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| Obligatory Anthem Pic |
What a game. There are simply no other words to describe what last night's Devils vs Penguins game was. At times it was a rather sloppy hockey game, and at times (mainly late second and third periods) the Penguins dominated the play. Although the Penguins definitely had their ups and downs last night, it's clear that under the Johnston administration the status quo is no more. Under Bylsma, giving up a goal nine seconds into the game the Penguins would just lay down and the Devils would begin to trap and make it some boring hockey game with a 1-0 or 2-0 final... not tonight.. not this game...
The first period can best be described as crazy. So the puck drops and 96% of Penguins "fans" aren't even in their seats yet but that's Consol for you. Either way, Devils win the face-off and sent Dainius Zubrus down the rink, he takes an incredible wrister and beats Fleury glove slide just nine seconds into the game. It was only natural that Pittsburgh hero Jaromir Jagr (the real Double J) gets the assist. Now, if you've ever played hockey and or watched a Pens / Devils game before, a goal nine seconds in is just deflating, a momentum killer and brutal. Especially when the Devils play a trap game that makes hockey borderline unbearable to watch. So deep down, we were thinking good lord... here we go. Then the lightbulb went off... Mike Johnston is coaching not Dan Bylsma. Maybe this isn't over yet. So 7:17 into the first, the Penguins get their first tally on a Marc-Andre Fleury kinda play by then Devils starter Cory Schneider. He goes to play the puck behind the net, something Penguins "fans" are all too used to... gets the puck stolen off him by Dupuis and Comeau does a little NHL 15 poke check to put the puck in the net. Tied at 1 at the end of the first... and we're just getting started here.
So the Penguins get a powerplay about a minute and a half into the second period, and if you've seen the Penguins powerplay lately, you're like "oh awesome, 2-1 Pens they just have to score." Well, Evgeni Malkin had other ideas. Crosby attempted a slap-pass that basically got deflected back to the point to Malkin who botched the puck and sent Jacob Josefson on a breakaway the other way. He tucks a backhand top-shelf behind Fleury and everyone is silent (wait they're always silent because it's Consol Energy Center and the Penguins). So about three minutes later Devils center Stephen Gionta throws a little wrister off of Fleury's pads and the puck is put in off the rebound by Tuomo Ruutu. 3-1 Devils yikes.
Here we go. The start of SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN SEVEN unanswered goals for the Penguins. Let's get started with the Penguins on a 5 on 3 powerplay about three minutes after the Devils scored to make it 3-1. So Evgeni Malkin atoned big time. Letang gets the puck to Malkin who plays catch with #BetterThanRealDeal Patric Hornqvist who dishes the puck back to Malkin for an unreal blast from the point beating Schneider to make it 3-2 a powerplay goal. Malkin's celly was unreal too because he skated over to the glass like some NHL 15 shit like to say "shut up haters" or as if to say #UntradeLazy. The next goal game 12:42 into the second on an amazing stretch pass by Simon Despres, who under Bylsma would never be playing. Despres gets the puck thanks to a broken Devils stick, passes it up to Hornqvist who snipes an unreal / borderline glitch goal past Schneider and we're tied at three. So Craig Adams decides to take some Craig Adamseque penalty, holding I believe, in which we had all sent in our group text about how useless and bad Adams is. Well, he certainly trolled us with about two minutes and twenty five seconds to go in the second. Adams gets out of the penalty box and Sutter (who since he got his contract has played some unreal hockey) springs Adams with a breakaway pass and Adams beats Schneider to make it 4-3. If I'm DeBoer and the Devils I pull Schneider for giving up a goal to Craig Adams right then and there.
With about a minute left in the second, Despres (hero of the day) holds the puck patiently, throws it on net, Kunitz gets a stick on it somehow and it tips right to Crosby with Schneider laying helplessly on the ice. Goodnight moon. Sidney Crosby. #BestInTheWorld. 5-3 Pens going to the third.
To start the third Cory Schneider was benched for backup Scott Clemmensen, who I swear only plays for Florida and New Jersey every other year. Anyway, so about 5 minutes into the third, Steve Downie channels his inner Jagr with those mean hands on the right side boards. Downie fires a cross-ice pass to Pascal Dupuis and he buries to make it 6-3 Pens. So it was quiet for a bit until about six minutes to go in the third when Steve Downie got his first goal as a Penguin. Basically Sutter (hero) shot the puck, there was a cluster in front, Comeau touched it, it goes to Downie's stick and he fires it behind Clemmensen to make it 7-3 a powerplay goal. Although it would have been so fitting for Oli Maatta to get a goal after everything we've found out about his tumor and potential cancer, it came for the guy that should never surprise you, #BestInTheWorld Sidney Crosby. Sid basically picks off this puck from Devils irrelevant defenseman Jon Merrill and blasts a slapper home from the top of the circles. GOODNIGHT MOON. 7 UNANSWERED GOALS. ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING.
3rd star: Olli Maatta (1 assist) - For just being an all-around hero -
2nd star: Simon Despres (2 assists) - For trolling the Despres haters -
1st star: Steve Downie (1 goal, 1 assist) -First goal as a Penguin -
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| proof |
- Christian Ehrhoff has now played in 700 NHL games
- Penguins powerplay has clicked again going 3/7 (13/32) 40.6% all season
- Devils have not given up 8 goals since 2006, good lord
- Penguins outshot New Jersey 33-19, last two periods dominant
- Despres is quite the hockey player
- Adams is a troll
-Happy 1989 Day everyone as Taylor Swift's new album is out. Go buy it or download it illegally today!
-Next game : Stanley Cup Champion L.A. Kings come to town Thursday for Hockey Fights Cancer night, and with the recent events of Olli Maatta, expect emotion.
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| Double J Forever |
LETS GO PENS.
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