Malkamania. Pens WIN.

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Malkin had his best game of the playoffs.  Pens open up Round 2 with a win and lead the series 1-0.  Game 5 is Friday. Recap below.

The game started out with Consol jammed up then with an amazing rendition of O Canada and the Star Spangled Banner by Jeff Jimerson.  The Pens came out of the gates flying.  One minute in, Kyle Turris decided he was going to hit Dupuis in the face with his stick, sent the Pens to an early Powerplay.  The first unit was everywhere and forced Craig Anderson to make 3 huge saves.  Malkin stayed out with the second unit.  Brenden Morrow dished to Geno who made a beautiful pass back to Paul Martin.  Morrow screened Anderson and the puck went in.  What a shot.  The Redemption Tour continues.

Two minutes later, Colin Greening scored one of the shittiest goals ever. Trade Vokoun right? Anyways 1-1.
Malkin-Kunitz-Neal went to work on the forecheck.  Neal stripped some dude and gave the puck to Kunitz, who fed Malkin for a slam dunk. 2-1.

Tyler Kennedy sat on Zibenejad and took a penalty, killed.  Gryba was called for a hold later but Malkin negated that by taking a penalty. Period ended 2-1 Pens.

Halfway through the second, James Neal took his first penalty of the night, but the Pens killed it.  Ottawa pretty much controlled play during the period, but Vokoun and the Penguins defense did a good job not allowing anything to happen.  Big thing to take away from this period is that the defense were on every rebound and they boxed out the front of the net. Cory Conacher decided to hold Chris Kunitz which led to the Penguins 3rd powerplay of the night.  Kunitz then slams home a pass from Iginla and Letang to make it 3-1, Crosby made an underrated pass leading to the goal.

There were a few penalties exchanged in the 3rd, but both were killed.  Erik Karlsson bought a call by basically forgetting how to skate and James Neal went to the box for the 2nd time.  Karma would come back to bite Karlsson in the ass.  Karlsson pinched horribly, Dion Pheaneuf like on the Powerplay, which sprung Dupuis and Cooke to a 2 on 1 shorthanded with Gonch as the defenseman.  Dupuis sniped Anderson top shelf, 4-1 Pens. 

The game pretty much was over at that point.  James Neal hit Karlsson to knock him down to take another penalty.  Game.

Three to go.

1. Evgeni Malkin

2. Tomas Vokoun

3. Chris Kunitz

Stuff:

- Evgeni Malkin solid all around game, best game of playoffs by him.

- Vokoun was strong all night

- Pens defense played a thousand times better than Islanders series.

- 2/4 on Powerplay, killed all 5 powerplays by Ottawa.

- Chris Neil still sucks.

- Orpik and Gryba collided at the blueline at one point, Gryba might have a concussion, no idea.

- Penguins had 40 hits

Game 2 Friday at 7:30 on NBCSN

Go Pens.