Thursday, February 16, 2017

The watch for 1,000 continues - ACHIEVED!

By: MF, 

Welcome back to another night of Pittsburgh Penguins' hockey.

Sorry that I missed the last game, Valentine's Day, but I was working at the arena. I hate when events overlap with the schedule of the Penguins.

Onto tonight's game at PPG Paints Arena against the Winnipeg Jets. The Penguins come in with a 35-13-7 record and are tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for second place in the Metropolitan Division with 77 points. They are only seven away from the Washington Capitals, who also lead the Eastern Conference. As for the Winnipeg Jets, they are 26-29-4 going into this one and are tied for 10th in the Western Conference.

However, the main focus of tonight will be a few career milestones for some Penguin players. Kris Letang will play in his 600th career NHL game. Evgeni Malkin is only two assists away from 500 career NHL assists. Most importantly though is the Sidney Crosby watch. He currently sits at 999 points, only one away from 1,000 career NHL points. A huge achievement and it will be a joy to sit and watch history happen. Whether it be tonight or tomorrow.

Now let's turn to some interesting statistics for tonight's game. The Penguins will have to bring the offensive and they are not lacking in that department. They are the first team in the NHL to have three players with 20 or more goals. Those three being Crosby (30 goals), Malkin (23 goals), and Phil Kessel (20 goals). They demonstrated this during Tuesday's game with a dominating 4-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks. I don't see them slowing down now even with some key wingers missing from the lineup.

As for the missing wingers, the only update is that Carl Hagelin practice with the team, but did not take part in line rushes. Great to see him progressing.

Tonight the Penguins need to focus on playing smart, staying out of the box, and keeping up the offensive pressure. They are always at their best when they are attacking. Lets Go Pens!

The Pens lineup is as follows:

Forwards
Kunitz - Crosby - Guentzel
Wilson - Malkin - Hornqvist
Cullen - Bonino - Kessel
Kuhnhackl - Rowney - Fehr

Defense
Dumoulin - Letang
Maatta - Daley
Cole - Schultz

Fleury in the net!

Play by Play
PENS 4 Jets 3 OT

Overtime
THE PENS GET THE 4-3 OVERTIME WIN! THEY WHERE MISSING A FEW ON DEFENSE, BUT THEY BATTLED BACK! GREAT GAME AND EFFORT BY THE PENS! FLEURY WAS SOLID IN NET AND HAD AN UNREAL NIGHT! 

0:21 - CROSBY SCORES! Malkin goes to the net and leaves the puck in front for Crosby! Crosby stays strong on his stick to hold off Scheifele to puck the puck into the cage! 4-3 Pens

1:06 - Wheeler looks to ring one off the goal post. Wow this overtime hockey is unreal. Action everywhere.

2:07 - Fleury stands up to make a glove save on Ehlers as he was on a breakaway. Amazing save.

3:20 - Kessel working hard in the defensive zone and gets the puck up the ice.

4:20 - Some great work by Crosby, Letang, and Guentzel. Good start to this overtime.

5:00 - The Pens have battled back to tie things up and now they need to finish this game! Lets Go Pens!


3rd Period
0:00 - This one is headed to overtime as things are tied 3-3.

1:45 - Dumoulin gets a feed in the slot area, but misses the net!

4:52 - Wheeler is back on the ice for the Jets.

6:05 - KESSEL SCORES ON THE POWER PLAY! Hornqvist provides the screen in front! Kessel, the sniper, snipes a shot over the glove of Hellebuyck! 3-3 tie game.

6:29 - Byfuglien will now sit for high-sticking and the Pens get a power play opportunity.

6:56 - It's a good penalty kill.

7:04 - Fleury comes out with the poke check and disrupts the play! What a big move by Fleury on Ehlers.

8:56 - Wheeler is off to the locker room. Malkin and Stuart sit in the box. Jets on the power play though as Malkin gets an extra minor for interference.

8:58 - Malkin with some great moves in the offensive zone. Something happens behind the play as Wheeler is down and the Jets go after Malkin.

9:27 - Jets are the ones in control of this game. The Pens haven't been able to get any offensive zone pressure going yet.

11:36 - Byfuglien scores. Byfuglien is just able to sneak in the puck on a wrap-around shot. The Pens are hurting without Schultz and Maatta. 3-2 Jets

15:38 - Postma scores. Postma fires a knuckler of a shot past three Penguins and Fleury's glove. No way Fleury could see that puck. 2-2 tie game.

16:56 - Fleury with another amazing save. He is feeling very confident in net and keeping the Pens in the lead.

20:00 - Third period hockey! The Pens need to play smart as they don't have all their defenders out there and they must stay out of the box! Lets Go Pens!


2nd Period
0:00 - A physical second period of hockey ends, but the Pens still hold the lead 2-1 over the Jets.

0:43 - Wow! Fleury loses his balance and makes a kicking save as Scheifele gets around Letang in front to get the shot off.

2:50 - Laine scores. The Jets execute a perfect pass triangle in front of the net. Laine is left all alone and is able to drill the puck past Fleury. 2-1 Pens

3:28 - You can see the troll of only have four defenders available is doing to the Pens. Schultz and Maatta still haven't returned.

5:22 - The penalty time is over. Another great penalty killing effort by the Pens.

6:49 - Rowney is back on the bench for the Pens.

7:22 - Pens are going to be shorthanded as Daley sits for holding. Jets to the power play.

8:02 - Things are getting more heated as Lowry has been running around laying hard hits. Malkin pushes back.

8:52 - Lowry with a bit of a late check on Maatta, who goes flying backwards. He is being looked at on the bench. The Jets are finishing checks and being as physical as possible. Not sure where the line is right now.

10:00 - Sold penalty kill and Hornqivst is set free.

10:01 - Just as the power play for the Jets is ending, Fleury holds strong at the side of the net. He shuts down Petan.

11:06 - What a save by Fleury with some traffic in front. The best penalty killer for the Pens right now.

12:00 - Hornqvist heads to the sin bin for high-sticking. Jets get a power play chance.

12:49 - Trouba lays a hard hit in the middle of the offensive on Rowney. Rowney goes to the locker room as a result.

15:02 - Fleury comes out to challenge Perreault. He makes the save. He is on his game.

15:36 - Schultz takes a hard hit from Byfuglien into the boards. He goes down and is slow to get up. He heads to the locker room.

16:24 - Trouba fires a shot from the half boards that is redirected on its way to Fleury, but he had a clear sight line and is able to make the save.

18:47 - The Jets are bring the physical play to this period.

20:00 - We are back in action for the second period! The Pens need to keep up the pressure and continue to attack the Jets! Lets Go Pens!


1st Period
0:00 - That will be the end of the first period and the Pens hold the 2-0 lead over the Jets!

3:57 - Some great puck movement by the Pens, but they are unable to score on the man advantage.

5:57 - Time for the Pens to get a chance on the power play. Thorburn with the high-sticking penalty.

7:57 - Fleury has been great in the net. Really strong even without being tested much in the beginning of the game.

10:08 - Excellent penalty kill for the Pens. Fleury was outstanding on that penalty kill.

10:53 - Now a regular power play for the Jets for another 45 seconds.

12:08 - Kessel is called for holding. Jets get a four-on-three power play.  

12:30 - Malkin and Byfuglien will sit for roughing. Four-on-four hockey time.

12:32 - KUNITZ SCORES! CROSBY REACHES 1,000 NHL CAREER POINTS! Crosby works to strip a Jet of the puck and outlets a pass to Kunitz in the slot! He doesn't miss! An amazing play by Crosby that symbolizes him as a player! What an achievement! 2-0 Pens

14:01 - Byfuglien's bomb of a shot from the point is blocked by

14:55 - The Pens are taking it to the Jets. They are having a hard time getting out of the defensive zone. Great pressure by the Pens.

16:46 - Crosby dishes a pass to Kunitz driving center. Kunitz just shots wide of the net!

19:01 - MALKIN SCORES! Hellebuyck makes a save, but gives up misplays the rebound and the Jets are unable to clear! Malkin comes in and goes to one-knee to put the puck past Hellebuyck! 1-0 Pens

20:00 - Game on! The watch for 1,000 continues! Lets Go Pens! 

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