PREGAME
-Greetings from rainy and dreary Western Pennsylvania. High 40s and nothing but rain all day. Just awful.
-The Penguins get a Superstar and a Sarge back tonight and they've each done damage to the Senators in the past:
-FSN Pittsburgh wants to know what you want to watch. Something on Jaromir Jagr, Bob Johnson or last season's Stanley Cup title. We're voting for Johnson:
-Mark Eaton will play tonight. He will remain the only Penguins defenseman to appear in every game this season. Chris Lee is scratched along with Alex Goligoski and Brooks Orpik.
-The Senators scratches are Peter Regin and Ryan Shannon.
-Marc-Andre Fleury and Pascal Leclaire are your starting goaltenders.
-Talbot to Dan Potash: "I missed you!"
-Your lines and defensive combinations:
-FSN Pittsburgh comes through with Lyndon Slewidge's rendition of the national anthems:
-Do yourself a favor and catch Potash's piece on Slewidge during the first intermission.
FIRST PERIOD
19:40: Gonchar shows he's still has his touch deep in his own zone as he makes a little tap pass to Ruslan Fededotenko in the Penguins' zone. That allows Fedotenko to skate the puck out of danger.
19:19: Off a turnover in the Senators' zone, Gonchar rips a wrister from the left point. Fedotenko is in the slot and appears to deflect it off the post.
18:51: And the Penguins strike immediately. Dupuis takes a pass in the neutral zone from Bill Guerin. Dupuis moves it up the right wing and dishes a pass into the slot for Jordan Staal. Staal beats Nick Foligno and is able to tap the puck by Leclaire on the stick side. Staal's long reach allowed him to get that puck on net. We'll bet $23 Paul Steigerwald is itching to use the "pterodactyl" line. Dupuis and Guerin get assists. Penguins 1-0.
18:12: The Senators get a chance to tie it up as Kovalev is "tripped" Talbot. Kovalev kind of jumped out of Tablot's way and fell down. Eh... Bench Talbot. Matt Cooke, Ben Lovejoy, Craig Adams and Gonchar take the ice.
18:03: Fleury hangs on to a shot in tight by Milan Michalek.
17:56: Kuba controls the puck at the left point and lobs a wrister on net. Fleury traps it against his chest.
16:33: Cooke pushes the puck up the left wing, slides towards the slot and snaps off a wrister. Leclaire deflects it away wit his blocker.
16:12: As Talbot's penalty is about to expire, Fuba directs another shot at the net from the left point. It hits a body in front. Mike Fisher is there and his chance off a rebound is denied by Fleury's left leg.
15:24: Mark Eaton cracks a one-timer from the right point. Chris Phillips blocks it.
14:51: Mike Rupp moves up the left wing on a two-on-one. He eventually runs out of real estate and moves behind the net and dishes a pass to Malkin the left faceoff circle. Malkin snaps off a shot which Leclaire denies.
12:45: Fisher rushes up the right ring against Martin Skoula and rips a rising wrister. Fleury has to hop up a bit and fight it off.
12:20: FSN Pittsburgh busts out a solid list:
11:15: Crosby creates a two-on-one with Malkin against Phillips but Crosby never appears to have total control of the puck and Phillips pokes it away.
10:10: Staal moves the puck up the right wing and centers a pass to Guerin. Guerin snaps off a shot which is blocked in front by Matt Carkner.
9:45: Rupp moves up the right wing and snaps off a wrister which is far and wide.
8:46: Fisher sneaks down the right wing and rips a wrister off the outside of the post. He tries to collect the rebound but Deryk Engelland slams him against the boards.
7:51: Nick Foligno has a shot from the slot blocked by Engelland.
7:44: That was only a matter of time. The Senators control the puck in the offensive zone and eventually cash in. Fisher moves the puck to Carnker moving from the right point. Carkner winds up and smacks a slapper that beats Fleury far on the blocker side. Not exactly a great goal for Fleury to give up. Foligno and Fisher get assists. Penguins 1, Senators 1.
7:10: As FSN Pittsburgh goes to commercial, we get a peak at Carkner's beat up face:
-Chances are, most of the damage was done in this fight with Toronto's Colton Orr recently:
6:49: Off a turnover by Engelland in the Senators' zone, Daniel Alfredsson races up the right wing and creates a two-on-one against Gonchar. He cuts inside Gonchar, moves into the slot and puts a little wrister on net which Fleury scoops up with his glove. Engelland owes Fleury a beer.
5:11: Talbot emerges from the back of the net and dishes a backhanded feed to Gonchar. Gonchar kind of chops the feed on net. Leclaire is able to fight it off. Gonchar didnt' exactly get a completely clean shot off there.
4:46: Kuba takes a pass at the right point and cracks a one-timer which Fleury punches away.
4:30: Crosby cuts in from the left wing and whips a backhander on net. Leclaire steers it away.
2:32: Alfredsson controls the puck on the right wing. He has some time and space and picks his shot but he rings it off the crossbar.
1:36: The Senators chip the puck down ice from behind the red line. It hits off the boards behind the Penguins' blue line and deflects into the crease. Guenin juuuust touches it in the crease to get an icing call just as a Senators forwards jumps in the play.
0:45: Kovalev gets a chance on the left wing but rockets a wrister high of the cage.
0:15: Talbot dishes a feed into the slot for Adams. Adams whiffs on his shot attempt but he was checked from behind by Carkner as he attempted the shot. Carkner is nabbed for holding. Malkin, Crosby, Guerin, Gonchar and Eaton are on for the power play.
0:00: End of period. Penguins 1, Senators 1.
FIRST INTERMISSION
-That wasn't the Penguins' best period, but they do look a lot better in terms of how they're moving the puck. Gonchar the biggest reason for that. He gives them a lot more confidence.
-Talbot's been Talbot. You generally don't notice him every time he's on the ice the way you do with Crosby or Malkin, but he finds ways to get noticed with key plays. He set up Gonchar for a nice chance in tight and he set up Adams on the play that led to the Penguins' power play.
-Fleury was solid outside of the iffy goal he let up.
-Kovalev is playing like he has a purpose.
-The Senators have a 9-4 lead in shots.
-Kuba leads the game with three.
-Staal, Cooke, Malkin and Crosby have the Penguins' shots.
-So much for not giving Gonchar too much too soon. He leads the game with 8:31 of ice time.
-So much for not giving Eaton and his wonky back too much. He's second with 8:23.
-Phillips leads the Senators with 7:40.
-The Senators have an 8-7 edge in faceoffs (53 percent).
-Spezza is 6 for 11 (55 percent).
-Crosby is 4 for 7 (57 percent).
-Engelland leads the game with three blocked shots.
-The Penguins will have 1:45 of power-play time on clean ice.
SECOND PERIOD
19:01: As Malkin misses from two wild shots from the left faceoff circle, Guerin is nabbed for goaltender interference. We'll have four-on-four for 46 seconds.
18:29: Fisher works his way up the right wing and puts a wrister on net. Fleury fights it off.
18:22: Talbot has a shot from the left wing deflected wide.
18:15: Carkner's penalty is killed.The Senators will have 1:14 of power play time.
17:29: The Senators cash in their power play chance. Alexandre Picard dishes a pass to Alfredsson at the top of the right faceoff circle. Alfredsson turns and rips a wrister on net. Michalek is in front and appears to re-direct it by Fleury. Either way, Michalek had a heck of a screen. He gets credit for the goal. It's his 100th career goal. Alfredsson and Picard get assists. Senators 2-1.
16:34: Jarkko Ruutu tries to run over Martin Skoula behind the Penguins' net. Skoula braces for the hit and fights off Ruutu.
15:07: Foligno dishes a pass to Kovalev to the left of the net. Kovalev's jam-in attempts are denied.
14:58: Guerin puts a shot on net from deep on the left wing. Leclaire fights it off.
14:37: The Penguins get a power play as the Senators are nabbed for too many men on the ice. Fedotenko, Gonchar, Malkin, Crosby and Guerin take the ice. Fedotenko is on the point with Gonchar.
12:37: The Senators kill off the power play. Very little going on for the Penguins there.
11:46: Adams whips a backhander on net from the left wing. Cooke is there in front and re-directs it. Leclaire is able to fight it off.
11:17: Did the organist at Scotiabank Place play the theme to "Dallas?"
10:35: Crosby picks up the puck at his own blue line, moves up on the left wing, crosses the Senators' blue line against Kuba, criss-crosses with Fedotenko and has acres of ice to shoot on. He snaps off a wrister which Leclaire is able to eat up.
9:32: Chris Neil mashes Skoula into the boards behind the Penguins' net.
9:09: Skoula cracks a slapper from the left point. It gets deflected wide.
8:36: Crosby moves the puck up ice, challenges Phillips and draws a penalty. Phillips essentially tried to tackle Crosby as he was stickhandling. He's nabbed for hooking. Crosby, Malkin, Gonchar, Guerin and Eaton are on for the power play.
8:19: Gonchar rips a wrister high of the cage.
7:33: Alfredsson pushes the puck up ice shorthanded to kill time. He cross from the left ot right wins and dishes a pass to Picard moving on the left point. Picard's slapper is wide of the cage.
6:36: Phillips' penalty is killed. Another weak effort for the Penguins.
5:58: Dupuis snaps off a wrister from the slot. Leclaire traps it against his chest. During the television timeout, the second A&L Motors commercial is played:
4:52: FSN Pittsburgh reminds the world of the Penguins' monopoly on Stanley Cup Final Game 7 heros:
-Frantisek Kaberle not impressed:
3:40: Jesse Winchester takes a pass in the slot and cracks a one-timer that flutters up on Fleury. Fleury traps it against his chest.
2:40: Adams drops to his knees and blocks a wrister by Jonathan Cheechoo.
2:20: Bob Errey drops a reference of the great Mike Zigomanis. Awesome.
0:39: After a pretty bland two minutes, the Senators take a penalty. Chris Kelly trips up Lovejoy in the Penguins' zone during a scramble near the Penguins' net. Gonchar, Lovejoy, Guerin, Malkin and Crosby take the ice.
0:29: Lovejoy hammers a slapper from the left wing. Leclaire fights it off.
0:14: Fleury gloves a shot by Kuba.
0:03: Lovejoy does a nice job of moving the puck into the offensive zone up the right wing and cracks a slapper to the far side. Leclaire boots it out.
0:00: End of period. Senators 2, Penguins 1.
SECOND INTERMISSION
-That was a flat period for the Penguins. They didn't have too much life at all there.
-The power play is struggling? You don't say?
-This is a tie game if the Pengins are below average at the power play.
-Can't use the "Gonchar's hurt" excuse anymore either.
-Has anyone seen Malkin?
-Leclaire has been very strong. He rarely seems out of position.
-The Senators have a 16-15 edge in shots.
-Lovejoy and Kuba each lead the game with four shots.
-Gonchar leads the game with 18:19 of ice time.
-Phillips leads the Senators with 15:25.
-The Penguins have an 18-16 edge in faceoffs (53 percent).
-Adams is 4 for 6 (67 percent).
-Spezza is 8 for 15 (53 percent).
-Carkner and Picard each lead the game with four blocked shots.
-Engelland and Eaton each lead the Penguins with three.
-The Penguins will have 1:21 of power-play time on clean ice.
THIRD PERIOD
20:00: Gonchar, Lovejoy, Crosby, Guerin and Malkin take the ice.
19:10: Lovejoy dishes a pass to Gonchar at the right point. Gonchar's slapper goes wide.
18:38: Kelly's penalty is killed. Ugh.
18:31: Kelly comes out of the box, takes a pass from Fisher and gets behind Eaton and is off to the races. Eaton kinds of swats at him with this stick bu it's twoo late. Kelly moves in and rips a nice wrister by Fleury on the blocker side. Eaton looked like he had cinderblocks on for skates on that play.It's not a shorthanded goal but it might as well be. Fisher and Picard get assists. Senators 3-1.
16:19: Spezza get a chance in tight and is denied by Fleury.
15:36: A wrister by Kuba from the top of the slot is deflected wide.
14:51: The Senators control the puck in the offensive zone and it once again pays off. The Penguin can't gain the puck and labor in their own zone. That allows Chris Phillips to pick up the puck and swat it on net from the left wing. Skoula screens Fleury and he gets beat on the far side. That was a really weak goal for Fleury and his defense to allow. The Penguins were just out-worked in their own zone for the puck and paid for it. Fisher and Foligno get assists. Senators 4-1.
12:57: Ruutu gets denied in tight by Fleury.
12:48: This has quickly devolved into something ugly. Kelly dishes the puck to Kuba at the top of the slot. Kuba then distributes to Phillips sneaking in on the left wing. Phillips just tosses a wrister that beats Fleury near on the blocker side. Yeesh. Engelland appeared to be screening Fleury there. Either way, it's a bad goal for the entire team to give up. Fleury is yanked in favor of Brent Johnson. Kuba and Kelly get assists. Senators 5-1.
11:30: Dupuis steals a pass by Carkner and whips a wrister on net from the slot. Leclaire fights it off.
11:09: Crosby whips a backhande ron net from the right wing. Leclaire punches it away.
10:40: Phillips hammers a slapper from the left point. It hits the boards and deflects out of play.
10:08: Johnson kicks out a slapper by Michalek.
9:57: Kuba smacks a slapper on net from the slot. Johnson fights it off with his blocker.
9:15: Staal loses a physical battle against the boards to a much smaller player. Chris Campoli (6-foot-0, 190 pounds) just outworks Staal (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) for the puck along the boards and gets it out of danger. Inexcusable.
7:55: Crosby chips the puck up ice out of his own zone and develops a two-on-one with Guerin. He dishes the puck to Guerin who can't completely control the puck and backhand chips it wide.
6:54: Ugh... Jonathan Cheechoo scores his first goal in like three years. Johnson and Gonchar have issues with the puck behind their own net and the Senators cash in the mistake. Johnson stops the puck behind the cage. Gonchar doesn't seem too interested in taking it. Cheechoo does and grabs it, moves to the front and puts a shot off the post as Johnson falls in the crease in an attempt to get back in position. Cheechoo gets the puck back and puts it up over a helpless Johnson. That was only Cheechoo's second goal of the season. A former Rocket Richard Trophy winner and he just now gets his second goal. Ugh. The goal is unassisted. Johnson and Gonchar deserve some. Senators 6, Penguins 1.
5:15: Leclaire covers a puck that slides in on net as Staal chases it. A small scrum develops behind the cage. Cooke and Neil, a match meant to be, exchange some thoughts on Logarithmically convex function. We think.
4:52: Staal pushes the puck out of the corner and attacks the net. Leclaire
4:37: Johnson denies shots by Donovan and Carkner.
2:25: Play is stopped as the Senators jump Cooke after he hit Shean Donovan with a knee on knee injury. Donovan needs help to the bench and to the locker room. What a cheap shot. Cooke should be kicked out the game and suspended. Somehow, the officials manage not to give Cooke a penalty. That ridiculous. We guess since it was Spezza or Alfredsson it's not a penalty. The Penguins are the team that ends up with a power play. Picard is sent off for slashing Cooke. Crosby, Malkin, Lovejoy, Guerin and Gonchar take the ice.
3:44: Lovejoy smacks a slapper on net from the top of the right faceoff circle. Leclaire fights it off.
3:35: Malkin emerges from behind the net and lifts a backhander on net. Leclaire eats it up.
3:25: Spezza rips a high wrister on net. Johnson fights it off.
2:41: Malkin finally shows up. He swopps from behind the net, circles in the right faceoff circle and rips a wrister that burns Leclaire five hole. Good job using Carkner as a screen. Cooke gets the only assist. These fans finally get a chance to get on television.
Senators 6-2.
1:51: Neil taks a pot shot at Eric Godard in front of the benches. This ends up being ta real slugfest. Lots of pucnhes thrown and many landed. Neil ends up with a cut under his left eye. Godard gets an extra roughing minor. Chris Bourque serves the extra penalty. Staal, Eaton, and Engelland take the ice.
1:02: Cooke chips the puck down ice to kill time.
0:00: End of game. Senators 6, Penguins 2.
POSTGAME
-That was just pathetic. Really pathetic. After the goal by Jordan Staal, the Penguins just didn't seem terribly interested in competing. They were just completly flat. The Senators meanwhile were hugry and aggressive and ran away with this game.
-We're so sick of tying the phrase "power play." It stinks. If it can generate some goals earlier, this is a totally different game. Outside of the injuries, the Penguins' biggest obstacle right now is the power play.
-Gonchar looked alright for the most part but he did seem a step slow.
-We didn't notice Talbot beyond the first period.
-We barely noticed Malkin before his goal.
-Engelland has a bit of a rough game turning over the puck a few times and screeing Fleury on the one goal by Phillips.
-Crosby was probably the most consistent Penguin leading more than a few rushes on net.
-Lovejoy showed something in terms of what he could do offensively. He wasn't afraid to put the puck on net.
-The Penguins did generate a good deal of quality chances on net. Leclaire was tough tonight. He earned this win.
-The Senators ended up with a 31-27 lead in shots.
-Kuba and Lovejoy led the game with five shots.
-Gonchar lead the game with 25:30.
-Phillips led the Senators with 23:02.
-The Senators had a 29-27 edge in faceoffs (52 percent).
-Winchester was 6 for 6 (100 percent).
-Crosby was 12 for 19 (63 percent).
-Carkner, a former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin, led the game with five blocked shots.
-Fire Ray Shero.
-Lovejoy and Eaton each led the Penguins with three blocked shots.
-Staal moved past Al McDonough for 59th place on the team's all-time scoring list. Each player has 130 points but Staal (69) has more goals than McDonough (56).
-Game summary.
-Event summary.
-Highlights.
Posted
Nov 19 2009, 07:16 PM
by
Seth Rorabaugh