All System's Go. Pens WIN

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3

The Iron Sheik style humbling at the hands of the New York Islanders may have been the best thing to happen to the Pens so far this season.  Since that game they have won 3-0, 5-1, and 6-3.  2 of those wins being against Atlantic Division teams.  (Rangers and Devils).  Yesterday the Pens were in Washington to take on the Caps and while Pens/Caps just ain't what it used to be, whenever these 2 teams get together it's still fun.  It's king of sad seeing what has happened to the Caps especially thinking about that epic playoff series in 2009.  If you need any other evidence that the Caps and Captain Alex Ovechkin just are not the same team any more...Chris Kunitz had more goals this game than Ovi has all season.  Let that sink in for a while....

1st Period

Ovi looked like Ovi for like 8 seconds.  He was running around  hitting every one wearing a white jersey. Then the Pens scored and Ovi was no where to be seen again.  Crosby won an offensive zone faceoff back to Paul Martin who put the puck on net.  It hits something (apparently Chris Kunitz.  The NHL changed the scoring and credited the goal to Kunitz instead of Martin.) and gets past Holtby to make it 1-0 Pens.  The Caps would tie it soon after.  Kris Letang obliterated Mike Green behind the net.  Green played dead for about 5 seconds and everyone forgot about him.  He gets back into the action and is wide open for a onetime.  Goal.  1-1.  Green celebrated like he won tickets to a Nickleback concert.  If you ever need to know how dumb 99% of Caps fans are here you go.  Kris Letang blasted some dude with Carbs...oh wait his name is Crabb.  Oh.  Regardless...Kris Letang blasted some dude named Carbb and Caps fans cheered like Carbb did something.  Uhh...ok.  The Pens would get a 2nd goal in the first when Deryk Engelland shot one from the point and Matt Cooke deflected it in front to make it 2-1 Pens.  Ovi cried that Cooke touched Holtby.  Replay showed Cooke never even came close.  

Pic via @lisarec

2nd Period

Caps would get on the board first in the 2nd period.  This is one of the more bizarre goals you'll ever see.  John Carlson was going for a dump in.  He shot the puck so it would go around the glass and in behind the net.  Instead it takes a weird bounce and goes into an open net because Vokoun had skated behind the net to play the puck he expected to go behind the goal.  2-2.  That goal would have killed a bad team.  The Caps would have gotten all the momentum.  What happened next was 7 minutes of absolute hell for the Washington Capitals.  It all started with Kris Letang.  He out waited half the Caps team and ripped one past Hloltby to make it 3-2.  Under a minute later Chris Kunitz would get his first to make it 4-2.  Then the Pens got a power play and cashed in.  Malkin dished a sick pass to Kunitz cross ice and Kunitz put it home to make it 5-2.  The goal looked similar to the old Ryan Whitney play.  

3rd Period

The 3rd period was yawn city pretty much.  Even after the Caps made it 5-3.  Pens were basically just in anti Chernobyl mode.  Vokoun was in the Caps mouth.  The Caps tried pulling Holtby but completely messed everything up and somehow ended up giving the Pens a 5 on 3.  Pens went in to get Kunitz the puck mode on the power play.  7 second left the did.  Crosby fed one to Kunitz on the door step.  Pretty sure Kunitz blew Holtby a kiss before he sniped it for the hat trick and a 6-3 Pens lead.  Yes people did throw hats.  Game.

3 STARS

1. Chris Kunitz

2.  Mike Ribeiro

3.  Evgeni Malkin

Stuff:

• TK has looked exceptionally awful the last 2 games.  He was the only player under 10 minutes of ice time for the Pens (9:51).
• Paul Martin and Brook Orpik led the Pens in ice time.  Martin had 27:41 and Orpik had 28:11.  They were the only Penguins to play over 20 minutes.
• Boychuk was everywhere.  Had a partial breakaway but couldn't put it home.
• Crosby is starting to catch fire.  3 assists yesterday.
• Robert Bortuzzo man.  Dude just doesn't make bad plays.  And if he does he always bust his ass to make sure nothing happens because of it.  It'll be a tragedy if he sits when Niskanen comes back.
• Vokoun was solid again.  What an acquisition he has been.
• A.O looks like he has no idea what he's doing any more.
• 4 goal day for Chris Kunitz.  Man.
• Joe Flacco.

Pens go to the dump on Long Island tomorrow to play the Isles at 7.

Go Pens