HEATHER WAMPLER – OVATHLETICS.COM
The Penguins met with the Detroit Redwings for only the second time since the playoffs last year. Forwards Evgeni Malkin and Eric Godard as well as defenseman Jay McKee were scratches from the game. This was the first time the Pens have been at the Joe Louis Arena since game 7 of last year where they hoisted the Stanley Cup. I was hoping for the same outcome for the Pens but they lost. Again.
Pens captain Sidney Crosby got Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard on his toes early but is robbed by a glove save thirty seconds into the opening period. 1:23 the Pens gave the Wings their first power play when left winger Ruslan Fedotenko was sent off for hooking. The Pens penalty killers have been able to kill off the past twenty power plays they’ve been up against. Well, now it’s twenty-one. The Pens and
Devils went on four-on-four play at 8:31 when Pens defenseman Sergei Gonchar is sent to the box for holding while another penalty was given to Wings center Johan Franzen tripping. The Pens should have had a power play less than a minute later when Crosby was high-sticked in the face but all four referees just happened to miss the call. Gonchar is caught yet again. He is sent off to the penalty box at 14:24 this time for interference. The Pens penalty killers were able to kill off all the penalties in the first. With less than one minute left in the period the Devils opened the scoring. Devils left winger Henrk Zetterberg sent a pass to right winger Todd Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi was able to find center Valtteri Filppula open which enable Filppula to snap the puck in behind Pens goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Shots were even at 10.
Once again there is four-on-four play at 1:35 when Pens center Jordan Staal is sent to the sin bin for slashing and Devils left winger Tomas Holmstrom is sent for interference. Holmstrom didn’t get to enjoy his freedom for long. He is sent right back to the box at 4:12 for what other than interference. Devils left winger Henrik Zetterberg took a pass from defenseman Nicklas Lindstrom taking a backhanded shot on Fleury, who is able to stop it. Zetterberg kept pounding at the puck and finally sinks in his own rebound giving the Devils a two goal lead at 7:38. The Pens spent the next nine minutes fighting hard and narrowly missing a few goals. They finally got their break at 16:54 when left winger Chris Kunitz fore checks Devils defenseman Brian Rafalski giving Pens left winger Pascal Dupuis the change to drive the puck to the net for a goal. The Pens were outshot 9-10.
Any chance the Pens had of coming back were stomped on only 1:20 into the third. Filppula sent a pass to Zetterberg in the neutral zone. Zetterberg then sent a snap shot through Fleury’s right arm for another two goal lead. The Pens get a rather shady penalty called on them at 5:52 when Devils defenseman Brad Stuart drove right winger Billy Guerin into Howard resulting in interference on goaltender penalty. The Devils had virtually back-to-back power plays when Pens defenseman Alex Goligoski is sent to the box for slashing Zetterberg. The Pens managed to kill off the fourth Devils power play successfully. They had so many opportunities to tie the game and take the lead. Unfortunately Howard was unrelenting between the pipes. Both teams jump on each other when the final whistle blows as Crosby and Zetterberg get into it. Detroit beat the Pens 3-1.
The Pens retain the top of the Atlantic Eastern Conference with a mere two points, 90. The New Jersey Devils have 88. The Philadelphia Flyers are still in third with 79 points while the New York Rangers are fourth with 71 points and the New York Islanders are trailing in fifth with 68. The Washington Capitals continue to dominate the Atlantic Conference with 106 points, followed by the Pens and Buffalo Sabres, who have 88 points. The Devils are fourth followed by the Ottawa Senators with 81 points and then the Flyers. As far as point’s leader goes Alex Ovechkin continues to hold onto his lead with 97 points with Henrik Sedin closing in with 95. Crosby is now tied for third with Nicklas Backstrom with 88 points. Steven Stamkos, Martin St Louis and Joe Thornton are all tied for fourth with 83 points.
The Pens take on their rivals the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, March 24 @ 7:00 pm @ the Verizon Center.
