Senators at Penguins - First Period - 01-28-10
FIRST PERIOD
20:00: Lots of empty seats here as the game starts. We wonder if the snow and the fact that this is an early game is contributing to that.
19:47: The Senators chip a puck down into the corner on the right wing in the Penguins' zone. It ricochets out to the faceoff circle. Daniel Alfredsson chases it down and smacks a one-timer on net. Fleury crouches down in the butterfly and boots it out.
18:57: Nick Johnson sneaks up the righ wing and snaps off a wrister with Elliott boots out.
18:26: And the Penguins' strike early. Ruslan Fedotenko chips a puck up the wall on the right wing to Johnson. Johnson controls it, draws Anton Volchenkov in and dishes it to Evgeni Malkin in the faceoff circle. Volchenkov's committment to Johnson creates acres of space for Malkin who moves in and picks the top shelf over Elliott's glove-hand shoulder clean for a goal. That was so unfair to Elliott. Johnson and Fedotenko get the assists. It's Fedotenko's 300th career point. The "Hey Song" is played. Penguins 1-0.
16:16: Chris Phillips controls the puck at the left point and snaps off wrister. Alfredsson is in front and makes a nice re-direction on net. Fleury is able to knock it dead and cover. Nice effort by Alfredsson.
15:58: Brooks Oprik takes a pass from Gonchar at the left point, winds up and strikes a slapper on net. Elliott boots it out of play.
15:14: Kris Letang smacks Mike Fisher with a solid body check along the boards behind the Penguins' net.
14:34: Ryan Shannon collects a puck along the wall on the right wing, spins and whips a wrister on net. Fleury eats it up.
13:45: Chris Kelly gains the blue line against Orpik on the left wing and leaves a drop pass. Chris Neil follows up and snaps off a wrister through a screen. Fleury is able to knock it dead and cover to freeze play. Cotton candy heeeee!!!! Cotton candy heeee!!!
12:09: Jason Spezza rushes up the left wing, gets behind the defense and tries to jam a puck by Fleury on the near post. It squirts through Fleury's gear and slides juuuust across the goal line. Ugh.
11:32: Fedotenko rips a wrister from the right circle to the far side. Elliott boots it out with his right foot.
10:52: Phillpis picks up a clearing attempt in the Penguins' zone and snaps off a wrister on net from the left circle. Fleury hang on to make the save.
10:44: Phillips is getting involved here on offense. Off a faceoff win, he moves in and puts a wrister on net from the left circle. Fleury makes that save as well.
9:54: Thatw was only a matter of time. The Senators were dominating play for about five minutes there. Mike Fisher moves in off the left wing and snaps off a wrister which Fleury fights off. The rebound ends up with Matt Carkner at the top of hte slot. He blasts a slapper at the cage. It hits a body in front. Nick Foligno collects the puck and makes a nifty backhanded pass to Fisher in the right circle. Fisher is able to clunk a shot off the left foot of Jay McKee and just inside the left post. What a pass by Foligno to create that goal. Foligno and Carkner get assists. Penguins 1, Senators 1.
9:37: Off a faceoff win, Mark Eaton drives a slapper from the left point wide.
9:22: Chris Campoli fires a slapper from the left point. Fleury boots it out with his left foot. Play is halted as Matt Cooke is sent off for holding Carkner. Craig Adams, Maxime Talbot, Orpik and Gonchar take the ice.
8:28: Alfredsson drives a slapper from the right point wide on the near side.
8:20: From the top of the slot, Alfredsson moves a pass to Spezza at the left half wall. Spezza fires a one-timer. Fleury fights it off.
8:07: Alfredsson rips a one-timer off the left half wall. Fleury hangs on for the save.
7:55: Erik Karlsson smacks a one-timer from the slot wide.
7:22: Cooke's penalty is killed. Solid efforty by the Penguins but the Senators did generate a few nice chances there.
6:21: Jarkko Ruutu collects a puck at the left circle, winds up, hesitates and drives a slapper on net. Fleury makes the save but the rebound squeezes through and comes to a rest in the crease. Kelly is right there being defended by Malkin but is able to punch puck in for an easy goal. Put that one on Fleury. He can't give up that rebound. And he's knows it as he's visibly angry. Ruutu and Neil get assists. Fire Ray Shero. Senators 2-1.
5:45: Gonchar drives a loose puck on net with a slapper from the right point. Elliott fights it off.
4:49: On a delayed penalty, a wrister by Cooke from the right half wall is deflected out of play. Volchenkov is sent off for tripping Chris Conner. Conner drew that penalty with his speed and hustle. Gonchar, Malkin, Crosby, Letang and Bill Guerin take the ice.
3:17: Jordan Staal drives a one-timer from the right half wall. Fedotenko is in front and appears to re-direct it a bit. Eliott is able to fight it off.
3:10: Eaton senaks in to the left circle and snaps off a wrister. Elliott fights it off. A Senators teammate flicks it down ice to kill time.
2:36: Eaton rushes after a loose puck in the left circle and swats it wide to the far side.
1:35: Mike Rupp is called for hooking Karlsson. Staal, Adams, Eaton and McKee take the ice.
1:27: And Alex Kovalev nullifies the penaly aslmost immedialy as he hooks Letang to the ice off the faceoff. Four-on-four for 1:52.
1:21: Crosby whips a loose puck on net from the left circle. Elliott is falling backwards and is still able to fight it off.
0:00: End of period. Senators 2, Penguins 1.
FIRST INTERMISSION
-That was a great start but a terrible period for the Penguins. The took the lead and controlled play early but after that, it was all Senators.
-Marc-Andre Fleury was bad that period. He needs to get his act together if the Penguins want to win. If not for a lucky bounce, this is 3-1 Senators.
-The Malkin-Johnson-Fedotenko line was sharp.
-Crosby-Guerin-Dupuis was... ehh...
-Chris Conner has lots of speed.
-Alfredsson and Phillips look like they're going to score hat tricks tonight. They're just putting all kinds of pucks on net.
-Kovalev never looks good when he plays the Penguins.
-Elliott was pretty sharp the first period. He only got beat on a perfect shot against an MVP candidate.
-The Senators have a 13-11 edge in shots.
-Alfredsson leads the game with three shots.
-Malkin and Eaton lead the Penguins with two each.
-Gonchar leads the game with 9:05 of ice time.
-Phillips leads the Senators with 7:47.
-The Penguins lead in faceoffs, 13-7 (65 percent).
-Staal is 6 for 8 (75 percent).
-Fisher is 3 for 5 (60 percent).
-No one has more than one blocked shot.