It is official. Kris Letang is back. Will play tonight.
Not only is this good news for the Penguins, but how about for Kris Letang the human? Pretty sure he's a machine. Pretty big boost for the Penguins heading into the playoffs. Also perfect timing as in this game is really important for the Red Wings.
Totally forgot to recap this game. Sue us. Pretty sure Haylie was the only one that watched it anyways. More important things happened Sunday and Monday than some meaningless regular season game. Like:
Pens next game is tomorrow against the Red space Wings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins (49-24-5) will be playing their final road game of the 2013-14 regular season tonight against the Colorado Avalanche (50-21-6). The Avs are on a 6 game win streak and the Pens are coming off of a shutout loss last night to the Minnesota Wild. The last time the two teams met was on October 21st, 2013, where the Pens lost 1-0.
The Pens will be facing a familiar face tonight (and a personal favorite of mine), Max Talbot. He's not wearing Flyers orange anymore, so that's a plus.
LINES:
Fuck it, because everyone's out with "injuries".
Via @penguins: "Crosby (upper body), Kunitz (lower body), Orpik (lower) & Maatta (upper) out. None of the injuries are expected to be long-term."
Honestly, what do you expect? Don't want to risk anything before playoffs and these guys need the rest.
The Pens were in Minnesota last night. Ilya Bryzgalov was in goal for Minnesota. Ilya Bryzgalov shut out the Pens. At least we aren't the only people mailing in the end of the season.
Pens next game is in like 14 minutes in Colorado. Colorado might score 8 tonight.
The Pens made their only visit of the season last night. When the Pens and Jets get together it is usually a high scoring up and down game. This game wasn't as high scoring but it was still a very good game. Paul Martin returned to the line up. The Pens also clinched the Metrosexual Division Title tonight. Here is our column on how much we care about that:
On to the recap
The first period was typical Pens/Jets minus the whole scoring unlimited goals thing. Both teams traded chances in the early going. Then the Pens got a power play. It was pretty whatever for the most part. But with a few seconds left in the power play Best In The World slipped a sick pass to Beau Bennett who one timed it into the goal to make it 1-nil Pens. It was determined later that the power play ran out so Bennett's goal was at even strenght Not much else really happened this period. Dustin Byfugwlkndska destroyed Jussi Jokinen. James Neal leveled Blake Wheeler when Wheeler tried hitting him. Dan Bylsma probably shed a tear after that one. Taylor Pyatt took a penalty late in the 1st.
The Pens were able to kill off the penalty. Then the period from hell for Rob Scuderi started. He turned the puck over inexplicably in the neutral zone giving the Jets a 3 on 1. Bortuzzo the lone man back did all he could do to help out MAF. The Jets were able to bang home a rebound. 1-1. Then Scuderi went to the box. Pens were able to kill that off too. But the Jets just kept coming. Someone dangled both Jayson Megna and someone else and slipped a pass to former Pirate Tike Redmond who fired one past MAF to make it 2-1 Jets. But the Pens would answer later in the period. The 3rd line was working the puck in the Jets zone. Craig Adams came off the bench. Someone fed him a pass and he ripped a one timer five-hole on Pavalec to tie the score at 2.
With the way the Pens have been playing as of late you really don't know what to expect from them on a period to period basis. They could either look like Donkey Piss or the greatest team ever. The 3rd period wasn't a greatest team ever period but it was a damn good one. One of the best periods the Pens have turned in as of late. They controlled play for most of the period and were really solid defensively. And they cashed in on their their opportunities. The Pens got a power play. The All American American Paul Martin was fed some unreal pass and he one timed it past Pavalec to give the Pens a 3-2 lead.
Them the Pens applied the Jacques Martin Scorpion Death Lock and suffocated the Jets. The Jets did push back a bit and tried to score but Leroy Gibbons was having none of it. He absolutely sniped Pavalec to make the score 4-2 Pens. Game.
1. Sidney Crosby
2. James Neal
3. Adam Pardy was for whatever reason named the 3rd Star. We call Bull Shit and give it to Paul Martin.
Stuff:
Pretty solid effort from the Pens overall minus the first half of the 2nd period.
MAF was sharp.
Kunitz-Best In The World-Bennett was your top line tonight. They looked reeeeeeeeeeeeally good. Definitely like that line moving forward.
Whether it was the return of Paul Martin or not the Pens D was fantastic tonight. Best they've looked in a while. Held the Jets to just 15 shots.
Beau Bennett looks reeeeeeeally good right now. Really hoping he can keep his run of good play up heading into the playoffs.
One thing we know about the Thrashers is the fact that they aren't very good. Ondrej Pavelec has been the reason for that. When these two teams get together, we know that they both sometimes forget to play defense. The Jets are playing their final games of the season for pride while the Penguins can clinch the Metrosexual Division tonight. Paul Martin will be in the lineup for the Penguins. One thing for certain tonight, is that the MTS Centre will be rocking like it always is. These fans love this team and we wish the fans here in Pittsburgh were that passionate.
Lines (via the Pensblog)
Kunitz - Crosby - Stempniak
Bennett - Jokinen - Neal
Pyatt - Sutter - Gibbons
Glass - Adams - Megna
Martin - Orpik
Niskanen - Maatta
Bortuzzo - Scuderi
Fleury
Ladd - Little - Frolik
Byfuglien - Jokinen - Wheeler
Kane - O'Dell - Halischuk
Peluso - Slater - #BangBodies
Stuart - Trouba
Enstrom - Postma
Pardy - Redmond
Pavelec
Notes:
There's no truth to the rumour that Dan Bylsma might try to steal Blake Wheeler on the way back
Eric Tangradi apparantly is still in the NHL
Haylie sucks because she doesn't do the one job she is supposed to.
For the first 10 minutes of the game yesterday the Pens looked great. They almost scored 6 seconds into the game. Brian Gibbons got a penalty shot....he missed. And Chris Kunitz gave the Pens a 1-nil lead. Then shit went south. It was all Canes, all the time after the first 10 minutes of the 1st period yesterday. If you didn't know better you would think Carolina was 1st in the Metrosexual division and the Pens were in 7th. There is one person to blame for all this. No, it's not Dan Bylsma for once although I put more effort into this recap than he did into making adjustments last night. No, it's not Deryk Engelland who had one of the more abysmal games ever. The person to blame is Hayli because she didn't do a pregame post. Dumb Ginger.
Pens next game is Tomorrow in Winnipeg. We hear it's cold there.
Josh Yohe 
.gif)
