.
• Stay focused at even strength - the Canucks have seven forwards with 10 goals or more. Their top two scorers (Sedin and Burrows) have most of their goals at even strength.
• Get traffic in front of Luongo.
  

Penguins 3, Oilers 2

So what happened?
Two bad periods of hockey followed by the third line bailing the team out and winning the game. Fleury was good and made some key stops. Geno was named the third star and showed some hop in his step.

Who scored?
Kennedy (9), Cooke (9), Dupuis (11)

Any surprises?
Does Dupuis really have 11 goals? The depth scoring on this team continues to impress and surprise (hence the inclusion).

Any change in the standings?
Closing the gap a bit, even though the Pens have played the most games in the NHL to this point.
Division: 2nd (four points behind New Jersey)
Conference: 4th (one point behind Washington)
League: 6th (one point behind Washington)

Who's next?
The Western Canada finale in Vancouver on Saturday night.

Notes:

• Quietly, this team has won three out of four on the road trip. A Saturday night win will make this trip a huge success.
• The Oilers have some talent, but they really seem to expect to lose right now.

Game #49 - at Edmonton Oilers

Game 49

Penguins (29-18-1, 59 points) at Oilers (16-24-5, 37 points)

Why does it matter?
The Oilers might the worst team the Pens have played so far this year. These are two points the Pens cannot afford to give up.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - A nice win last night in Calgary gives the Pens two wins in three chances on the road trip.
  
• Oilers - Thirteen games. Twelve losses. Anything else need to be said?

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens keep things rolling on the power play? It looked pretty good last night with the movement and unpredictability.
• Will the legs be tired?
  
• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)

Keys to the game

• Stop the scoring lines for the Oilers - they have some talent, and several players have been solid. I'm thinking of Penner, Brule and Visnovsky from the blue line.
• Pick on the big minus players - there are a few of them. O'Sullivan, Horcoff, Nilsson and Souray are all a -13 or worse.
• Keep things simple. The Pens are likely facing a rookie backup goalie. Get traffic, get shots on net and crash for the rebounds.
  

Penguins 3, Flames 1

So what happened?
Great game to watch - lots of action up and down the ice. The Pens used timely scoring and a great performance from Marc-Andre Fleury to beat the Flames.

Who scored?
Crosby (30), Guerin (15), Kennedy (8)

Any surprises?
The power play came up with a huge goal, retaking the lead (for good) about a minute after the Flames PP had tied the game at 1-1.

Any change in the standings?
Not much, and I'm falling asleep at the keyboard. I'll have more on this later.

Who's next?
Edmonton - tomorrow night. Quick turnaround, which could be good given the performance tonight.

Notes:

• Fleury really rebounded from a lackluster performance in Minnesota.
• Geno shows some signs of life, driving the net hard on more than one occasion.
• The Saddledome has GREAT camera angles. You're really close to the action and have a nice vantage point. Hopefully the Pens noticed that when designing the Consol Energy Center.

Game #48 - at Calgary Flames

Game 48

Penguins (28-18-1, 57 points) at Wild (26-14-6, 58 points)

Why does it matter?
The Saddledome is a tough place to play, and the Pens are having trouble lately. Both teams have struggled on the power play, and in their end result lately.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - A disappointing result in Minnesota due to some disappointing play on the power play and in goal.
  
• Flames - The Flames have lost three out of four and are not as tough at home this year.

Questions to be answered

• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)

Keys to the game

• No time for this (the game starts in under two hours) - just win the game!

Wild 4, Penguins 3

So what happened?
Only saw bits and pieces of this game, as it wasn't available on DirecTv. I didn't like what I saw - allowing four goals to the Wild, including the go-ahead goal twice in the third period is no good.

Who scored?
Crosby (28,29), Dupuis (10)

Any surprises?
Yeah - that Versus hasn't worked out their dispute with DirecTv yet - that's ridiculous at this point in the season.

Any change in the standings?

Not enough time to look right now, but it isn't good.

Who's next?
Calgary - Wednesday night.

Notes:

• Fleury isn't at his best right now, is he?

Game #47 - at Minnesota Wild

Game 46

Penguins (28-17-1, 57 points) at Wild (22-20-3, 47 points)

Why does it matter?
Second game of a long road trip and the Pens need a win before they really head west. It won't be easy in Minnesota.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - A nice win over a tough Toronto team on Saturday night and the Pens have won two of their past three.
  
• Wild - A four goal comeback in the last 14 minutes of the game against the Blackhawks.

Questions to be answered

• If the Pens have the lead in the third, can the stem the tide? The Pens have been known to blow some leads this year and the Wild just overcame a big deficit.
• Will we see Harding or Backstrom? I'd rather see Harding, but it will probably be Backstrom.
  
• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)
  

Keys to the game

• Take advantage of special teams play. The Wild have had some trouble on the PK lately, but they don't take many penalties.
  
• Petr Sykora has been a healthy scratch for the past two games and has just two goals this year. If he's playing, you know he'll be geared up for this one.
  
• Use your speed to break the trap and get onto the power play.
  

Penguins 4, Maple Leafs 1

So what happened?
The Pens held a two goal lead going into the third and Marc-Andre Fleury did the rest, stopping 22 shots during the third period. Fleury was really good for this one, showing no effects from getting yanked against Philly. The defense was good early too, blocking several shots during the first two periods.

Who scored?
Guerin (14), Gonchar (6,7), Crosby (27)

Any surprises?
The defense stepped up big time, something we haven't seen in a while. Gonchar was in his first game back and Orpik left early in the first with an injury. The other four guys all played over 20 minutes and all played well for the most part.

Any change in the standings?

Division: 2nd (six points behind New Jersey)

Conference: 4th (three points behind Washington)

League: 6th (tied with Calgary and Phoenix)

Who's next?
Off to Homer Land in Minnesota. It's a Versus game, so those of you with DirecTv (like me) will be out of luck.

Notes:

• The Leafs are tough - if not for Fleury, this would have been a completely different game.
  
• It was really entertaining to watch - lots of end-to-end action.
• Crosby had a highlight reel goal - if you didn't see it, make sure you catch the replay online.

Game #46 - at Toronto Maple Leafs

Game 46

Penguins (27-17-1, 55 points) at Maple Leafs (15-21-9, 39 points)

Why does it matter?
The Leafs simply aren't very good. The Pens need a win. Let's follow the KISS principle.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - The low point of the season so far was the loss to Philly on Thursday.
  
• Maple Leafs - Since beating the Pens on December 27th, this team is just 1-4.

Questions to be answered

• Which goalie will we see? I'd say we're likely to see Gustavsson (The Monster) for the first time, but there's no rhyme or reason to who is starting right now for the Leafs.
• Will the intensity be there? It was there for a bit on Thursday, but it seems to come and go.
  
• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)
  

Keys to the game

• Get on the power play! The Leafs have allowed a power play goal in seven straight, including 6 in the past two games alone!
  
• Stay patient - the Leafs are a pain to play against. Don't get frustrated.
  
• Get the lead, please.

Flyers 7, Penguins 4

So what happened?
A better question might be "How bad was it?" It was pretty bad. Nothing worked, especially the power play. Fleury was yanked and Johnson didn't do much better. Hey - you could look at it another way - the Pens lost three one goal games... one for each period.

Who scored?
Crosby (25, 26), Cooke (8), Rupp (11)

Any surprises?
The defense was just plain bad. We haven't seen a performance like this in quite some time. Van Riemsdyk scored twice on breakaway attempts using his speed. Not good.

Any change in the standings?

Division: 2nd (six points behind New Jersey)

Conference: 4th (three points behind Washington, Buffalo)

League: 7th (tied with Calgary, Vancouver and Nashville)

Who's next?
The Pens hit the road for five straight starting with a Saturday night match in Toronto.

Notes:

• This was a different Flyers team that we saw last night. The stupid penalties were gone and much of the goon antics were gone. Maybe it was just because they had the lead, but if they're going to play hockey like this, they'll be tough to beat this year.
  
• Less than 10 minutes of ice time for Caputi... with his energy, you would like to see him get more.
• Injuries are hurting the team again - no Gonchar, Kunitz or Fedotenko will have an impact.
• It can't get any worse... can it?
  

Game #45 - vs Philadelphia Flyers

Game 45

Flyers (20-19-3, 43 points) at Penguins (27-16-1, 55 points)

Mellon Arena - Pittsburgh

Why does it matter?
I know I've said this each time the Flyers come around, but if you need to ask, you're not paying attention.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Finally a win and a power play goal against the Thrashers.
  
• Flyers - The results have been mixed but Leighton has been excellent.

Questions to be answered

• Leighton or Boucher tonight? Leighton played last night against Toronto, so maybe we'll luck out and see Boucher.
• Who will win the special teams battle? The Pens are 17-2 when they score on the power play, while the Flyers just notched three with the man advantage last night.
  
• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)
  

Keys to the game

• Initiate, don't retaliate - ignore the nonsense.
  
• Use your speed - the Flyers defense is still big and slow.
  
• Support Fleury - keep people out of his crease.

Penguins 5, Thrashers 2

So what happened?

It was close for much of the game. After Crosby threw the pass in front of his own net that Slater used to score his second goal, all you could think was "here we go again". In the third, however, the Pens talent shone through. Their offense was better and, maybe more importantly, their goaltending was much better.

Who scored?
Letang (2), Staal (12, 13), Fedotenko (8), Caputi (1)

Any surprises?
I knew Kovalchuk and Afinogenov were offensive-minded, but their disinterest in playing defense led directly to two goals against tonight.

Any change in the standings?

Division: 2nd (six points behind New Jersey)

Conference: 4th (one point behind Washington, Buffalo)

League: 7th (one point behind Calgary)

Who's next?
Our special friends from across the state on Thursday night.

Notes:

• It wasn't a good night for faceoffs, especially on the power play, where the Pens won just one of six. That makes it that much harder to succeed on the power play.
  
• Geno's shifts are probably too long - 1:12 on average last night. Crosby, for comparison, was at :51.
  

Game #44 - vs Atlanta Thrashers

Game 44

Thrashers (18-17-6, 42 points) at Penguins (26-16-1, 53 points)

Mellon Arena - Pittsburgh

Why does it matter?
The Pens are playing a team that has a longer losing streak than they do, so I'm not sure it matters at all to the NHL community. To Pittsburgh, however, it only matters that they find a way to earn two points.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Five straight losses, four of them on the road, with an abysmal power play.
  
• Thrashers - Eight straight losses, six of them on the road, with an abysmal power play.

Questions to be answered

• Which offense will show up, the indifferent one that managed 26 shots in Tampa or the intense one that fired 48 shots in Florida?
  
• A few games back, we were talking about the power play finally looking good. Where is it now? Can the power play contribute? The Pens are 16-2 when they score on the power play!!
  
• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)
  

Keys to the game

• Dictate the tempo - the Thrashers are inconsistent and can be shut down.
• Focus on stopping Kovalchuk - most of the Thrashers offense begins and ends with him.
  
• Pray for a shutout by the Pens. If there were ever a time when one was needed, it is now.

Panthers 6, Penguins 2

So what happened?

The Pens jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but letdowns late in the first and second had them down 3-2 going into the third. That's when Vokoun took over, stopping all 22 shots he faced in the third. The Panthers added on some opportunistic scoring and that's all there is to tell.

Who scored?
Kennedy (7), Crosby (24)

Any surprises?
Geno was a -4. Ouch. He and Sid combined for 19 shots.

Any change in the standings?
Yep - they're falling further back (still)

Division: 2nd (six points behind New Jersey)

Conference: 4th (one point behind Washington)

League: 8th (tied with Nashville and Calgary)

Who's next?
Two games at home to get things sorted out before going back on the road for 5 straight. It starts with Atlanta on Tuesday.

Notes:

• Our best wishes go to Mike Yeo.
• That was a depressing game after the first period.
  

Game #43 - at Florida Panthers

Game 43

Penguins (26-15-1, 53 pts) at Panthers (16-18-7, 39 pts)

Why does it matter?
The Pens have won the last four three against Tampa Bay Florida, and they badly need two points to stop the bleeding. Sound familiar?

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Still losing... still not executing, especially on the power play.
• Panthers - After winning 5 out of 7, the Panthers have dropped three straight.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens turn it around? Will the intensity be there from the beginning today? It clearly wasn't yesterday.
  
• The battles in the corners are critical. The Pens were winning those battles earlier in the year - can they turn it around?
  
• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)

Keys to the game

• Don't let Horton beat you - he's their best all-around threat.
• Get back to winning the zone time battle and out shooting Florida.
  
• Execute on the power play.

Lightning 3, Penguins 1

So what happened?

The Pens weren't ready for the early start time, and after being badly out played in the first period, went on to get out shot 31-17 through the final two periods. That's the story, in a nutshell. It was one of the worst performances of the season so far.

Who scored?
Guerin (13)

Any surprises?
Usually the team responds well to adversity - they just couldn't get over the hump today.

Any change in the standings?
Yep - they're falling further back.

Division: 2nd (six points behind New Jersey)

Conference: 4th (one point behind Washington, Buffalo)

League: 8th (tied with Nashville and Calgary)

Who's next?
A quick turnaround to play at 5:00 on Sunday across the state against the Panthers.

Notes:

• Still not very concerned. Bad streaks happen.

Game #42 - at Tampa Bay Lightning

Game 42

Penguins (26-14-1, 53 pts) at Lightning (15-15-10, 40 pts)

Why does it matter?
The Pens have won the last four against Tampa Bay, and they badly need two points to stop the bleeding.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Losing, losing and more losing right now. The effort is there, so there's no real reason for concern.
• Lightning - The Bolts have had something of a hot streak, with 4 wins in 6 games. The goaltending has been the biggest difference, because they are allowing lots of shots.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens avoid having Florida turn into a house of horrors again?
  
• Will Gonchar play? Most reports are saying that he won't.
  
• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)

Keys to the game

• Keep doing what you're doing. The effort is there - the results will come.
• Stay focused - no mental letdowns, especially with the weird start time.
  
• Don't give Ryan Malone the chance to beat you, because you know he'd love to do it.