A Powerful Performance

by Jan Snyder
Pens Take Game 1 by a score of 6-3

In a game filled with power play chances, the Pens made the most of their opportunities, scoring no less than four power play goals. Add in Guerin’s empty netter at the end, and that leaves only one even-strength goal scored by the winning team.

Okay, we all knew Halak couldn’t keep up what he’d been doing against Washington. But as the Habs played on, as late as Wednesday night, the Pens have been resting and itching to get back on to the ice. Plus the Canadiens traveled a few more times and were definitely still dwelling on the remarkable game seven they played.

Fleury was by far the fresher and better goalie tonight, facing 28 shots. No one star shined as brightly for the Pens tonight, but 13 different players factored into the scoring.

Coming up with big power play goals were Gonchar, Staal, Letang and Goligowski. The even strength goal came from Craig Adams, on a nice set up from Cooke and Dupuis, and Guerin just sealed the deal with the empty net goal at the end of the game.

Gionta scored a power play goal for the visitors, as it began obvious that neither team should take penalties.

Crosby managed his usual two points, assisting on the first and fifth Pittsburgh goals. He got cut on the chin by a high stick, went off for some work on the cut, and was back with the team in no time. The same can’t be said about Jordan Staal, who sustained some type of leg or foot injury. We’ll learn more about that as time goes on. As for Sid, the stitches add a little character to his wispy beard!

Another strike against Montreal was the loss of Markov when he and Cooke collided and he obviously hurt his leg.

So after giving up five goals, Halak, the hero of the series against the Caps, was pulled in favor of Carey Price. One would think that with a couple of days rest, Halak would be ready to go again. Or will they start Price in the next game? We’ll see on Sunday.

Good line from the Versus announcer tonight. He mentioned that Gonchar was the quarterback of the Pens’ power play. “Right now, he’s the number one quarterback in Pittsburgh, with Roethlisberger’s problems.”

So the second race to four has begun! Hopefully, the Pens will keep it going on Sunday afternoon on NBC.

LET’S GO, PENS!!

Random Thoughts:

• I was happy to read that Buffalo signed Lindy Ruff again. He’s such a mainstay for the Sabres and a great coach.

• Since Buffalo is now out of the playoffs, Ryan Miller was able to shave off the awful mustache he was wearing. He looked like a pirate or something! But sad to see a great goalie like him out so early.

• Maybe the Caps need to bring in a veteran to help Ovie learn to be a better captain. That plan sure helped Crosby when Guerin came in and helped out. At first in his career, Sid had Mario has a mentor, but when 66 was forced to retire a second time, bringing in a steadying influence for Sid turned out to be a great idea. Keep in mind that Sid and Ovie are very young captains – they each needed a little seasoning.

• Vancouver against Chicago promises to be a nasty little series. Can’t wait for it to start.

• Flyers or Bruins? I’ll be interested to see which of those two teams come out on top of this series too.

• The Sharks are up on the Red Wings 1-0 already. Who will come through in that one? Every time I think Detroit is fading, they come back.

• Anyone who doesn’t watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs is sure missing something special.

Whip It, Whip it Good!

Pens Take the Series and beat Ottawa by a score of 4-3

by Jan Snyder

What a shot by Dupuis to end the game in overtime! He whipped it alright and it blew by LeClaire for a goal.

The series ends and as Crosby said, the Pens needed ten periods to finally put the Sens away. They came out with everything they had and the first period was ferocious. This first round series could easily have been dubbed “Upon Further Review” as again tonight, the guys in Toronto got involved in two more rulings. Cullen began the scoring in the first and it was surprising that there wasn’t more scoring with the amount of chances each team had.

As the second period got underway, the Sens demonstrated why they were still playing at this time of year. Both Neil and Alfredsson scored, putting the Pens down 3-0. After all, the Pens finished fourth and the Sens fifth in the end of year standings. Ottawa was not about to go away without a fight. They proved that they were involved for a reason.

But Matt Cooke began chipping away at the lead when he fired the puck by the goalie and brought the score to 3-1. By the way, when the Sens get a goal, their announcer shouts it to the rafters, but when the other team scores, the announcer sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher, “Waa Waa, Waa, Waa, Waa.” I could never understand what was being said.

Each goalie turned in stellar performances yet again. They each made some incredible saves. In the third, on a power play goal, Bill Guerin scored, followed by another goal from Cooke, tying the score at 3-3. As time wore down, the inevitability of another overtime game was looming. C’mon, Pens, we really don’t want to have to play a Game Seven in the first round, do we?

Overtime ended in just less than ten minutes as a battle of the Pascals. Pascal Dupuis, falling to the ground, whipped the puck past goalie Pascal LeClaire and that was all she wrote! No one could fault LeClaire. His play in these games was amazing and Fleury tuned in quite a performance too, making some big stops on the Sens.

Six hard fought games and the Sens are eliminated. I have to wonder what would have happened if they’d had Kovalev ready to play. But then again, Coach Dan the Man did a great job of moving players around, rewarding those with hot hands, and using every man available.

So who is the Pens next opponent? We won’t know until some of the other match-ups come to an end. In the meantime, the guys get some well-needed and much deserved rest before Round Two rolls along.

I really do hate to see Canadian teams taken out of the tournament, but in this case, I did enjoy it! We’ll have to wait until next season to hear the anthems sung so stirringly in Ottawa.

Stay tuned for further developments in Round Two!

Let’s Go Pens!

He Shoots…and Scores! He Shoots…and Scores! He Shoots and Scores! (etc.,etc.)

Game 4: Penguins were RED HOT at Scotia Bank Place

by Jan Snyder

Pens Take Game 3 by a Score of 7-4

Wow, what a game! If you like offense, this was the game for you. We had a little bit of everything – power play goals, a short-handed goal, a goalie replaced, a broken pane of glass, and a big melee at the end of the game. Not only that, history was made (as predicted in the NHL playoff commercials) when eight goals were scored in the second period alone. The only other time that has happened in playoff history was in 1993 when the Pens and Islanders each scored four.

After a relatively calm first period, the Pens led 1-0 on a power play goal scored by Geno, with Gonchar and Crosby assisting. But after the break, the second period started and the hockey gods decided this would be a good night to rain down goals in Ottawa. Sid and Cooke scored just twelve seconds apart and not too much after that, Sid scored yet again. He ended the game with four points, just another day at the office.

That concluded Brian Elliott’s participation in the game and Pascal LeClaire came in to try to stem the goal-scoring tide. The change in goal seemed to rev up the Sens and very shortly after LeClaire took his place in net, Alfredsson scored Ottawa’s first goal and fired up the crowd. The crowd was so fired up, that the Sens scored again, making it a 4-2 game!

What happens when you need a big goal? You find your Superstar!! No, not Sid, no not Geno – “THE” Superstar – Max Talbot! Taking a nice feed from Craig Adams, Superstar banged it home for a short-handed goal and the Pens grabbed back a 5-2 lead. We could breathe again – but not for long, because Cullen scored on Ottawa’s power play and just like that, it was 5-3. They just kept on comin’.

But a team is a team for a reason. The A-line of Crosby, Kunitz and Guerin teamed up for a beauty scored by Kunitz and it was 6-3 at the end of the wild and crazy second frame.

Ottawa was nothing if not persistent and they came back with goal number four by Spezza in the third. Just when you thought it was safe – aarrggghhhh! But the Pens were not about to be denied and Jordan Staal potted his first playoff goal this season. Finally, the craziness was over, except for a little free-for-all at the end of the game, and the Pens head back to the ‘burg up three games to one.

Despite good plays and determination, Ottawa now has lost both games in their home rink. They have to be feeling discouraged, but that sure doesn’t mean they won’t come out with guns blazing on Thursday. The Pens will need their crowd to help pull them through and hopefully wrap up this first series and get some much deserved rest.

LET’S GO PENS!!