Wednesday, January 8, 2014

RECAP. Deja Vu? Pens WIN

5
 4

Sidney Crosby returned to the scene of his Golden Goal in the 2010 Olympic last night as the Pens made their only visit to Vancouver this season.  This game was pretty meh throughout.  The Canucks were just sitting back and trying to capitalize on Pens mistakes.  Typical John Torterella bull shit.  It didn't work for 2 periods as the Pens controlled the game for the most part. But in the 3rd things went to hell for the Pens almost.  But, Best In the World had other plans.


Like we said.  The first period was meh.  The Pens controlled play and the Canucks just sat back and watched pretty much.  The Pens would get on the board first though.  Former Penguin Dan Hamuis couldn't control a bouncing puck at the point and Brian Gibbons poked it away from him.  Gibbons used his speed to get in behind the defense, protected the puck well, and slipped on 5 hole to make it 1-nil Pens.


The second period was the same as the first for the most part.  The Pens dominated some more and the Canucks sat back and watched.  The Canucks showed their first sign of life when some dude from the band Hanson was in on a breakaway.  MAF stoned him and the Pens went the other way.  Finnish Olympian Olli Maatta led the rush into the Canucks zone, dropped the puck off for James Neal, Neal faked a shot and gave the puck up the Geno.  Geno sniped one from the slot to make it 2-0.  The Pens were coming in waves.  They were in the Canucks mouth and the Canucks weren't fighting back.  If it wasn't for Eddie Lack stoning Kris Letang a couple times and Letang hitting a post it would have been 4-0 or 5-0 Pens.  Instead it stayed 2-0.  But the Pens started to wet themselves.  Best In The World threw a no look pass in front of his own goal.  It missed Brian Gibbons and went right to Mr. Garrison.  He sniped one high on MAF to make it 2-1.


Business started to pick up in the 3rd.  The Canucks finally stopped sitting on their balls and came out to play.  Chris Tanev tied the game on a shot that had about 846 people in front of MAF.  No way he could see it.  Then Chernobyl happened.  Chris friggen Higgins smoked the Pens defense and was in on a breakaway.  He beat MAF 5 hole to give the Canucks a 3-2 lead.  Then 17 second later Zack Kassian roofed on on MAF to make it 4-2.  

But the Pens had other ideas even though it didn't look like it for a while.  With under 2 minutes to play the Pens pulled MAF.  They worked the puck into the Canucks zone and fed Kris Letang at the point.  He put it in Eddie Lack's mouth.  4-3 Canucks.  Then 16 seconds later, Best In The World's music hit:


Tie game.  4-4.
Crosby scored the tying goal on the same goal and celebrated in the same corner as he did when he scored the Golden Goal in 2010.  We fully expect him to never score in the other goal when the Pens visit Vancouver from now on.  


Overtime was back and fourth for the most part.  The Pens had a 2 on 1 with Neal and Malkin but they were at the end of their shift so they were gassed.  No dice.  Really nothing else happened though. Both teams had some chances.


The game slipped into a shootout.  The Pens catch a break because the Sedin sisters refuse to participate in the shootout. They Canucks shot first.  Couldn't tell you who it was to be honest but MAF stopped him.  Jussi Jokinen shot first for the Pens.  He almost ran into a linesman and Bob Errey almost had a stroke because someone dared to get in Jokinen's.  Can only imagine what he would have done had that been Crosby.  But none the less, Eddie Lack stopped Jokinen.  We are prettyt sure The Situation from the Jersey Shore was the Canucks 2nd shooter.  He hit the post.  Then.  Best In The World stepped up.  It was almost unfair.  You knew he was scoring.  He went 5 hole on lack to give the Pens a 1-0 advantage in the shootout.  Then Zack Kassian, I think, had a chance to keep the shootout going.  No dice.  Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaameeeee.


1. Zack Kassian
2. Chris Higgins
3. Kris Letang

Stuff:
  • What a game from Kris Letang.  He was everywhere.  Made smart plays with the puck.  Didn't try to force things.  Joined rushed when it was safe.  Games like last night are why the Pens game him $58 million.  If he would play like that for the rest of the season watch out.
  • James Neal and Evgeni Malkin are something else.  So fun to watch.  The chemistry they have together is amazing.
  • As much as we love Simon Despres he was bad last night.  Brook Orpik too.  No clue what Robert Bortuzzo did to not have a spot in this lineup.
  • MAF was ok.  Better in the 1st and 2nd than the 3rd.  Brick wall in the shootout.  MAF is money in those.
Pens continue their lovely Western Canada road trip on Friday in Edmonton at 10 p.m.

Go Pens








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