Monday, November 21, 2016

Rangers meet the 2016 Champions

By: MF,

The Pittsburgh Penguins are back at PPG Paints Arena to host the New York Rangers for the first time this season. The Rangers are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers last night. While the Penguins are also trying to rebound from a 2-1 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.

Both teams are suffering some tough losses to their lineups. The Penguins will now be without Chris Kunitz who has been placed on ‘Injured Reserve’ (IR) with a lower-body injury. He is a week-to-week case. The Penguins will be missing his net front presence and ability to create plays. He has 11 points in 18 games. Kunitz joins Patric Hornqvist as he will miss another game with a concussion. Hornqvist did skate on this own before practice today. As for the Rangers, they will be missing Mika Zibanejad for the first this season. He suffered a broken fibula during last night’s game. The timeline for him is 6-8 weeks. Zibanejad has 15 points (five goals and 10 assists) in 19 games for the Rangers.

To help create a spark without Kunitz or Hornqvist in the lineup, the Penguins recalled Jake Guentzel from Wilkes-Barre Scranton. He has 17 points (seven goals and 10 assists) in 16 games and leads the American Hockey League (AHL) with a +14. Tonight will be his National Hockey League (NHL) debut.

In net, Marc-Andre Fleury will make his second consecutive start after making 32 saves during Saturday’s game. Fleury was outstanding in that game and gave the Penguins the chance to win it. The Rangers will have Antti Raanta between the pipes as Henrik Lundqvist started in last night’s game.


The Penguins and Rangers are both looking to bounce back after taking some losses back-to-back. The Penguins started to get back to their game on Saturday but didn’t finish the game right. While the Rangers are 0-1-1 in their past two games after winning eight of the previous nine games. Both teams will be desperate to get things back on track and that makes them dangerous. The Penguins will have to play smart, stay disciplined, limit the Rangers’ time/space, and pepper the net with shots. They just need to play a consistent 60-minute game. Lets Go Pens!

The Pens lineup is as follows:

Forwards
Hagelin-Crosby-Sheary
Guentzel-Malkin-Kessel
Wilson-Bonino-Rust
Kuhnhackl-Cullen-Fehr

Defense
Dumoulin-Letang
Maatta-Daley
Cole-Schultz 

Fleury in the net!

Play by Play
Pens 2 Rangers 5

3rd Period
0:00 - The Rangers end up with the 5-2 win over the Pens. The Rangers were able to hold off the Pens in the third and keep them from establishing anything.

1:23 - Stephan scores. He fires one down the ice and into the empty net. 5-3 Rangers

1:47 - Bonino with a quick shot that is saved by Raanta.

1:52 - Schultz is robbed by Holden. He had a point blank shot.

2:20 - Fleury skates over to the bench. The Pens have an empty net.

3:59 - Hayes and Daley exchange some words behind the play.

5:37 - The Pens have been working hard on the boards and getting pucks into the offensive zone, but the Rangers defense has done a good job of boxing them out.

7:14 - Hayes scores. Hayes stations himself in the blue paint and is able to get the puck into the net with all the confusion in front. 4-2 Rangers

9:50 - The Pens are not letting on the Rangers, but Rangers have been up to the task.

12:39 - The tempo of the game has picked up especially from the Pens.

15:04 - Some good pressure by the Pens in the offensive zone to start this period.

19:48 - The Pens power play comes to an end.

20:00 - Time for the third period! The Pens have a short power play to start and they need to capitalize on it! Lets Go Pens!


2nd Period
0:00 - Second period comes to an end and the Rangers take the 3-2 lead over the Pens.

0:48 - Miller scores a shorthanded goal. Hayes and Miller rush down the ice. Hayes tries to make a pass over to Miller. The puck goes off the tip of Letang's stick, Malkin's body, then off Miller's body past Fleury. Lucky bounce. 3-2 Rangers

1:11 - Late power play opportunity for the Pens as Skjei sits for interference.

1:49 - Two-on-one chance for the Rangers. Hayes holds and fires a shot up high. Fleury stands to make the save!

5:37 - Grabner scores. The Pens are unable to clear the puck and the puck starts to bounce around the net area. Fleury rushes to get into position as the puck cross in front from the back of the net. Grabner gets the puck and is able to put one past the blocker. 2-2 tie game

6:04 - Successful kill for the Pens and Fleury was huge on that kill. He had some amazing saves to keep the Pens up by one.

8:04 - Crosby is ticketed with an interference penalty. Rangers get a huge chance to tie things on the power play.

10:05 - Fleury with a huge pad save with quick a bit of traffic in front as the Rangers get something going.

10:17 - Raanta with another big save as Schultz fires one.

11:17 - Crosby fakes a pass and instead fires a rocket shot in net that rings off the crossbar!

12:29 - Some good looks for the Pens on the power play, but they are unable to capitalize on the chance.

14:29 - Fast is penalized for tripping, which sends the Pens onto the power play.

15:09 - Nash scores. Schultz goes down in front to blocks Nash's cross-ice pass, but he is unable to clear. Nash catches Fleury moving side-to-side thinking the pass would get through and buries it. 2-1 Pens

15:47 - Malkin fights in the corner and is able to outlet a pass to Guentzel who is camping in the slot. He directs the pass one net, but Raanta is able to make the save.

18:03 - Pens come out with speed to start this one and starting off right where they left off during the first period.

20:00 - We are back for the second period! The Pens need to keep up the pressure and continue to frustrate the Rangers! Lets Go Pens!


1st Period
0:00 - First period ends and Guentzel has put the Pens ahead 2-0 over the Rangers!

0:02 - Fleury with a huge late pad save as Pirri tries to stuff one in up front.

0:48 - Malkin and Girardi are set free.

0:50 - Two-on-one chance now for the Pens, but Kessel's fires it wide.

1:05 - The Rangers get a two-on-one chance as Zuccarello carries the puck. Schultz skates back to disrupt the play and pushes Zuccarello to the outside of the zone.

2:48 - Malkin and Girardi have a disagreement behind the play. They both head to the box. Four-on four hockey once again.

4:41 - Raanta comes up with a huge pad save as Sheary gets a lead pass and tires to stick handle a shot past the netminder.

6:43 - GUENTZEL WITH HIS SECOND OF THE NIGHT! Malkin dives to the net and puts the puck in front! Raanta makes the first save that goes off the skate of Klein right to Guentzel! He lifts the puck over the pad of Raanta into the net! 2-0 Pens

8:51 - Klein blocks a shot with his skate and hobbles to the bench in some discomfort.

9:23 - Maatta boxes out Nash and takes the pass intended for him up the ice.

10:39 - The Pens are taking it to the Rangers and making them work for every bit of space. Trying to wear down the Rangers as they played last night.

12:52 - Crosby's shot is just tipped by the pad of Raanta. Crosby was at his signature shot at the side of the net. He gets another chance a few seconds later, but just redirects the shot wide.

14:05 - Jooris fires a shot on net and it looks to be tipped. Fleury gloves it up for the whistle.

15:45 - Both teams are back to full strength. Fleury with a good save as the teams are made whole again. Solid start for him.

17:45 - Jooris and Letang will head over to the box and we will get some four-on-four hockey.  

18:58 - GUENTZEL SCORES HIS FIRST NHL GOAL! Guentzel comes out for his first shift in the NHL and fires his first shot that blows past Raanta! 1-0 Pens

20:00 - It's hockey night in Pittsburgh! The Pens faceoff against the Rangers for the first time this season! Time to introduce them to the 2016 Champs! Lets Go Pens!  

No comments:

Post a Comment