HEATHER WAMPLER – OVATHLETICS.COM
The Penguins met with the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday afternoon for their first home game in five days. Center Evgeni Malkin returned to the lineup after missing two gamed due to a foot injury. Forwards Max Talbot and Eric Godard as well as defenseman Jay McKee were scratched from the game. I was hoping the win from Thursday would carry over to this game. I was pumped as the game started. It was also another Staal vs. Staal. Our center Jordan played against his older brother and captain of the Hurricanes Eric.
5:36 in Malkin showed everyone that his foot was better. He blew through four Hurricane defenseman to get a shot off. Hurricane goaltender Manny Legace managed to block his shot though. Carolina’s was the first to strike. Canes defenseman Joni Pitkanen threw the puck to the front of the crease, it bounced off of left winger Zach Boychuk and in behind Penguins’ goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury at 6:48. Pens captain Sidney Crosby continues to impress us as he manages to through an awkward backhander at the goal at 8:45 but that awful clang sounds as the puck bounces off of it. The Pens spent most of the first period cycling the puck in the Canes zone but no goals. The Pens were outshot 9-4 by the end of the first.
The second period was as exciting as the first. Not too much happened. The first penalty came at 6:43 to Penguins’ center Tyler Kennedy for interference on the goalkeeper. Legace was down on the ice for a few minutes but was okay. The Penguins’ did get their chance at the power play when Canes defenseman Brian Pothier is off to the box for interference at 10:18. He didn’t get to enjoy his freedom for long. Pothier saw the sin bin again at 18:45 for holding. The Pens manage to tie the score while on the power play. Crosby was able to skate the puck into the Canes end. He sent a pass to left winger Alexei Ponikarovsky who fired a pass to Staal. Staal then wristed a one-timer into the net, his 20th goal of the season. The Pens outshot the Canes 7-4.
Penguins’ center Mike Rupp gave the Canes an early power play in the third at 3:57 for holding. The Pens make a big mistake at 5:35 when they give the Canes a 22 second man advantage. Staal joins Rupp in the box for tripping. Luckily the penalty killers showed up for the game and are able to stop the Canes from taking advantage of their gift. The Pens finally get their own power play at 8:47 when Canes left winger Erik Cole is sent to the sin bin for holding. The advantage quickly turned to four-on-four play when Pens defenseman Alex Goligoski is in the box for interference at 9:14. The Russian super star Malkin is definitely back. An awesome fore check by Ponikarovsky and left winger Ruslan Fedotenko gives Malkin the chance to skate out of a the left corner with the puck. He snapped off a great shot and it went sailing right over Peters shoulder. The Pens finally had the lead, too bad they couldn’t keep it. The Canes were able to tie the game back up at 16:00 when Canes defenseman Joni Pitkanen is able to slap the puck in past Fleury. Just a mere one minute and six seconds later Pens left winger Pascal Dupuis is sent to the penalty box for boarding defenseman Jamie McBain. Fortunately the Canes were unable to score and the game went into OT.
The game nearly went to a shoot out but with only 9/10’s of a second left McBain sent the puck sailing toward the net. It deflected off of something and jumped by Fleury. Carolina won 3-2 and that was McBain’s first NHL goal. He was assisted by Chad Larose and Bryan Rodney.
Despite losing the Pens did get a point which helps them keep the lead in the Atlantic Eastern Division with 90 points. The New Jersey Devils have 88. Barley a lead but it’s still a lead. The Philadelphia Flyers are still trailing in third with 79 points followed by the New York Rangers with 71 and the New York Islanders with 68. The Washington Capitals still hold the top spot of the Atlantic Division hostage with 104 points followed by the Pens. The Buffalo Sabres are third with 84 points, the New Jersey Devils pull up third with the Flyers and Ottawa Senators tied for fourth with 79. Alex Ovechkin is barely holding onto his first place lead for point’s leaders with 96 points. Henrik Sedin is hopefully going to catch and pass him; he has 94 points right now. Crosby is still in third with 88 points but has Nicklas Backstrom on his heels with 87. Steven Stamkos, Martin St Louis and Joe Thornton are all tied for fifth with 82 points.
The Pens take on the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, March 22 @ 7 pm @ the Wachovia Center.
