The Penguins were in Long Island tonight to face the New York Islanders. The Penguins came in riding on a 10 game winning streak, trying to keep it going. The Pens were playing without star players Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Tyler Kennedy. The Islanders were only 3 points back from a playoff spot coming into tonight, so the Penguins could not take them lightly.
In the first period, the Penguins did not come out sharp. Let me rephrase that. They were a cluster****. At the beginning of the period, and pretty much the entire way throughout the period, the Penguins play was very sloppy and unorganized. They seemed fatigued, or unprepared, even though they haven’t played since Tuesday night. The Islanders were completely controlling the tempo of the game. We went over 12 minutes before the Penguins even registered a shot on goal. The Penguins were losing all of the little battles, like face-offs as well. The Penguins and the Islanders both had 9 face-offs, but for the Penguins, I expect more out of them. The Penguins were outshot 14 to 3. Embarrassing. They were outhit 14 to 7 as well. Just an all-around debacle of a period for the streaking Penguins. I know that you can’t expect them to keep up the level that they have been playing at, but at least maybe they could still play at the level of an NHL team maybe? A bad period all in all, and I’m hoping we won’t see anymore of this type of hockey play from the Penguins, well quite frankly ever again. I’m sure I am over reacting, and I’m sure you can see my disgust, but it was disgusting. The Penguins did have a very small short burst of good hockey when the Islanders were called for a delayed penalty. The Penguins brought on an extra attacker and had a few good looks. But then went back to the way they had been playing the entire period for the last 40 plus seconds, and wasted some very valuable power-play time.
1st Period Stats
· 3 Shots for Pittsburgh, 14 for New York
· 7 Hits for Pittsburgh, 14 for New York
· 9 Face-offs for Pittsburgh, 9 for New York
Penalties
3:31 Matt Martin (NYI) 5 minutes for fighting Craig Adams
3:31 Craig Adams (PIT) 5 minutes for fighting Matt Martin
19:04 Matt Martin (NYI) 2 minutes for Holding
Goals
7:46 Mark Streit (NYI) Assists Matt Carkner, Frans Nielsen
The Penguins came out in the 2nd period on the power play. They looked sharp. They had same great opportunities to score on the power play. They looked awake, energetic. They look like Dan Bylsma flipped **** during the intermission, even though I know better. They starting fighting for things. They starting winning the little battles. They fought for the puck all over the ice, and actually won! The tempo was changed and it looked like things were starting to move forward for the Pens. Then at 8:11, Joe Vitale notched a goal and tied it up. The fourth line finally stepped it up. The Penguins started playing like a team. They were better on all aspects of the game. When the Islanders were in the offensive zone, we weren’t allowing them as much time, or as many opportunities’s while they were in the offensive zone. I will also say, Thomas Vokoun looked fantastic through 2 periods of play. The man is the reason the Penguins were still in the game after 2. Near the end of the period, the Penguins once again were allowing the Islanders too much offensive time, and letting them have too many shots. And that’s when they took the lead. At 17:18 Josh Bailey regained the lead for the Islanders. The Islanders were in the offensive zone for a really long time before that goal. The Penguins just couldn’t get the puck out. After that goal, the Penguins controlled the puck for the final few minutes of the period. Their entries into the offensive zone were really good, and the Penguins cashed in on that when they scored a garbage goal off the stick of Chris Kunitz at 19:46. I call it a garbage goal because Nabokov really should not have allowed that slow moving puck to reach the back of the net. But he did, and they Penguins were tied after 2 in Long Island.
2nd Period Stats
· 14 Shots for Pittsburgh, 14 for New York
· 7 Hits for Pittsburgh, 4 for New York
· 11 Face-offs for Pittsburgh, 8 for New York
Scoring
8:11 Joe Vitale (PIT) Assist Craig Adams
17:18 Josh Bailey (NYI) Assists: John Tavares, Travis Hamonic
19:46 Chris Kunitz (PIT) Assists: Sidney Crosby, Pascal Dupuis
The Penguins came out in the third period looking even more alive and energetic than they had in the second. They started to control the tempo and get a lot of scoring chances. They were really turning the tide. They had every bit of momentum, and it was a complete flip of the first period. It really was fantastic. They still weren’t playing as good as the past few games, but it was great, especially with the vivid memory of the first period. Early into the period, the Pens made a few good passes, and Brandon Sutter gave the Penguins the lead at 1:46. After that, the Penguins dominance continued. It wasn’t as clean and fresh as it has been, but it was great. Maybe it’s just that the Islanders were playing bad. They couldn’t seem to get anything going for them. One thing the Penguins struggled with this period especially, but throughout the entire game was clearing the puck. When the Islanders had a good chance in the offensive zone, the Penguins allowed them to be in the zone way too long. They could not get the puck out. Then the Penguins went on a penalty kill, and they seemed to clear the puck well. They were taking away so much from the Islanders. At one point though, they had too many men on the puck, and almost gave the Islanders a great scoring chance. Other than that, it ended up being a good penalty kill for the Pens. Near the end, it actually turned into a 4 on 4 opportunity, and then a power play. The Pens got great scoring chances on the PP even though they couldn’t find the back of the net. Late in the game, Brooks Orpik took a penalty, and put the Pens back on the PK. They were playing the PK too passive. They needed to be more aggressive. The Islanders just kept coming. They got way too close way too many times. The Penguins lucked out and held on to win the game. It was one of the uglier games in a long time, but it worked. The Penguins have won 11 in a row now and remain atop the Eastern Conference. Flyers Sunday night. Let’s Go Pens!
3rd Period Stats
· 8 Shots for Pittsburgh, 7 for New York
· 4 Hits for Pittsburgh, 5 for New York
· 10 Face-Offs for Pittsburgh, 6 for New York
Scoring
1:46 Brandon Sutter (PIT) Assists: Matt Cooke, James Neal
19:59 Pascal Dupuis (PIT) (Empty Net) Assists: Sidney Crosby, Thomas Vokoun
Penalties
12:27 Pascal Dupuis (PIT) 2 minutes for Hooking
14:08 Josh Bailey (NYI) 2 minutes for Interference
16:39 Brooks Orpik (PIT) 2 minutes for Hooking
Official 3 Stars
3rd Star – Josh Bailey
2nd Star – Brandon Sutter
1st Star – Chris Kunitz
( Thomas Vokoun?)
