Friday, November 28, 2014

The Penguins Won't Allow the Hurricanes to Blow Out the Birthday Candles!

By: MF, 


Time to start another home and home stretch, as the Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at Consol. Then they will turn around and head to Raleigh, to enemy territory to face the Hurricanes once more, tomorrow.

It was a milestone time, once again, for the Penguins! During the Maple Leafs game on Wednesday, Blake Comeau recorded his second career hat trick. The third goal turned out to be the overtime winner! Also, Sidney Crosby became the sixth fastest player in the National Hockey League (NHL) to reach 800 points! Congrats to those two and it's well deserved.

Being first is a huge advantage for the Penguins, this season. They have scored first in 17 of their first 21 games. When they are at home, they have won eight of ten games, when they score first. The Penguins lead the NHL with 30 first period goals, with second place off by three goals (Tampa Bay Lightning), even though the Penguins have played two fewer games.

As for the month of November, it has been a great one for the Penguins. They have nine wins, which is one shy of the team record of ten wins, those came in 1995 and 2010. In addition, the two headed monster of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, lead the NHL in points at 16 a piece. On defense, Kris Letang leads Penguins defensemen with 11 points, which puts him in second in the NHL (four away from first).

The Penguins are facing their current General Manger (GM), Jim Rutherford's old team. He was the Hurricanes GM from 1994-2014 and won one Stanley Cup with them. The Penguins will have more full to get the win tonight knowing this and on top of that, they want the win for a special birthday today...Marc-Andre Fleury turns 30 today! The Penguins have seven consecutive games versus the Hurricanes.

Nothing fulls the fire then beating an old team and a birthday! Lets Go Pens!

The Pens lineup is as follows:

Forwards
Spaling, Sid, Hornqvist
Kuni, Geno, Comeau
Megna, Sutter, Downie
Sill, Goc, Adams

Defense
Martin, Tanger
Maatta, Ehrhoff
Scuderi, Despres

Flower in the net!

Play By Play
Pens 2 Hurricanes 4

3rd Period
0:00- Canes come out with the win 4-2 over the Pens. The Pens will have to step up their game big time tomorrow in Carolina.

0:12- Tlusty Scores an empty netter! Tlusty puts it in the empty net. 4-2 Canes.

0:25- Sid runs into Nash and he goes down. Refs blow the whistle as Nash doesn't get up. He gets up and goes to the locker room, on his own.

0:30- Pens with an empty net

0:59- Well that looks to be it! Maatta goes to the box for tripping.

2:12- The two headed monster is on the ice! Malkin goes to Sid, but his shot rings off the goal post!

2:46- A successful kill for the Pens and it's time to attack!

4:46- Ehrhoff to the box for tripping and the Pens PK unit comes out for the second time tonight.

6:16- Sutter charges down the center with two Canes on him, but Ward holds strong to make the pad save!

7:32- Fleury has been solid in the net, giving the Pens a chance to get back in this game.

9:46- Malkin is hooked and taken down, but no call. Not a consistent game by the refs.

12:13- Canes get a 2-on-0 chance. However, Fleury commits highway robbery on Gerbe! His poked checked miss, but not his lightning fast glove!

13:38- Kunitz's shot goes off a stick and ends up hitting Hornqvist in the month. Hornqvist is spitting up blood on the bench, as a result.

14:23- Megna checks Tlusty, who ends up falling on the back on Letang's legs. Letang didn't see it at all. He looks to be in some discomfort, as he heads back to the bench.

16:50- Gerbe Scores on the PP! The Canes with a tic-tac-toe play and Gerbe wrists one up high over the blocker shoulder of Fleury. 3-2 Canes back in the lead.

17:26- Canes get a huge PP opportunity and their first of the night. Sid heads to the box for goalie interference.

20:00- 20 minutes left of hockey in regulation! The Pens need to come out with speed and be ready to work hard this period! Lets Go Pens!


2nd Period
0:00- Second period comes to an end and things are tied up at two now!

1:25- The Pens look like they have new life in them. They need to thank Fleury for giving them the chance to tie as Canes have been dominating.

4:08- HORNQVIST SCORES!! Sid passes up to Hornqvist, who lets go of a wicked wrist shot! It blows past the shoulder of Ward! 2-2 tie game!

6:29- Sid comes flying down the wing and backhands a shot up, but Ward snaps it down with the glove!

7:30- 99% of this game has been played in the Pens zone. The Canes are just handing it to the Pens, who have two shots this period. I am serious...only two shots.

11:01- Fleury is at last able to cover the puck for a whistle. The Canes held the Pens in their own zone for a long time. Not a solid effort by the Pens, so far in this game.

11:59- Finally some pressure by the Pens with Comeau, Malkin, and Kunitz. The Canes with a solid defensive effort.

14:31- The Pens turn over the puck once again in the neutral zone, which gives the Canes great scoring chances. Fleury shuts the door on Gerbe's scoring chance.

17:06- Dwyer Scores! Adams turns over the puck at the red line, which gives Dwyer a step up on the Pens defense. He snaps one over the glove shoulder of Fleury. 2-1 Canes.

17:28- Goc is on available for the Pens right now. He didn't come out for the start of the second. He blocked a shot in the first and looked to be in some discomfort after.

20:00- Second period time! The Pens will have to pressure the Canes and get way more shots on net! Lets Go Pens!


1st Period
0:00- This game is tied up 1-1 after one!

3:30- LETANG SCORES! Spaling puts the puck in the blue paint! Sid is right on the doorstep to block Ward! Letang gets the loose puck and doesn't miss! 1-1 tie game!

3:56- Tlusty Scores! The Pens dump in the puck, but the Canes cycle it out without an issue. They start up ice and Tlusty's shot goes off Maatta into the net. 1-0 Canes

4:51- The Pens are having issues setting up in the offensive zone, but the Canes are not. The Pens defense and Fleury are being tested.

6:52- That will be a kill for the Canes. Pens PP wasn't all that impressive, Canes did a good job of boxing them out.

8:52- Pens get the first PP of the game!

8:55- The Penguins get a delayed penalty and are able to get an extra man on the ice. Comeau is all alone in the slot and looks like he has a wide open net. Ward makes a unreal save. Sticking out his stick to knock down the shot!

9:32- Fleury is making the saves and the defense are getting to any rebounds before the Canes. Taking away any second chances.

12:36- The shots are 8-5, so far, in favor of the Pens.

15:40- Sid backhands a pass to Spaling in front, Ward with the save. Sid is feeling it tonight.

16:17- Fleury makes a great pad save on E. Staal's shot, but is mowed over in the process.

19:26- Comeau rings a hard shot off the goal post!

20:00- HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY TO THE FLOWER! Come on Pens, time to get the win for him and Rutherford! The puck has dropped in Pittsburgh! Lets Go Pens! 

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