PREGAME
Greetings from our living room and thanks to NBC, probably your living room as well.
It's 2:50 p.m. and what are watching? Golf. Yep. The NHL's broadcast ""partner" has golf on. No pregame show. Nothing to even indicate a hockey game is about to take place.
This is the valuable broadcast partner the NHL has which is which choking the life out of a point of civic pride in Pittsburgh. NBC is going to make us watch Jay Haas chip out of a sand bunker and we'll like it dangit.
If we're watching a real hockey broadcast, we're treated to stuff like this:
Instead, we've got stretch marks and six irons.
Let NBC and its advertisers know what you think of their precious broadcasts. The Pensblog has contact information.
The ironic thing is, it's kind of drizzly here today. NBC is keeping you dry.
NBC actually broke up this corn hole game in the parking lot of Wachovia Center because it would cause them to lose that Heineken contract:
-Seems like NBC actually delayed the game a few minutes in order broadcast the tail end of that golf tournament. If it was the Penguins game running late, they'd stick it on MSCNHLSLNV:LSAEOWRE(@#@#DF*$#BC.
-Ack! He's back:
-Even Crosby seems a bit uncomfortable around Pierre McGuire.
-Fake arguments will be on hand today:
-Mike Richards and the Flyers are wearing their Creamsicle jerseys:
-The Penguins' scratches are Miroslav Satan, Philippe Boucher and Eric Godard.
-The Flyers' scratches are Riley Cote and Luca Sbisa.
-Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Biron are your starting goaltenders.
FIRST PERIOD
19:38: After a turnover near the Flyers' net, Jordan Staal punches a quick shot from in tight. Biron fights it off.
19:01: Crosby chips a wrister at BIron's midsection. Biron hangs on for the save.
17:01: Joffrey Lupul brings the puck up ice into the offensive zone and leave a drop pass for Jeff Carter. Carter picks up the puck, blows by Bill Guerin, moves into the slot, flips the puck to his backhand and roofs it by Fleury on the stick side. Fantastic move by Carter. The Penguins looked really flatfooted there. Lupul and Scott Hartnell get assists. "Bro Hymn" from Pennywise is played. Flyers 1-0.
15:13: Jordan Staal is nabbed for holding on Andrew Alberts. Seemed like an iffy call there. Either player could've gone off there. Hopefully the officials yelled at
14:46: Heck of a start for the Flyers. Philadelphia works the puck along the boards. Richards gets the puck in the corner and zips it into the slot where Simon Gagne charges in and the puck tips by Fleury. Maxime Talbot was late in accounting for Gagne on that play. Richards gets credit for the goal. The Penguins are having trouble accounting for players in front of their net again. Knuble and Briere get assists. "Bro Hymn." Flyers 2-0.
14:33: Chris Kunitz blasts a slapper on net. Biron gets a piece of it and it trickles right by the cage. Really shaky there.
14:29: Kimmo Timonen plays the puck behind his net and is completely blasted by Kunitz. He completely got windmilled there. You'll see that hit in some CBC montages. NBC will show promos for "Chuck" instead. Could you imagine the roar in front of Mellon Arena after that hit?
14:17: Away from the play, Hartnell and Kunitz mix it up. Kunitz is on top of Hartnell in front of the benches. Officials break it up. Kunitz skates to the penalty box with a smile. Kunitz and Hartenll each get fighting majors. How do the Flyers not get anything for instigating or anything?
13:50: As the Flyers are called for a penalty, this happens:
-Claude Giroux and Tyler Kennedy square off. Giroux wins that battle. Andrew Alberts tries to get Evgeni Malkin to fight. Matt Cooke jumps into break that up. GIroux gets two elbowing minors. Kennedy gets a roughing minor. Kris Letang and Darroll Powe go off for fightings. The Penguins end up with a power play but do so with Kunitz and Letang in the box. Malkin, Crosby, Sergei Gonchar are on along with Mark Eaton and Bill Guerin. It takes the public address anouncer two weeks to announce all the penalties. The Penguins need to cash in here. If the Flyers are going to be stupid, make them pay.
12:47: After another Flyers turnover, Biron fights off a backhander in tight by Malkin.
12:25: Eaton slides a pass over to Gonchar at the top of the slot. Gonchar shoots but the puck gets deflected wide.
11:50: The Flyers kill off the power play. Missed opportunity there for the Penguins.
11:37: After yet another turnover, Craig Adams whips a backhander on net. Biron eats it up. The Flyers are still playing sloppy.
10:31: Jared Ross whips a wrister right through the crease.
10:04: Another Flyers penalty. Jeff Carter is called for interference as he tried to hold up Cooke on a forecheck. Carter goes off with an equipment problem. Briere will serve the two minutes.
9:59: A slapper by Eaton from the left point is deflected out of play by Biron. And seriously:
-Including Richards, they are without five of their regular skaters right now.
9:39: BIron fights off a slapper by Gonchar from the point.
8:04: Richards' penalty is killed. Another missed opportunity for the Penguins.
6:41: Matt Cooke is nailed for cross checking. Adams, Staal, Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi are on for the kill.
5:56: A puck slides into the slot. Knuble gets a stick on it. Fleury is able to deny the shot and covers the rebound.
5:21: Talbot backhand swats a loose puck down ice. Question, do you like the pseudo overhead view from the Penguins' end of the ice showing the Flyers' power play.
4:41: Cooke's penalty is killed.
4:21: Hartnell chips a feed in tight right over the net.
2:37: Malkin gets a feed from Fedotenko and is denied in tight.
0:34: Carter whips a wrister at the net from the left point. Fleury steers it out of play.
0:11: Talbot chases after a puck behind the Flyers net and crunches Coburn from behind. That creates a loose puck. Fedotenko jumps in and plays it into the left faceoff for Malkin who smokes a one-timer by a helpless Biron. Huge play by Talbot. Is that a questionable hit though? He hit him from behind. Either way, Gary Roberts is smiling somewhere. Talbot was playing in place of Petr Sykora on that line. Fedotenko gets the only assists. Talbot should get one. Huge way to end the period. Flyers 2-1.
0:00: End of period. A small scrum, by the standards of this game at least, ends the period. Flyers 2, Penguins 1.
FIRST INTERMISSION
-Crazy, entertaining first period of hockey there. A little bit of everything, especially physical play.
-We'll give the Penguins' power play a break there since it was playing without two of its "starters" in Kunitz and Letang.
-The Flyers are obviously playing physical but they're still sloppy. Far too many turnovers in their own end.
-The Penguins have an 11-7 lead in shots.
-Malkin leads the game with three shots.
-Carter leads the Flyers with two shots.
-The Penguins have an 11-10 edge in faceoffs (52 percent).
-Crosby is 6-for-8 (75 percent).
-Carter is 3-for-3 (50 percent).
-Timonen leads the game with 9:19 of ice time.
-Eaton is pacing the Penguins with 7:47. Gonchar is right behind him with 7:46.
-Coburn leads the game with three blocked shots.
-When CBC or TSN or heck, even Versus goes to an intermission, they have a real studio show. When NBC goes to an intermission, they have Mike Milbury and Pierre McGuire in a storage closet in front of a giant Lite-Brite:
SECOND PERIOD
19:47: Whoa! Dear Dan Focht! Right off the bat, Rob Scuderi scores!?!?! Huh?!? Crosby slides a pass out to Scuderi at the right point. The ever dangerous Rob Scuderi uncorks a slapper that beats Biron by his left foot. Bill Guerin tumbles over Biron after the goal goes in. Scott Hartnell was totally lost on that play. Biron should've made that save. That was hardly an Al MacInnis blast there. Crosby and Kunitz get assist. Flyers 2, Penguins 2.
19:01: With Cooke and Kennedy a little too close for comfort, Biron covers the puck. Cooke and Randy Jones mix it up after the whistle.
18:33: Pierre McGuire says Malkin has the eye of the tiger:
18:10: Letang cranks a slapper from the top of the slot. Biron fights it off.
16:39: Adams sneaks down the left wing and whips a wrister at the cage. Biron punches it away. We've liked Adams so far in the playoffs. He's founds little ways to contribute in doses.
15:28: Put that one on Fleury. Darroll Powe snaps a wrister low. Fleury kicks it out. Briere collects the rebound, calmly spins and dishes it to Giroux streaking down the slot. Giroux easily puts it behind Fleury. Fleury needs to do a better job on that rebound. Briere and Powe get assists. "Bro Hymn." Flyers 3-2.
15:06: After a turnover by Gill, Gagne cranks a slapper off the post from the left wing.
14:25: Malkin is nabbed for hooking. Cooke, Staal, Eaton and Gonchar are on for the kill.
13:42: Cooke flips a puck down ice to kill some time.
12:55: The Flyers set up a one-time for Richards that takes about 23 minutes to develop. Fleury has enought time to
12:21: Another one-timer by Richards is fought off by Fleury as Malkin's penalty expires.
12:12: Malkin chugs up ice with the puck against a worn out Richards, draws a penalty and gets denied on a wraparound. Talbot follows up on the puck and is denied again by Biron. A scrum ensues. Richards is sent off for holding. The Penguins have their "starting" power play unit of Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Gonchar and Kunitz on for the first time today.
11:34: Carter snaps a wrister well high of the Penguins' net.
11:02: Inexcusable. Giroux outhustles Gonchar behind the Penguins' net for a cleared puck. Just as Gonchar goes to grab the puck, GIroux lifts his stick and takes possession. Giroux controls it playing keepaway from Letang who is chasing after him. He moves to the right of the net and snaps a pass across the crease to Gagne who is all alone to the left of the crease and punches it by an helpless Fleury on the glove side. Complete failure by the Penguins there. Awful effort by Gonchar to collect that loose puck. Awful effort by Guerin to back check and account for Guerin. That looked like Flyers' power play and it might've won this game for them. Giroux gets the only assist. He should get two for that effort. It wasn't "Bro Hymn" that was played, but we'll post it again. Flyers 4-2.
10:12: Richards' penalty is killed. That as a complete waste of two minutes for the Penguins.
8:45: Richards tosses a wrister from the left wing. Fleury kicks it out but gives up another iffy rebound to the right wing. Knuble jumps on it and tosses it at net. Fleury needs to stretch out and kicks it out with his left foot. Nice save, but it wasn't necessary.
8:10: The officials hand the Penguins an gift as Richard is called for slashing. He kind of whacked Malkin on the shin and make the Penguins forward stumble a bit. Not a great call but the Penguins will take it. Malkin, Kunitz, Crosby, Gonchar and Letang are on for the power play.
8:02: Malkin just controls the puck on the right wing and cranks a slapper which Biron makes an easy save on.
7:50: Letang cracks a one-timer from the left point that Powe slides down to block.
6:32: From the right wing, Sykora slides a cross-crease pass over to Guerin who hammers a one-timer. Biron is able to slide over and kick it out.
6:10: Richards' penalty is killed again. Not much going on there for the Penguins.
5:38: After some more careless play behind their own net, the Penguins lose a battle for a puck. That results in a one-timer chance in the slot for Giroux which Fleury seems to deny.
5:08: What Penguins game would be complete without Pascal Dupui cranking a slapper from 2432 feet out? His blast from left point is blocked.
4:43: Fedotenko moves into the zone with the puck and leaves a drop pass for Crosby. Crosby picks it up and snaps a wrister. Coburn lunges and blocks the puck with his stick. Nice play.
4:29: Kennedy dishes a feed into the slot for Crosby but the Flyers clog up the passing lanes and block that.
3:37: Another Flyers penalty. Are the Penguins going to make them pay at all today? Carter jabbed at Staal with his stick. That's a slashing call. Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Kunitz and Goncar are on.
3:23: The officials make up for their iffy call on Richards with an iffy one on Malkin. Malkin's stick gets up into Timonen who might've had a hold of Malkin's blad in his midsection. It's a hooking call. Four-on-four for 1:46.
2:45: Gagne chops a slapper from the right wing that Fleury snags.
1:37: Carter's penalty is killed. The Flyers will have a man advantage for 1:46.
1:23: Malkin's penalty is killed. Back to full strength.
0:58: Malkin pushes a puck into the corner for Crosby. Crosby gets pressured by Coburn but still slides a pass into the crease for Sykora who re-directs it on net. Biron stands his ground and denies it with his left leg.
0:46: Lupul snaps a wrister towards the cage from the right wing. Fleury makes the save and pops up. A teammate eventually collects the rebound.
0:06: The penguins a late rush as Kunitz gets by Parent on the right wing. He moves in on net but can't get a shot off with Parent hounding him.
0:00: End of period. FLyers 4, Penguins 2.
SECOND INTERMISSION
-A simply terrible period by the Penguins. They had more than enough chances to take the lead, particularly with the power play, but just have choked it away.
-The power play has been awful. They're not entering the zone with any speed or presence. They're giving the Flyers far too many shorthanded chances and the shorthanded goal by Gagne might've pretty much won this game.
-Fleury could be playing better. His rebound control has been less than stellar.
-The Flyers have a 21-19 edge in shots.
-Malkin, Crosby, and Richard each lead the game with four.
-The Penguins continue to control faceoffs, 23-17 (58 percent).
-Crosby is 12-for-16 (75 percent).
-Ross is 3-for-3 (100 percent).
-Timonen leads the game with 18:31.
-Gonchar tops the Penguins with 15:27.
-Timonen also leads the game with four blocked shots.
-Hal Gill and Brooks Orpik lead the Penguins with two each.
-Another awesome thing we found recently: This season-opening montage by CBC:
THIRD PERIOD
18:55: Letang shots a quick slapper at the cage from the right wing. Fedotenko tips it wide.
16:54: A puck gets flipped in on the Penguins' net. Fleury smothers it.
16:18: The Flyers' effort got them a goal there. They simply outworked the Penguins. Albert slaps a puck at the net from the right point. Talbot interrupts it a bit by touching it with the blade of his stick in the slot. Basically, all that does is slow the puck down enough for Ross to pick it up and force it between Fleury's glove and left pad. Fleury had no chance there. That plays all started about 15 seconds earlier when a puck was chipped into the corner. Arron Asham simply outworked Eaton in hustling after the puck and keeping it in the zone. Alberts and Asham get assists. Ross is the first player from the state of Alabama to score a Stanley Cup playoff goal. Congrats to the Penguins for becoming part of a trivia answer. "Bro Hymn" is back. Flyers 5-2.
15:13: Lupul gets denied in tight after the Penguins have some trouble in front of their net again.
14:21: After a delayed call that lasts for approximately 50 seconds, Scuderi is calle for cross checking. Talobt, Eaton, Orpik and Adams are on for the penalty kill.
13:56: Richards cranks a slapper from the right point. Fleury fights it off despite a screen.
13:38: Briere crack Orpik in the face with his stick. Orpik's cut. After being on the ice for several moments, he gets up and immediately goes to the locker room with trainer Chris Stewart with a towel on his face. Flyers fans, class as ever, boo. We really don't know if they are booing Orpik, the call or life in general. Either way, we'll have four-on-four for 1:18.
13:12: Fedotenko fires a one-timer from the left point. Biron knocks it down and covers.
12:51: Hal Gill jumps on a loose puck and fires a slapper wide from the left point.
12:21: Scuderi's penalty is killed. The Penguins will have 2:43 of power play time. A goal here is a must if there are any comeback hopes.
11:30: Huhoooah.. What a shot. Gonchar controls the puck at the right point. He banks a pass off the boards to Malkin along the wing. Malkin takes the puck, moves into the faceoff circle and sizzles a sick wrister by Bironon the far stick side. There are maybe 20 players in the league that can make that shot. Timonen did a poor job there in terms of positioning himself and screened Biron. Gonchar and Crosby get assists. Nice to see the power play finall cash in, but it's probably too little, too late. Flyers 5-3.
10:37: Carcillo thumps Gill to the ice at the Penguins' blue line.
10:29: Carter snaps off a wrister which Fleury punches away. Scuderi trips up Carter a bit who takes a little bit of a dive. No call either way.
9:44: Sykora gets a pass in the slot, hesitates for a moment and rips a wrister which Biron makes a save on. McGuire makes a good point by saying Sykora should've one-timed that. Biron had too much time to position himself.
8:52: Dupuis tries to jam on in. No dice.
8:50: The net gets knocked off. Gagne gives Kunitz a shove. Kunitz staggers Gagne with a punch ot the chest which sends the Flyer to the ice. Another scrum breaks out. Powe tries to start something with Crosby. Kunitz gets minors for goaltender interference and roughing. Gagne gets a roughing minor as well. The Flyers have a power play. Cooke, Staal, Gill and Scuderi are on for the kill. A penalty kill is obviously a must for the Penguins hopes.
7:57: Scuderi tosses the puck down ice and kills time.
8:20: GIll gets away with a trip on Briere. Terrible officiating all around today.
7:32: After a turnover by the Penguins' deep, Hartnell gets a feed in the slot and directs it on net. Fleury eats it up.
6:53: Coburn tries to crank a slapper at the left point but his stick break. Staal steals the puck and has a chance against a stickless Coburn one-on-one. He tries to makes an insideout move on the Flyers defenseman but Coburn makes a nice body check and knocks Staal off the puck. Really nice composed play by Coburn.
6:50: The Penguins return to full strength.
5:39: Timonen cracks a slapper from the left wing. Fleury shrugs it off with his left shoulder.
3:52: Lupul has a chance at a one-timer in the slot but his stick betrays him and snaps.
3:17: Malkin dishes a feed to Dupuis in the slot. Dupuis stops it with his right foot then dishes it to Crosby on the right side. Crosby kind of just punches it in what seemed like an attempted pass to Malkin but it hits off BIron and goes through the crease. Someone needs to shoot that. Another just inexcusable sequence. If they cash in, they have a one-goal deficit.
2:41: Fedotenko coasts into the offensive zone, spins and whips a wrister on net. BIron makes the easy savey.
2:38: BIron fights off a shot from the left point.
2:05: Letang Murphy Dumps a puck at the net from the right point. BIron snags it like a pop fly. The Penguins pull Fleury for an extra attacker.
1:56: After a battle along the boards, Malkin appears to get away with a trip on Knuble.
1:54: With a neutral zone faceoff, Fleury returns to the net. Brooks Orpik having issues with hayfever or something:
1:43: Fleury is pulled again.
1:38: The Penguins' can't gain the zone. Coburn flips the puck up over Letang and Staal. Gagne grabs it and tosses it down ice into the cage for one of us:
-Coburn gets the only assist. "Bro Hymn." Flyers 6, Penguins 3.
0:00.9: We couldn't have the game end without another scuffle. Letang and Asham mix it up. Offiicals run the rest of the clock to prevent anything else. Replays show Asham checking Letang. Letang responded by swing his stick into Asham's lap. Asham responds by punching Letang in the face. Each player gets roughing calls.
0:00: End of game. Flyers 6, Penguins 3.
POSTGAME
-Heck of a response by the Flyers. They got physical and they were even undisciplined at times. But they made sure the Penguins also lost their cool on occasion as well. The Flyers played their game and sucked the Penguins in.
-Additioinally, they were desperate and they were playing at home in front of an energized crowd. Adrenaline will do wonders for you in circumstances like that. But it doesn't last for ever.
-That said, this was a very winnable game for the Penguins. That shorthanded goal by Gagne totally changed the course of this game and staggered the Penguins. If the Penguins prevent that goal, this is a totally different story this afternoon.
-Giroux was everywhere today. He was the Flyers' best player in our book. He contributed in all areas of Philadelphia's game and his effort on the shorthanded goal was clutch.
-One thing we did like from the Penguins' standpoint was Kunitz's physicality. We really haven't seen a great deal of it since he joined the Penguins, but he's a guy who will mix it up. His hit on Timonen really stunted the momentum the Flyers had early on with a 2-0 lead.
-The Penguins' power play was horrendous going 1-for-7. Granted two of those were with Letang and Kunitz in the box early on and one was shortened by a penalty to Malkin, but the key to beating the Flyers is making them pay for their mistakes. That's how the Penguins won Games 1 and 2.
-Marc-Andre Fleury did not have his best effort. He didn't stink it up by any means, but he didn't dominate. He had some iffy rebounds that really didn't help matters.
-Biron wasn't exactly dominant either. He looked rather ordinary but really wasn't tested a great deal.
-Fleury's defense wasn't exactly air tight. They allowed the Flyers to gain the zone with speed and really set up shop in front of the net far too often. That will need to addressed by Game 2.
-Malkin continues to play out of his mind. He has seven points (four goals, three assists) in three games so far these playoffs. That brought is point-per-game average for these playoffs "down" to 2.33.
-Has anyone seen Petr Sykora?
-The Flyers had a 30-29 lead in shots.
-Malkin and Carter each lead the game with five shots.
-The Penguins had a 29-26 lead in faceoffs (53 percent).
-Crosby was 14-for-20 (70 percent).
-Ross was 5-for-6 (83 percent).
-Timonen led the game with 26:36 of ice time.
-Gonchar led the Penguins with 22:37.
-Timonen also led in blocks with five.
-Gill, Dupuis, Staal, Orpik and Letang each had two for the Penguins.
-Malkin moved past Slippery Rock Joe Mullen for 10th place on the team's all-time playoff scoring list. Malkin now has 33 points to Mullen's 31.
-Gonchar moved past Rick Kehoe for 20th place. Gonchar now has 22 points to Kehoe's 21.
-We can't express how disappointed we are that we can't bust out this graphic later this series:
-Game summary.
-Event summary.
-Highlights.
Posted
Apr 19 2009, 02:50 PM
by
Seth Rorabaugh