And with that folks our Pittsburgh Penguins overtake the Caps as your Eastern Conference leaders.. We now stand just 2 points behind the Sharks for head of the league.. Oh yes, we’re movin’ on up.
An interesting stat was brought to attention just before the puck drop. In 9 home games against the Montreal Canadiens, Crosby has yet to be held pointless. Scoring a total of 8 goals and 16 points, he wasnt about to let that streak die tonight either..
The Guins took “starting off on the right foot” to a whole new level. An opening faceoff win by Jordan Staal allowd the Pens to gain the zone and dictate the play early on. Working the puck and battling along the boards we dominated the opening minutes. Some solid scoring chances were had. Perhaps none more surprising, yet impressive, as Eric Godard who registered a career high 4 shots on goal (although I believe I counted about 5 or 6 opportunities).
Our hits were dead on, our forecheck was aggressive and we played hard, short, effective shifts, able to roll all 4 lines with success and confidence. The D was solid, clearing our end with good quick breakout passes allowing us to maintain offensive pressure and hold possession of the attacking zone. Crosby, meanwhile, was a beast all over the ice and by the 10:39 mark he burried a sweet wrister from the top of the left circle. 1-0 Pens.
Despite a 2 on 1 opportunity for the Habs, Crosby was quick on the backcheck to break up the play and we continued to lay on the pressure into the final minutes of the 1st.
Oh Captain, My Captain!
The second period started off exactly where the first ended. Our puck movement was as solid as ever, leading to a few good chances in the early minutes. At 15:40 Talbot drew a tripping call against Pyatt and the Penguins took it to the PP. The Power Play was well executed. Eaton put forth a strong effort and provided great support, pinching down on the puck and keeping play alive. Pens couldnt capitalize, but still managed to hold the zone and it was only a matter of time before (13:19) Guerin jammed one behind Price. 2-0 Pens.
Guerin-Tee it.
We continued to play hard. Defensively sound. Skoula has now recorded points in 5 of his last 6 games. He, along with Rupp, Gogo, and Dupuis are all on pace for career highs this season. Staal, Cooke and Adams stepped up physically for the team, treating Georges as a personal punching bag. Orpik was also aggressive on the blue line and absolutely nailed Lapierre just prior to the 4 minute mark. Fleury didnt face an abundance of fire power through the first 2 periods, but his reflexes were sharp and his vision spot on. He was ready and stable, and held true for us when put to the test.
With all of our Dmen coming to call, you knew Gonchar had to get in on the action. 3:04 minutes left in the 2nd he received a drop from Crosby and worked it right past the goal line. 3-0 Pens.
I have no clever title for this.. all I can say is: Beautiful.
Just over a minute left in the 2nd, Adams took a penalty and we went on the PK. Coming into the game with a Penalty Kill percentage of 83, the Guins easily played off the first half of the high sticking call. Shots 24-14 in favor of Pittsburgh.
The 3rd period began on the PK. We killed it bigtime and maintained our momentum. A heavy north south pace was established and it looked like the Canadiens werent quite ready to throw in the towel. A sloppy turnover gave the Habs just what they were looking for, as they converted on the 2 on 1 with 12:43 remaining on the ticker. Pens bounced back and focused on keeping the puck deep in the Habs end, running the clock. Cooke drew a trip on Hamrlik at 11:35 and things began to look like they may be in the bag. Our hearts skipped a beat when the puck was grabbed by Plekanec who carried it deep into out end and thew it into the slot for a wide open O’Byrne. Fleury makes the unbelievable clutch glove save, essentially securing our victory.
OByrned.
Our boys continued to apply pressure through the dying moments of the game. The depth we displayed was nothing short of incredible. The habs were so intimidated by our mad skills that they didnt even attempt the man advantage and Price remained in the paint until the clock struck 0:00
3-1 Pens.
3 stars for the night were, deservedly, Crosby, Guerin and Staal.
I would also like to take the time to send a shoutout to MadManMaximeSuperstarTalbot for his first game at the Igloo this season. He played a gritty game and registered an assist for his efforts.
At this point the pens have a total of 94 man games lost in relation to injuries. It takes a lot of heart and drive to fill the shoes of our missing teammates. Kudos to all of you who have stepped up to the plate in these times of lower body injuries..
Lets Go Guins.
number of view: 1200Tags: Alex Goligoski, Bill Guerin, Brooks Orpik, Craig Adams, Eric Godard, Jordan Staal, Marc Andre Fleury, Mark Eaton, Martin Skoula, Matt Cooke, Maxime Talbot, Mike Rupp, Pascal Dupuis, Sergei Gonchar, Sidney Crosby
great recap! thanks for this! Lets Go Pens!