Tuesday, March 21, 2017

A chance to clinch a 2016 NHL Playoff spot

By: MF, 

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in Buffalo to take on the Sabres. The Penguins are dealing with an array of injuries and are still pulling it off. Leading the pack is none other then Sidney Crosby. He is coming off a great performance against the Florida Panthers where he scored a hat trick.

Tonight the Penguins have to keep working hard and continue to gain points. Hopefully they will become whole before entering the playoffs. Lets Go Pens!

The Pens lineup is as follows:

Forwards
Guentzel - Crosby - Sheary
Wilson - Cullen - Kessel
Kunitz - Bonino - Hornqvist
Kuhnhackl - Sundqvist - Rowney

Defense
Dumoulin - Schultz
Cole - Ruhwedel
Streit - Corrado

Murray in the net!

Play by Play
PENS 3 Sabres 1

3rd Period
0:00 - THE PENS END UP WITH THE 3-1 WIN OVER THE SABRES AND CLINCH A PLAYOFF SPOT! GREAT JOB AND THE PENS ARE ONE STEP CLOSER! 

1:25 - Kane whacks Crosby in the face with his stick and will head to the box for a four minute high sticking penalty. Crosby will need more dental work after that one.

1:31 - Sabres have an empty net!

3:31 - SHEARY SCORES! Sheary comes in with blinding speed off the wing! Lehner makes a save down low and the rebound goes to center! Girgensons is trying to slow after skating hard to get back and the rebound goes off his skate/stick into the open net! 3-1 Pens

5:29 - BONINO SCORES! Cole jumps up to join the rush and carry the puck into the offensive zone! He tries to stick handle through traffic, but the puck is poked away from him! Following behind him is Bonino who picks up the loose puck and fires it through traffic past Lehner! 2-1 Pens

7:22 - The Sabres have a two-on-one rush. Girgensons holds and shoots. Murray makes the first save. The rebound takes an odd bounce, but Murray is able to cover it up for the whistle.

8:16 - Solid penalty kill for the Pens and Ruhwedel is set free.

10:16 - Now the Sabres will head onto the power play as Ruhwedel sits for hooking. Huge penalty kill for the Pens.

10:55 - Power play time for the Pens comes to an end. Too much passing and not enough shooting on that man advantage.

12:55 - Huge power play chance for the Pens as Nelson sits for tripping.

13:32 - Eichel with a toe-drag shot that goes wide of the net.

17:51 - Reinhart scores. Reinhart takes advantage of a bounce off the boards and is able to sneak a shot over the pad of Murray. The puck had eyes on that play. 1-1 tie game.

20:00 - The third period is underway! The Pens have to keep up the pressure and finish their chances! Lets Go Pens!


2nd Period
0:00 -
The horn sounds to bring an end to the second period and the Pens still hold the 1-0 lead!

1:07 - Schultz also having a great game, not only defensively, but he is getting up into plays and making a difference.

2:12 - First line of the Pens still getting some great looks on net. Kunitz doing a good job of fitting into the new role.

4:51 - Kuhnhackl is back on the bench.

6:13 - Kuhnhackl heads to the locker room. He took a stick in the face during a battle in the corner boards.

9:25 - Quite a few quality scoring chances for the Pens, but they haven't been able to finish them off.

14:58 - Murray with a big save on Eichel to keep the Pens in the lead.

16:46 - Lehner stops Kunitz and falls backwards. Crosby fishes the puck out of the pads and tries to shoot it into the open net. The puck is deflected wide.

18:49 - Kuhnhackl gets behind the defense of the Sabres, but Lehner denies his breakaway chance.

19:58 - Guentzel is not back on the bench for the Pens. I don't expect him to return to the lineup tonight.

20:00 - We are back for the second period! The Pens have to keep pressuring the Sabres! Lets Go Pens!


1st Period
0:00 - First period comes to an end and the Pens have the 1-0 lead!

0:08 - CROSBY SCORES ON THE POWER PLAY! Crosby gets space and comes straight down center through traffic! He fires a backhand, one handed shot over the glove of Lehner! Unreal! 1-0 Pens

0:47 - Pens getting a late power play.

2:41 - Kunitz slotting into Guentzel's stop alongside Crosby and Sheary.

3:26 - Sabres with a couple of chances. Cole comes up with a solid shot block. He had a very good defensive shift.

6:00 - Murray robs Moulson on the doorstep. Unreal save.

7:14 - That ends the five minute power play for the Pens. Horrible looking power play effort. They need to fix that right away.

11:14 - Guentzel is brutally hit by Ristolainen and goes down hard. He is bleeding in the face area. He tries to get up, but loses his footing and falls. The trainer comes out and he eventually skates off to the locker room. Ristolainen gets a five minute major and a game misconduct. Terrible hit.

11:32 - Hornqvist is back on the ice and looks to be fine.

14:47 - Up and down hockey being played right now. The Sabres are out of the playoffs and have nothing to lose. While the Penguins look to clinch a spot.

16:18 - Hornqvist seems to be in some discomfort. He is grabbing his wrist/hand, but is staying on the bench.

19:02 - Sheary is stopped by Lehner and then Murray makes a beautiful stop on Girgensons.

20:00 - Time for the Pens to take it to the Sabres and clinch a playoff spot! Lets Go Pens! 

No comments:

Post a Comment