HEATHER WAMPLER – OVATHLETICS.COM
The Pens met with the Ottawa Senators for game 3 of the playoffs Sunday evening. They went into the game without backup goaltender Brent Johnson, defensemen Jordan Leopold and Ruslan Fedotenko and forwards Eric Godard and Ben Lovejoy. This was Pittsburgh’s second win of the series pushing them up 2-1 over the Sens. Going into the game I wasn’t sure what to think. I knew that if they won it that would be a big boost for the Pens but if they lost it could be a detrimental moment. Luckily they proved why they are the reigning Stanley Cup champs.
One of our newly acquired left wingers Alexei Ponikarovsky is proving to be a great asset. 1:17 into the first he picked up a loose pass from left winger Pascal Dupuis and wristed the puck in behind Sens goaltender Brian Elliott. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar received the second assist. There is no better way to silence a home crowd than to score within the first two minutes. Sens right winger Chris Neil gave the Pens their first power play opportunity at 7:35 when he hit Dupuis from behind. Unfortunately the Pens were unable to do much and the power play expired without any goals. Fortunately a few minutes later at 13:52 Sens defenseman Chris Campoli was the next off to the sin bin for cross-checking. Again the Pens were unsuccessful. With 41 seconds left in the first Ottawa managed to score; however, it was ruled no goal after being reviewed by the big guys in Toronto, it was ruled the puck was kicked in. A big sigh of relief there. After the play at 19:19 Pens defenseman Brooks Orpik and Sens defenseman Matt Carkner are sent off to the box for roughing. At the 20 minute mark Pens center Jordan Staal was given a slashing penalty. The Pens were outshot 5-4.
The Sens got started early in the second. The only time they were able to even see a glimpse of winning the game. While on the power play, at 1:53 Sens center Peter Regin took the puck behind the Pens net, then sent it to center Mike Fisher, who snapped the puck over Pens goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s glove. Center Matt Cullen received the second assist. Sens rookie defenseman Erik Karlsson met with Pens center Max Talbot at 5:57. Talbot was able to life Karlsson’s stick and direct a loose puck at Elliott. Center Evgeni Malkin crashed the net jabbing at the puck until it slid in. The Pens were given an amazing two minute 5-on-3 at 13:55 when Sens Neil is off to the box for charging Malkin while left winger Jarko Ruutu is given a misconduct penalty. Despite having a two-man advantage the Pens are now 0 for 3 on the power play, which is very disappointing. The Sens get their only second period power play at 17:04 when Pens left winger Matt Cooke is off to the box for boarding but nothing kills a power play faster than acquiring a penalty of your own. The Sens loose the advantage when Karlsson is off at 17:31 for slashing Staal’s stick. The Pens had a short power play finally struck. At 19:15 captain Sidney Crosby won a battle for the puck against Sens defenseman Andy Sutton. He drove the puck to the net, waiting for the perfect opportunity. An unsuspecting Elliott gave him the perfect chance to lop the puck right in for a 3-1 lead over the Sens. The Pens outshot the Sens 11-8 by the end of the second.
The third period started off great for the Pens. At 4:27 the put the nail in the coffin for the Sens. They were able to quickly recover a turned over puck as left winger Chris Kunitz sent a pass to right winger Billy Guerin, who was able to get a breakaway chance. Guerin then switched from backhand to forehand, completely confusing poor Elliott before he sent a wrister into the open net. Captain Crosby received the second assist. Shortly after the goal Pens defenseman Mark Eaton and Sens Ruutu were both sent to the box at 4:43 for roughing after a small scrum in front of Fleury’s net. AT 10:31 there is another 10-man skirmish in the corner of the Penguins zone after the whistle. The Sens were making rather pathetic attempts to gain retaliatory penalties. It wouldn’t work in the Sens favor. Their captain Daniel Alfredsson is given a kneeing penalty for what he did to Orpik. Unfortunately the power play didn’t last long. At 11:31 Pens Guerin is in the penalty box for hooking. The Sens got a one minute power play which resulted in a power play goal at 12:58. Cullen received a pass from Alfredsson and beat Fleury’s glove hand. Center Jason Spezza received the second assist. Despite cutting the lead in half, there was nothing more the Sens could do. I was nervous for about half a second but there was no reason to be. The Pens were out playing the Sens and doing everything right. I just about had a heart attack at 18:03 when Orpik was off to the sin bin for hooking. With less than two minutes left Sens head coach Cory Clouston called a time out where he decided to pull his goalie for a 6-on-4 power play. I couldn’t believe it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. I sat on the edge of the couch, letting my eyes flicker between the clock and the swarm of red jerseys in the Pens end. Thankfully the penalty killers were able to do it. They held off the barrage of shots. Pens and Sens were even on shots at 9.
With 3 games down Pens are up 2-1. As for news around the NHL; on Saturday, March, 17 Boston Bruins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-3 and unfortunately the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-5. That game was ridiculous. Yes, I watched it. I still can’t believe what I saw. The Los Angeles Kings beat the Vancouver Cannucks 3-2. For today’s games, the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Detroit Redwings 4-2, the Philadelphia Flyers beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Nashville Predators 2-0 and finally the Colorado Avalanche beat out the San Jose Sharks 1-0.
The Pens play the Sens in game 4 on Tuesday, March, 20 @ 7:00 pm at the Scotia Bank Place.
