Pittsburgh Penguins

[mounD]

- Aaron Asham and Ben Lovejoy are the SCRATCHES for tonight's contest against NYR.

Line Combinations:

Here are the Pens lines for tonight's game.

Kunitz-Malkin-Neal
Dupuis-Jeffrey-Kennedy
Sullivan-Park-Cooke
Tangradi-Vitale-Adams

Martin-Michalek
Orpik-Letang
Niskanen-Engelland

Fleury starts in goal against Henrik Lundqvist.

[mounD]

- Joe Vitale line with Adams and Cooke to start the game for the Penguins. Michalek and Martin the starting D-pair. The Rangers are 21-1-1 when scoring first, thus the first goal in tonight's game is of the utmost importance.

- Some decent back and forth action over the first 2:30 of the hockey game. James Neal with a decent chance on Lundqvist at one end, and MAF has to make an early save on a trickling puck at the other end.

- Kunitz scores off a juicy rebound in the slot at the 3:16 mark of the period to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead after Fedotenko misses a wide open net down at the other end of the rink just prior. Assists to Martin and Neal. Penguins are 16-6-3 when scoring first.

- Gaborik driving to the goal, tries to stuff the puck past MAF shortside just past the 4-minute mark of the first period. Deceptive little move from Gabby, but Fleury hugs the post and freezes up.

- Again Craig Adams and Tangradi are BEASTLY in their cycle-game, the Penguins fourth line has a relatively easy time maintaining pressure in the Rangers zone about 5 minutes into the period.

- The Penguins have outshot their opponent in the last 11 Games played since December 23, 2011. As of the 6:38 mark of the 1st Period, the Penguins hold a 5-0 advantage in SOG.

- Sullivan with a deceptive wrist shot from the boards just past the 7 minute mark of the period, Lundqvist is able to make a save and push the puck out of danger. The King looks pretty good early on in this game. He has been tested.

- Eric Tangradi and Stu Bickel drop the gloves at the 8:56 mark of the period. A couple of guys right here trying to establish themselves as full-time NHL players try to beat each other up, a pretty uneventful fight though.

- Dubinsky and Malkin exchange some cross-checks / punches / shoves right off the ensuing faceoff. This game is starting to get more physical, and dare I say a bit chippy. No penalties on the play.

- Dubinsky has a glorious chance out from behind the net in the slot near the 9:10 mark of the period, but MAF is up to the task. Moments later, Staal on the center drive [Marc] deflects a puck toward the Penguins net, and Fleury makes another big save.

- Rangers are dead-set on getting under Malkin's skin but I'm not so sure that's a good idea. Bruce Boudreau said on 24/7 last year that was the best way to play Malkin, but lately Geno has been a force when pissed off. Natural hatty incoming?

- Unsportsmanlike penalties for Michalek and B. Boyle at the 9:48 mark of the period and the clubs will skate 4-on-4. MAF with a couple big saves early in the 4-on-4 on Derek Stepan, and apparently a block from Letang with his glove around the 9:15 mark.

- Penguins - Sullivan's line - getting some good pressure down-low past the 13 minute mark of the period. Engelland has a couple big shots from the point, but Lundqvist keeps the Penguins from scoring.

- With 4:19 to play in the 1st Period, the Penguins lead 1-0 and hold a 10-6 advantage in Shots on Goal. Kris Letang shot right off the ensuing faceoff, and the Penguins add another shot; Lundqvist again freezes up.

- The Penguins have been trending in the right direction recently with their responsible play. Through better defensive structure, the Penguins are creating more turnovers and it's leading to more offense. Also of note is the fact that the Penguins continue to out-shoot opponents by a large margin. All good signs for this Pittsburgh Penguins club - whom about a week and a half ago had a lot of negative buzz surrounding them.

- Martin and Prust exchange some punches behind the Penguins net just past the 18:00 mark of the period, after Prust checked Martin into MAF while playing the puck. I cannot wait to see what happens next in this game.

- Rangers with some maintained pressure near the end of the period. Near the 19:30 mark, MAF manages to freeze the puck in a goal-mouth scramble with Gaborik looming. The Penguins clog up the ice, and will go to the 1st Intermission leading 1-0.

- Evgeni Malkin leads all Penguins forwards with 6:59 TOI, and had 1 SOG and was +1 through the first 20 minutes. Chris Kunitz registered 1 Goal, 2 SOG and +1 rating in 6:25 TOI. James Neal had 1 Assist, 1 SOG and was +1 6:28 TOI. Kris Letang led all Penguins defensemen with 8:29 TOI, registering 1 SOG. Zbynek Michalek fired 2 SOG, had 2 PIM and a +1 rating in 7:46 TOI.

First Period Totals:

Penguins 1 - Rangers 0

SOG: 14-8 PIT
HITS: 16-16 tie
FOW: 11-8 NYR
BLKS: 5-2 NYR

[mounD]

Not really Penguins-related or anything, but I just wanted to share a little piece of information I learned from the 1st Intermission fluff-piece on ROOT Sports Network in Pittsburgh:

Apparently if a player has lace-bite and they are looking for some type of padding to put in their skates in order to play through the pain, the best solution is to wrap peanut butter in saran wrap, and use that as frontal foot padding in the skate. I guess you learn something new every day.

[mounD]

- Tyler Kennedy with an early shot on Lundqvist off the wing :18 into the 2nd Period. Easy save for the King on this one.

- Malkin's line maintaing some good pressure around the 2:00 mark of the period. No real great chances on Lundqvist, but Malkin and Neal are working the puck well between them.

- Dubinsky with a backhand coming out of the corner around the 2:20 mark of the period, and MAF is up to the task. Dubinsky hi-sticking penalty on Letang at 2:33 to give the Penguins their first PP chance of the night.

- Neal with a good chance early in the PP chance. Trying to slide the puck in shortside past Lundqvist off a feed from Kunitz, Neal is unable to convert. A fluttering shot off a stick is frozen by Lundqvist at the 3:56 mark.

- MAF with a huge glove save on Staal just as the penalty expired around the 4:40 mark. Off a Penguins' turnover the Rangers led a 4 on 2 rush the other way, but Fleury was able to get a piece of Staal's wrist shot.

- Lundqvist with a huge save on Craig Adams near the 6 minute mark of the period, keeping the Rangers in striking distance in this game. The last time the Penguins faced Lundqvist, he won the game almost by himself. Truly the best in the world.

- Anisimov has a good scoring chance in the slot just past the 7-minute mark; Putting his shot through the legs of the Penguins' defender, Anisimov's shot almost beats Fleury, but he flashes the pad to keep the Penguins lead intact. Penguins lead 17-11 in Shots on Goal.

- Fans are witnessing a great goaltending duel right now between MAF and the King. Both goalies have made some really great saves in this 2nd Period; it's just a treat to be able to watch two elite netminders at their best.

- Evgeni Malkin has a great rush, going around the net with the puck just before the 9:00 mark of the period. He feeds Martin for a chance off the left-wing, but the puck is deflected up into the mesh.

- Hagelin scores off the rush at 10:06 to tie the game 1-1. After getting a beautiful feed from Gaborik while streaking toward the Penguins' net, Hagelin's shot had just enough to get through MAF and trickle across the goal line - additional Assist to McDonagh. Brand new hockey game.

- Gaborik almost gives the Rangers a 2-1 lead at 11:28, but he misses a near-empty net - putting the puck into Fleury off the right wing boards.

- Evgeni Malkin on a near break - sprung by James Neal - just before the 12-minute mark, goes to his backhand and Lundqvist being very aggressive makes the save. Good back and forth hockey right now.

- Sneaky shot from Dupuis almost tipped on net by Engelland joining the rush just after the 13:00 mark of the period; Lundqvist with an active stick able to get a piece of the opportunity and negate the chance. Seems like the King is way more aggressive than he usually plays tonight, good to see if you're a fan or a fantasy-owner.

- As of the 14:24 mark of the 2nd Period, the Penguins hold a 21-16 advantage in SOG.

- At the 14:49 mark of the period, Callahan tries a stuff attempt at the near post, and the Rangers get a few pokes at the puck before the whistle is blown. Both teams eager to breakthrough in this 1-1 hockey game.

- Orpik with two Blocked shots in a row around the 15:30 mark on MDZ and Dubinsky. Such a sound defensive player for the Penguins, and a physical beast to boot. Scary dude.

- Penguins are giving away a lot of pucks right now. Kunitz with a horrible giveaway to Hagelin around the 17:00 mark almost costs the Penguins big-time. Rangers with some serious pressure right now, but the Penguins are blocking shots and Fleury is coming up HUGE.

- James Neal goes to the box at the 17:46 mark for Interference and the Rangers will get their second PP advantage of the game. Very important situation in the game for both teams.

- Paul Martin with a huge Blocked shot from Anisimov's stick preserves the tie hockey game with under a minute to play in the 2nd Period. Penguins are able to kill off the penalty, and Dupuis is unable to convert a chance in the dying seconds of the frame.

- Evgeni Malkin leads all Penguins forwards through 2 periods w/ 13:22 TOI [1:23 on PP] and has registered 3 SOG. James Neal also played 13:22 TOI [1:23 on PP], w/ 1 SOG and 1 Assist. Pascal Dupuis has 3 SOG in 11:52 TOI [0:37 on PP]. Kris Letang leads all Penguins' players w/ 16:25 TOI [1:06 on PP] and has 1 SOG. Zbynek Michalek registered 2 SOG in 14:57 TOI.

Through Two Periods:

Penguins 1 - Rangers 1

SOG: 23-18
HITS: 27-21 NYR
FOW: 22-17 NYR
BLKS: 10-10 tie

[dyzfunctioned]

My god, Malkin has activated beast mode.

8 points over his last 3, 9 over his past 4, 11 over his past 7... 40 points over his last 26...

[mounD]

- Kunitz with a trickling shot just past the 1:00 minute mark almost fools Lundqvist, but he manages to keep the puck out. The Penguins top-line with some good pressure going early in the period.

- Penguins score on a 3 on 1 opportunity, Richard Park buries the puck over Henrik Lundqvist's shoulder at 2:23 of the 3rd Period to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead in this hockey game. Assists to Derek Engelland and Matt Cooke.

- Sullivan feeds Cooke breaking to the Rangers net around the 4:00 mark of the period, but Cooke is unable to get his backhander past Lundqvist; Rangers break the other way and Hagelin can't beat Fleury streaking to the net.

- Tyler Kennedy with an innocent shot off the right-wing near the 5:00 mark, and the King is easily able to absorb the puck in his chest. Penguins hold a 26-22 advantage in SOG.

- Dustin Jeffrey with an absolutely GLORIOUS chance from the slot near the 6:30 mark of the period, and Lundqvist comes up huge. Two opportunities one after another and Henrik is able to stone him on both.

- Moments later, Geno takes the puck away from Marc Staal along the boards and goes backhand over Lundqvist's glove at the 7:10 mark of the 3rd Period to give the Penguins a 3-1 lead. Beautiful goal from the NHL's leading scorer, who now has 8 goals in his last 7 games. Assist to Kris Letang on the goal.

- Really a great game from Kris Letang tonight. He's been the Penguins' TOI leader all night, and his play has been strong in every game situation. He's been the fast, positionally sound, physical defender that he's known to be; while his minutes on the PP have also been quality. Solid effort for a guy coming off two days of practice.

- Neal and Malkin with some really beautiful passing between them are able to spring Tangradi for a decent chance on Lundqvist, but his goal-less drought continues. Putting a pretty innocent shot on Lundqvist near the 12:30 mark of the 3rd, Tangradi is quickly approaching 20 games in a Penguins uniform without scoring a goal.

- Penguins forechecking forces Marc Staal into a bad pass forcing an icing call at 11:59 of the 3rd. Really solid effort from the Penguins' fourth line [Adams/Tangradi+] with a 3-1 lead in this hockey game.

- Matt Niskanen is called for Hooking at 12:35 of the 3rd Period, and the Penguins have to kill off a HUGE PP chance for the New York Rangers. The Rangers PP is 1-26 over the last 12 games and the Pens will look to continue that stretch of poor PP conversion.

- Penguins kill the penalty to Niskanen; TV timeout with 5:23 to play. Penguins lead 31-26 in SOG.

- Hagelin almost catches MAF leaning the wrong direction with a backhand shot near the 15:00 mark of the period, but his shot misses the cage and the Penguins maintain their 2-goal lead.

- Kennedy shot leads to a goal-mouth scramble near the 16-minute mark of the 3rd Period, but the Rangers are able to dig the puck out and transition up ice.

- Penguins are really trapping up the neutral zone right now, and you can almost hear crickets among the MSG crowd. John Mitchell with an innocent shot off the left-wing boards at 17:19 of the 3rd, and Fleury has no trouble with the shot.

- Penguins guilty of icing with 1:58 remaining in regulation with a tired Malkin line on the ice. Bylsma uses his timeout, as expected. With just under 2 minutes to play, the Pens will have to dig deep and shut down any chances the Rangers might create.

- Fleury with a HUGE save on Derek Stepan, and the Penguins turn the puck up ice; Evgeni Malkin scores an EN goal on a breakaway at 18:20 of the 3rd to give the Penguins a 4-1 lead. Assists to Neal and Kunitz. Malkin's 24th goal seals the game for the Penguins, who are now on a 4-game winning streak.

- Prust topples MAF with 37 seconds remaining - albeit pushed a bit - and is called for goaltender interference. Not necessarily a great penalty call, but this game is already decided.

- The Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the New York Rangers by a score of 4-1.

- Evgeni Malkin led all Penguins forwards w/ 20:31 TOI [2:00 on PP], scoring 2 Goals and firing 5 SOG. James Neal skated for 20:18 TOI [2:00 on PP], registering 2 Assists and 1 SOG. Chris Kunitz had 1 Goal, 1 Assist and 3 SOG in 18:22 TOI [1:43 on PP].

- Kris Letang led all Penguins D-men w/ 24:17 TOI [1:43 on PP], and racked up 1 Assist, 3 SOG and a +2 rating. Quite a solid game from Letang in his first action since returning from concussion. I'm so grateful to have him play here in Pittsburgh.

Game Totals:

Penguins 4 - Rangers 1

SOG: 36-31 PIT
HITS: 38-31 NYR
FOW: 39-24 NYR
BLKS: 17-15 PIT

Three Stars:

1. Evgeni Malkin was outstanding tonight - as if it's really a surprise at this point. He's dominating the NHL with 54 points, scoring his 23rd and 24th goal of the season. Malkin also put 5 Shots on net, and was feeding his linemates all game.

2. Marc-Andre Fleury, though an elite goaltender, won't often be favored to outduel Henrik Lundqvist on any given night, but such was the case tonight. MAF battled all night, stopping 30/31 Rangers Shots, willing the Penguins to a victory; Fleury made all the huge saves when called upon tonight.

3. Kris Letang had not played since Nov. 26th after suffering a concussion from a Max Pacioretty hit. Letang returned to the lineup in style tonight, skating for over 24+ minutes while adding an Assist, 3 SOG and a +2 rating. On only two days of practice since being medically cleared, Letang showed everyone why he's so important to the Penguins' success.

HM: Chris Kunitz and James Neal both had very good games tonight, largely in supporting roles to Evgeni Malkin. Each player scored 2 points on the night [Neal:2A, Kunitz: 1G,1A], firing 4 SOG between the pair and finishing with a combined +3 rating.

[mounD]

- In anticipation of tonight's game against the Montreal Canadiens, Jason Williams has been recalled from Wilkes-Barre of the AHL.

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=612772

The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Jason Williams from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.

Williams, 31, has appeared in seven NHL games this season for Pittsburgh, tallying one goal and one assist while averaging 10:22 minutes per game.

The London, ON native has spent the majority of the season with season with WBS, ranking second on the team with 19 assists and fifth with 23 points.

Williams has appeared in 454 career regular-season games with Detroit, Chicago, Columbus, Atlanta, Dallas and the Penguins, scoring 94 goals, 133 assists and 227 points. The 5-foot-11, 193 pound forward has three points (1G-2A) in 27 career postseason contests.

Williams, who was originally signed by Detroit as an undrafted free agent on Sept. 18, 2000, was a member of Detroit’s 2001-02 Stanley Cup championship squad.

Williams played four seasons with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 1996-2000, collecting 74 goals and 194 points in 225 games. He added eight points (4G-4A) in 24 playoff games.

Injury Report [via Penguins.NHL.com]:

PENS:
F Sidney Crosby, concussion-like symptoms (18)
D Simon Despres, Grade 1 MCL (5)
F Aaron Asham, illness and concussion-like symptoms (1)
F Jordan Staal, knee (7)

CANADIENS:
F Brian Gionta, torn right bicep (4)
D Andrei Markov, minor arthroscopic procedure (46)
D Ryan White, sports hernia (46)

- Marc-Andre Fleury will get the start tonight, marking his 20th straight appearance for the Penguins. This is the longest extended streak of appearances MAF has put together in his career, becoming a workhorse before our eyes.

[mounD]

The Penguins face the Montreal Canadiens tonight, and look to continue their winning ways on a 4-game win streak.

STATS OF THE DAY: -Marc-Andre Fleury makes his 40th start of the season tonight [and 20th straight appearance], and is on pace for 70 starts for the first time in his NHL career.

-The Penguins have out-shot their opponent in 35 of 46 games this season to lead the NHL for most games out-shooting an opponent.


Line Combinations:

Kunitz-Malkin-Neal
Dupuis-Jeffrey-Kennedy
Sullivan-Park-Cooke
Tangradi-Vitale-Adams

Orpik-Letang
Martin-Michalek
Niskanen-Engelland

Fleury in net against Peter Budaj.

PIT Scratches: Asham, J. Williams, Lovejoy

[Carcillo]

- Marc-Andre Fleury will get the start tonight, marking his 20th straight appearance for the Penguins. This is the longest extended streak of appearances MAF has put together in his career, becoming a workhorse before our eyes.

Don't think we'll be seeing Brent Johnson much again. He's been awful this year and seems like the coaching staff has also lost faith in him. He's done as a Penguin after this year. Going to be interesting to see if Brad Thiessen is ready to backup Fleury next year, or if they'll bring in another veteran backup. Thiessen's stats this year in AHL are pretty awful; any insight how he's played?

[mounD]

- Malkin's line gets the start w/ Orpik and Letang on the points. Big game for Letang in his hometown, after posting an Assist and 24+ minutes TOI last night against the Rangers.

- A couple early whistles around :20 into the game, Penguins can't seem to get the puck out of their zone early on. Lars Eller scores after some sustained pressure to give the Canadiens a 1-0 lead at :34 of the 1st period. Not a good start for the Penguins.

- Quick shot off the right-wing boards from Tyler Kennedy just past the 2:00 mark is fought off by Budaj, and the Penguins can't collect the rebound.

- James Neal fires a wrist shot off the goal-post near the 2:30 mark, and the Canadiens go the other way for a chance of their own. Then Kunitz and Pacioretty drop the gloves at the 2:57 mark. Both players exchange some good shots, but Kunitz probably got the better of the fight. Pacioretty an extra 2 minutes, and the Penguins will go on the PP for the first time tonight.

- Letang and Malkin combine for a chance early in the PP chance, Malkin shoots the puck wide off the glass. At 3:16 of the period, Sullivan is called for Interference, and teams will skate 4 on 4 for almost 1:40.

- Letang with an absolutely beautiful move to beat his man along the blueline, takes the puck through the whole defensive zone; faking a wrap-around, Letang comes back weak-side and stuffs a puck in past Budaj at the 4:02 to tie the game 1-1. Complete and utter sickness.

- Erik Cole scores his 18th of the season at the 5:41 mark of the 1st Period to give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead soon after the Penguins had tied the game.

- As of the 6-minute mark, SOG were tied 3-3, although the teams have converted a combined 3 goals on 6 shots.

- James Neal goes off 2-minutes for Tripping at 6:22 and the Penguins will be forced to kill a big PP chance for the Habs. Next goal in this game is huge city.

- 10 minutes into the Period, the Habs lead 2-1 and have a 5-4 advantage in SOG. Physicality picking up in this game, but past few minutes have been more tight checking than the first portion of the period.

- Tangradi with a good shot near the 11-minute mark of the period with a delayed penalty call, Budaj is up to the task. Malkin creating some magic with the delay is almost able to convert and tie the hockey game. Subban goes off 2-minutes for at 11:38 of the period. Big PP chance for the Penguins.

- Some really beautiful passing with Letang back on this PP for the Penguins. Turnover to Plekanec at the blueline, Letang comes back big on defense and stops his SH-chance halfway through the Penguins man-advantage.

- Malkin shot-pass towards Tangradi near the 13:10 mark [on the PP] and Budaj keeps the tipped shot out. After ensuing faceoff a goal-mouth scramble around the Habs net and referees blow the whistle losing sight of the puck. Habs kill off PP chance.

- Jeffrey feeds Adams off the rush, and right in the slot he fires the puck into Budaj's glove-hand just before 15:00 of the 1st. Habs lead 2-1, Pens lead 7-5 in SOG.

- Malkin line with some good pressure in the Habs zone near the 16:30 mark, no great scoring chances though. Kunitz with a great keep-in at the blueline on the high cycle, and fires a wrist shot wide.

- Sullivan has a chance just past the 17-minute mark, but he puts the puck just wide of the net. Penguins lead 9-5 in SOG, and the pace is picking up.

- Tangradi popped into the boards and glass pane nearly falls on a referee with just over 2 minutes left in the period. Craziness. Totally unrelated, but Letang is already over 9+ minutes on the hockey game, should finish up around 10 minutes on the 1st Period.

- Letang is just such a valuable player to the Pittsburgh Penguins, probably more important than Crosby in my humble opinion. Beautiful end to end rush with about a minute left in the period, almost splits the Habs D-men but his chance is fizzled out. Erik Cole goes the other way and draws a Hooking call on Orpik with :44 to play in the 1st. Habs 0-2 on PP tonight.

- The Habs will go into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead on the scoreboard; however, the Penguins lead in SOG, scoring chances, and faceoffs won. The Habs will have 1:16 on the PP to begin the second period.

- Malkin led all Pens forwards with 7:47 TOI [2:05 on PP], but registered "0"s across the board. Pascal Dupuis had 1 Assist, adding 2 SOG in 6:05 TOI [0:41 on PP]. Eric Tangradi led all Penguins with 3 SOG in just under 3 minutes ice-time. Kris Letang was the Penguins TOI leader with 9:52 [1:24 on PP; 1:19 SH], added 1 SOG and was the Penguins lone goal-scorer.

First Period Totals:

Penguins 1 - Canadiens 2

SOG: 10-6 PIT
HITS: 11-8 PIT
FOW: 13-8 PIT
BLKS: 8-8 tie

Penguins continue to hold the SOG advantage over their opponents, and could add to their league-leading 35th game in which they've out-shot adversaries.

[mounD]

- Habs on the PP to begin the period. Penguins aggressive early on the kill. Kostitsyn scoers at 1:09 of the 2nd Period on a lazer from the high-slot, beating MAF over the glove. Canadiens lead 3-1 after a HUGE PP goal. Assists to Kaberle and Desharnais.

- James Neal with a shot from down-low off the right-wing just after the 2:00 mark, Budaj is strong with the pad, keeping the Habs' 2-goal lead intact.

- Tangradi looks to be hurt on the Penguins' bench after colliding with Emelin around 3 minutes into the frame. Looks to be fine after a minute on the bench.

- Engelland with a big shot off the right wing, and Kunitz can't put the rebound past Budaj, chipping the rubber just wide near the 4:10 mark.

- Penguins will go on the PK again at 5:14; Craig Adams for holding while on the backcheck. Another huge penalty kill for the Penguins, and a monster chance for the Habs.

- Michalek feeds Dustin Jeffrey streaking to the net to bring the Penguins within 1 goal. Scoring a SH goal at 5:32, Jeffrey now has two points tonight. Perfect timing to get a couple points [and score his first G of the season], and the Penguins have life trailing 3-2.

- With 13 minutes to play in the second frame the Penguins lead 17-7 in SOG, continuing to dominate whomever they face in that crucial category.

- Fleury with a big blocker save 8 minutes into the period on Plekanec, keeps the Penguins within striking distance. MAF needs to stand strong for the rest of the game.

- Park and Sullivan combine for a great passing play, feeding TK for a bad-angle shot from the right wing boards, almost fools Budaj. Pens can't collect the rebound in a scramble around the 9-minute mark, but the team is starting to pick up the pressure in the offensive zone.

- Jeffrey almost ties the game near the 10 minute mark of the period, but Subban [I believe] broke up the play at the last minute; Canadiens go the other way quickly on a 2-on-1 and Pacioretty finishes with a beautiful top-shelf snap shot at 10:34. Canadiens lead 4-2, scoring a HUGE defensive play to stsop Dustin Jeffrey's prime scoring chance at the other end.

- With 8:19 left in the 2nd, the Penguins have only surrendered 10 SOG to the Montreal Canadies but trail 4-2. The Penguins have 22 SOG of their own.

- Canadiens picking up the pressure since the halfway point of the period. Good puck movement, and the best maintained pressure of the hockey game so far for the Habs.

- MAF juggles a point-shot from Emelin with 6:40 left on the period, Canadiens have now registered 14 SOG.

-Cole misses the net just before 15:00 of the period; with Cole on a prime scoring chance all alone in the slot, MAF was lucky on this one. He hasn't been at his best tonight, but he needs to forget about it and be a WALL from here on out or the Penguins won't have much chance to come back in this game.

- Malkin's line with some really good maintained pressure, even continued after Geno left the ice. With just over 2 minutes left in the period, Jeffrey/Kunitz/Neal combined for some quality chances [no shots] and puck possession.

- Horrible turnover by Malkin leads to Plekanec all alone, fluttering a shot off the crossbar. Kris Letang goes off 2 minutes for slashing w/ :14 remaining in the period. Penguins will be shorthanded to start the 3rd Period, largely because of a bad Malkin turnover in the dying ticks of the 2nd.

- Craig Adams got a 10-minute misconduct penalty at 20:00 of the 2nd Period - after time had expired.

- Malkin leads all Pens forwards with 13:38 TOI [2:05 on PP] w/ 1 SOG. Dustin Jeffrey leads all Penguins w/ 2 points [1SHG,1A], and has 2 SOG in 9:36 TOI. Pascal Dupuis has 4 SOG and 1 Assist in 12:55 TOI [0:41 on PP]. Kris Letang leads all Penguins w/ 17:20 TOI [1:24 on PP; 1:31 on SH] w/ 1 Goal, 1 SOG and 2 PIM. Brooks Orpik has 2 PIM in 17:15 TOI [2:44 on SH].

Through Two Periods:

Penguins 2 - Canadiens 4

SOG: 22-19 PIT
HITS: 22-15 PIT
FOW: 25-18 PIT
BLKS: 13-9 MTL

[mounD]

- Kris Letang in the box for another 1:46 to begin the 3rd Period. Fleury with a save on Erik Cole at 1:13 of the period. Penguins kill off the penalty to Letang.

- Jeffrey with a wrist shot past the 3-minute mark of the period, Budaj puts up he blocker and pushes Jeffrey's attempt to the corner. Moments later, after a rush from Sullivan up ice, Dustin Jeffrey fires a puck over Budaj's glove hand at 3:32 of the 3rd Period to AGAIN bring the Penguins within 1 goal [4-3 Habs]. Dustin Jeffrey's 2nd goal of the night, now has 3 points in the game.

- Pacioretty with a quick shot after receiving a pass from below the goal line near 5:00 of the Third, but MAF hugs the post and stands strong to make the save.

- Sullivan feeds Jeffrey after a steal behind the net, and Jeffrey nearly gets the Hatty to tie the game, but the puck is deflected wide off a stick. Penguins and Canadiens going back and forth right now, exciting stuff.

- Malkin line with some good pressure, puck pinballing around in the crease after a Michalek missed shot off the boards, but Neal can't reach the bouncing puck. Moments later, Pacioretty with a big shot from the wing, and MAF is up to the task again. FIREWAGON HOCKEY.

- Penguins will go on the PP at 6:55 of the final period with a chance to pull themselves equal on the scoreboard; 2 minutes for Slashing to Erik Cole. Penguins lead 25-23 in SOG.

- Malkin has a couple Shots blocked on the first minute of the PP chance; Habs have been outstanding blocking shots tonight. Penguins can't get much together for the first 1:15 of the PP chance. Habs kill off the chance.

- Physical play really picking up from both teams past the halfway point of the 3rd. Orpik and Engelland, respectively, are really throwing the body out there. Impressive stuff.

- Niskanen with a point-shot at the 11:30 mark, but the Pens are unable to find the rebound and push it past Budaj. Penguins now lead 29-23 in SOG. Moments later, Dupuis streaking down the right-wing is unable to push a backhander past Budaj shortside. Habs maintain their 1-goal advantage.

- Erik Cole goes to the box for Interference at 12:42, and the Penguins will have another chance to tie this game on the PP. About 45 seconds into the PP chance Chris Kunitz takes a Boarding penalty [at 13:25], and the Penguins will forfeit their PP chance. 4 on 4 for a little bit more than a minute.

- James Neal with a quick wrist shot from the slot at 14:44 gives Budaj trouble, and the puck trickles around in the crease for a minute before he can cover up in his pads. Penguins are coming close, but just haven't been able to find that equalizer.

- With 4:30 to play in regulation, the Penguins have killed off the boarding penalty to Kunitz; Penguins go up-ice, and Letang fires a shot on net that Budaj decides to freeze with 4:00 left to play. Penguins lead 33-23 in SOG.

- Dustin Jeffrey taking some key shifts late for the Penguins. He's been the hot hand tonight, and I respect Bylsma for recognizing that and providing ample opportunities to remain HOT.

- Neal feeds Malkin cross-ice for a one timer and Malkin rips the puck past Budaj against the grain to tie this hockey game with 2:43 left to play in the 3rd Period. Almost off the boards, Malkin ripped this puck far side to score his 25th of the season. "MVP, MVP, MVP, MVP..." Assists to Neal/Letang. Penguins 4 - Canadiens 4.

- Penguins are guilty of icing with :59 left in regulation. Game tied 4-4. Big game situation right here. Penguins win a big faceoff and turn the puck up ice.

- Evgeni Malkin with a deceptive backhander with nearly 30 seconds remaining, and Budaj manages to get a pad on the shot through a screen in the slot. Penguins pushed late in the game, but we're going to OT. Through regulation the Penguins lead 35-24 in SOG. Tonight is likely to be the 36th game in which the Pens have out-shot their opponent this season.


Overtime:

- Jeffrey and Kennedy to start the OT period with Letang and Martin.

- Neal shoots from a bad angle off the left wing 1:20 into the OT period, and Budaj is able to push the puck wide with his pad. Moments later Malkin and Neal break on a 2 on 1 off a turnover, but Emelin is able to break up the opportunity.

- Subban slew-foot on Kunitz leads to a break by the Canadiens, and MAF makes two huge saves on Pacioretty and Eller back to back w/ about 2:30 left in OT. Diving save from Marc-Andre Fleury keeps the Penguins chances alive.

I don't mean to harp on things like this too often during the game coverage, but guys like PK Subban are straight-up goons. I've had about enough of his slew-foot garbage; guys can get seriously injured on those plays and I'm tired of it. Sooner or later someone is going to feed that kid his lunch, and I hope it tastes like shit...

- Penguins and Habs go back and forth through the OT period, but this game will be decided by the skills competition.


Shootout Results:

PIT Shooters: Letang, Malkin, Neal

MTL Shooters: Desharnais, Kostitsyn, Gomez


Round 1: Letang - No Goal // Desharnais - No Goal

Round 2: Malkin - Goal // Kostitsyn - No Goal

Round 3: Neal - No Goal // Gomez - No Goal


Penguins Win 1-0 in the skills competition, and achieve a 5-4 victory against the Montreal Canadiens.


- Evgeni Malkin led all Pens forwards with 25:56 TOI [4:48 on PP], adding 3 SOG, and scoring the game-tying goal in the 3rd Period to force OT. Dustin Jeffrey scored 2G, added 1 Assist, fired 4 SOG, and finished tonight's game w/ a +3 rating in 16:16 TOI [0:43 on PP]. Kris Letang led all Penguins w/ 28:14 TOI [4:07 on PP; 1:31 on SH], adding 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 4 SOG, 2 PIM and a +2 rating.

Game Statistics:

Penguins 5 - Canadiens 4

SOG: 38-29 PIT
HITS: 26-20 PIT
FOW: 37-27 PIT
BLKS: 22-13 MTL

Three Stars:

1. Dustin Jeffrey finished tonight's game with his first three-point effort of his career. Jeffrey scored 2 Goals, added an Assist and had 4 SOG in 16+ minutes. Probably the best game of Jeffrey's young career; let's hope there's more of this secondary scoring to come.

2. Kris Letang in his second game back has been steadily improving each game. Tonight he followed up with 1 Goal, an Assist, 4 SOG and a +2 rating. Letang's importance to this Penguins team cannot be understated, and is a major catalyst in the Penguins ability to match their season-high 5 game winning streak.

3. Evgeni Malkin was a beast tonight, especially late in the game. He attempted 9 shots against the Habs, but was only able to hit the net with 3 SOG. Maklin scored the game-tying goal, forcing OT and giving Pittsburgh a chance to pick up 2 points.

[dyzfunctioned]

Just gotta say man, I don't follow this thread a ton but the coverage in here is phenomenal.

[mounD]

Just gotta say man, I don't follow this thread a ton but the coverage in here is phenomenal.

Thanks dyz, I try pretty hard to give the people what they want.

[mounD]

Is Marc-Andre Fleury the NHL's Next Workhorse?


Last night's game against the Montreal Canadiens wasn't just important for Marc-Andre Fleury because he was up against his home-town team; the contest also marked Fleury's 20th straight appearance in net for the Penguins - the longest such streak of his NHL career. While the game wasn't one of the Flower's best performances, the oft-grinning goalie has also been "oft-winning," racking up 24 wins in 40 games played. Not much has changed from last season; MAF is incredibly consistent from night-to-night, and is considered by many experts as one of the NHL's "elite" goaltenders. Perhaps the biggest development for Fleury this season has been the increased workload.

Through 47 games Marc-Andre Fleury has made 40 appearances, and is on pace to amass 70 games played for the first time in his career. Goaltenders who have the ability, physical conditioning, and most importantly confidence to start 70+ games in an NHL season are certainly a rare breed. Brodeur, Hasek, Belfour, Kiprusoff, Rinne, Lundqvist. These are just some of the names that come to mind when one thinks about goaltenders who have earned the "workhorse" tag. But could Marc-Andre Fleury really be the next goaltender in this exclusive fraternity of NHL-ers? I believe Fleury possesses a few key assets that make the answer to that question a resounding yes. Fleury has the experience, the skill, and the supreme confidence to become a 70+ gamer in the NHL.

Since the 2006-07 season, Marc-Andre Fleury has played in no less than 62 games in a season [does not include 2007-08 season, in which Fleury missed 3 months with a high-ankle sprain], so there's no question MAF has the game experience to be a workhorse goaltender. In addition to his 5+ seasons as the Penguins unquestioned starter, Fleury also adds the resume of a playoff-veteran and Stanley Cup champion. Though he has consistently proven his worth to the club, there is still a small - yet loud - contingent among the Penguins fanbase who seem to forget just how crucial Marc-Andre was to the 2008-09 playoff run. Despite the misguided hate, Fleury has already gained all the valuable experience required of any good workhorse goalie.

MAF also boasts the elite skill that warrants a club to start a netminder in 70+ times per season. Even early in his career Fleury was a very high-skill goaltender, but there were questions about his technique and style of play. More recently - especially beginning with his outstanding play last season - Fleury has shored up the inefficiencies in his game and truly established himself as one of the most talented goaltenders in the NHL. Following career-best marks in GAA and SV% last season [2.32, .918], Fleury has been very strong this season while posting 24 wins, a 2.24 GAA and .914 SV% in 40 GP - on pace for his second career 40-win season.

The final puzzle-piece to Fleury's emergence as the NHL's next workhorse is the supreme confidence he exudes regardless of the situation. His most recent effort against the Canadiens is a perfect example; after being shelled for 4 goals early in the game, Fleury maintained his swagger - as Bob Errey would most definitely say - and was especially brilliant in the shoot-out to help lead the Penguins to a 5-4 victory. That type of confidence can't be taught, it has to be built through years of big-game experiences and highlight-reel performances. When MAF is in the cage, he gives the Penguins a chance to win every game and overcome every situation.

Ultimately Fleury has all the necessary tools to become a workhorse goaltender in the NHL, and with the nightmarish conga-line of injuries repeating this season he will be heavily relied upon to help the team secure a playoff berth. In order to reach 70 games played Fleury will have to play 30 of the remaining 35 games. The Penguins' position in the standings will largely dictate how often Fleury plays down the stretch, but we can be sure that if things get dicey Bylsma will be forced to run MAF ragged. So many things can happen between now and April; but if Marc-Andre Fleury can manage to start 6 out of every 7 games for the rest of the season, we might just have visions of the Flower the next time we think about the NHL's workhorses.


http://highheelsandhockey.com/2012/0...ext-workhorse/