Maple Leafs at Penguins - Third Period - 12-27-09

THIRD PERIOD

19:10: "LET'S GO PENS! LET'S GO PENS!"

18:46: Kaberle picks up a loose puck at the left point and cranks a "one-timer" on net which gets deflected on its way. Fleury boots it away with his left leg.

18:41: Kunitz is nabbed for hooking Kulemin.Staal, Cooke, Orpik and GOnchar take th eice.

18:23: White cranks a one-timer from the left half wall. Fleury eats it up.

18:09: Goligosk kneels down and blocks a wrister by Kessel in the left faceoff circle.

16:41: Kunitz's penalty is killed. The Penguins were rather effective that two minutes.

16:03: Malkin appears to get away with a bit of a trip on Mayers in the Toronto zone.

15:35: "LET'S GO PENS! LET'S GO PENS!"

14:41: We've had our third "LET'S GO PENS!" chant of the period without any sort of prompting from the scoreboard.

14:06: Kulemin coasts up the right wing and zips a pass into the slot to Stajan who is wide open. Stajan taps the puck on net but is denied rather bluntly by Fleury's right leg. Huge save. Fans shower the goaltender with "FLERRRR-EEEE! FLERRR-EEEE!" chants.

13:16: Ponikarovsky cuts to the slot from the left wing and chops a backhander on net. Fleury make save. A few bodies clear out of the crease and Ponikarovsky is alone with the rebound and Fleury. He snaps off a wrister which Fleury boots out with a "thud." Another huge save.

13:08: Malkin tries to cut inside White but gets tripped up. No call.

12:13: Guerin cranks a one-timer from the right faceoff circle that gets deflected wide.

11:15: Kulemin moves off the right wing, goes to the slot and rips a rising wrister which is snagged by Fleury. That's was yet another big save. Fleury's lifted his team this period.

10:28: THe Penguins team Malkin with Crosby and Talbot. Off a faceoff win, Malkin forces a pass into the slot. Talbot is there and chops at it but can't get a clean shot off.

10:19: Kessel pumps a wrister on net from the right faceoff circle. Fleury gloves that with ease.

9:17: On a line with Kunitz and Guerin, Staal moves towards the net from the slot and tries to sneak a backhander by Toskala but loses the puck.

8:56: Gonchar smacks a one-timer from the right point. Toskala knocks it dead and covers to freeze play.

7:46: Play is halted as Cooke hits Hagman high along the boards. Hagman is shaken up a bit. Cooke actually elbowed him in the back of the head and he fell into the boards. What a stupid penalty. Cooke is sent off. Staal, Adams, Goligoski and McKee take the ice. The Penguins obviously need a kill here badly.

7:28: Staal forces the puck up the right wing and kills some time.

7:01: Beauchemen cranks a one-timer from the top of the slot that gets deflected wide and ricochets out of play.

6:01: Stempniak gets knocked over by Adams in the right faceoff circle. Orpik grabs the puck and clunks it off the boards and out of danger.

5:43: As the Cooke penalty expires, Blake flies up the left wing, swoops behind the net and attempts a wraparound. FLeury stretches out and holds the puck out. Hagman sneaks in and tries to jam it in. No dice.A big scrum ensues and McKee goes nuts on Hagman. Helmets and gloves come flying off. Officials manage to pull the offending parties apart. Somehow no penalties are doled out. Big, big kill by the Penguins.

5:25: Malkin steals a puck off Beauchemin in the neutral zone, moves up the right wing, cuts inside Beauchemin and whips a wrister on net. Toskala hangs on for the save.

4:46: Crosby makes a nice backcheck and steals the puck in the neutral zone. He then zips a cross ice pass to Rupp on the left wing. Rupp tees up and blasts a slapper far and wide.. Heck of an effort by Crosby.

2:31: Stajan chops a puck up ice off the boards and into the Penguins' zone. Skoula touches up for ice.ing.

2:15: We said Malkin would get a goal. We were wrong. he did something better. Malkin edges off Kaberle behind the net for the puck, He moves along the boards fighting off Stajan and from the right wing, he snaps off a feed to Rupp on the back door. Rupp just has to have is stick in the right place. He does and he taps it behind Toskala to tie this game. What an amazing effort by Malkin to create that. He was bound to get something with the way he's played from the second period on. Malkin and GOligoski get assists. The "Hey Song" is played. Maple Leafs 3, Penguins 3.

1:22: And that didn't last long. Beauchemin slides a cross ice pass to White at the right point. White winds up and cranks a slapper that beats Fleury to the far side over his blocker cleanly. The puck hits off the netting and hops right out. There was some speed on that shot. The Penguins seemed to let up after the Rupp goal. Beauchemin and Stempniak get assists. Maple Leafs 4-3.

0:58: Fleury is pulled for an extra attacker.

0:40: Guerin dishes a pass to Kunitz in the slot. Kunitz chops at it but doesn't get a clena shot off.

0:02: After Malkin has a shot from the left faceoff circle blocked, Kessel zips a shot down ice towards the empty cage but misses. Goligoski races back to touch up for icing. Dan Bylsma calls a time out to organize his team.

0:00: Crosby wins the faceoff. Gonchar gets the puck and snaps off a wrister whcih Ponikarovsky flops down to block.  End of game. Maple Leafs 4, Penguins 3.