Senators at Penguins - Second Period - 12-23-09
SECOND PERIOD
19:58: Fedotenko's penalty is killed. The Pengins will have 41 second of power play time. Kunitz, Crosby, Malkin, Gonchar and Guerin are on the ice.
19:18:The penalty to Cheechoo is killed The Penguins failed to get off a shot.
19:10: Cheechoo comes on the ice and goes right back off as he high sticks Malkin in th ecorner. Malkin, Crosby, Gonchar, Kunitz and Guerin remain on the ice.
18:57: The Penguins win the faceoff and strike almost immediatley. GUerin takes a pass from Kunitz down low on the goal line to the right of the cage. He moves in and snaps off a wrister. Leclaire makes the initial save but can't prevent Guerin's chances on th rebound. The puck beats Leclaire on the glove side. Kunitz and Gonchar get assists. Greatest. Power. Play. Ever. The "Hey Song" is played. Penguins 2-1.
17:21: On a delayed penalty, Gonchar chops a wrister from right half wall. Rupp is in front and deflects it wide.
17;17: Neil and Rupp each go to the box. Neil throws a punch at Rupp along the way. Somehow that earned Rupp a penalty. Neil goes off for charging. Rupp goes for unsportsmanlike conduct. Four-on-four for 2:00.
17:00: It should be mentioned, Alfredsson has not returned to the ice.
15:31: Attendance is announced as 17,132, a complete standing-room only sellout. It is the team's 138th consecutive sellout.
15:17: Rupp and Neil return to the ice.
14:07: Goligoski blockes a shot from the left point by Jarkko Ruutu.
13:35: Shean Donovan appears to invite Matt Cooke to a fight. Cooke doesn't seem to interested. Donovan returns to the bench. Donovan's trying to settle an old score:
13:25: Kovalev gets a pass down the right wing and gets behind the defense. As a Penguin defender closes in on him, Kovalev rips a wrister right into Fleury's chest. Fleury hangs on to freeze play.
12:38: Cheechoo is in the slot and deflects a wrister by Kuba from the left point wide of the cage.
12:25: Just as you curse Jordan Staal for making the extra pass, the Penguins' strike. Staal simply abuses Kovalev with a shoulder check in the corner and steals the puck off him in the Penguins' zone. Staal moves up the ice, gains the Ottawa blue line and dishes a pass to Talbot on the left wing. Talbot gives it back to Staal who moves towards the net and has a clean shot. He then sneaks a pass to Fedotenko trailing on the right wing. Fedotenko is able to sneaks the puck by Leclaire's left foot for a goal. What a pass. What an effort by Staal just to create that tchance. He embarrassed Kovalev who is a very strong player ont he puck. The "Hey Song" is never embarrassing. Staal and Talbot get assists. Stall should always wear his shield. Penguins 3-1.
11:44: Michalek gets to the outside on Rupp and McKee on the right wing, as he moves in on net, McKee trips him up with his stick. McKee is sent off for tripping.
11:36: Fleury fights off a wrister by Mike Fisher in the right faceoff circle.
11:11: Kovalev distributes a pass to Picard at the left point. Picard moves in, winds up and cranks a slapper. Fleury boots it out of play with his left foot.
10:01: After Goligoski makes a poor clearing attempt from the slot. Fisher whips a loose puck on net. Fleury knocks it down and covers to freeze play.
9:46: Kuba hammers a slapper from the left point. Fleury fights that off despite a screen from Neil and covers the rebound.
9:37: Fleury denies a few chances by Regin and Michalek as the penalty to McKee expires. The Senators stormed the gates that two minutes but Fleury was up to the task.
9:20: A reader passed on word that according to FSN Pittsburgh, Alfredsson is out for the game with a shoulder injury.
8:35: Off a weak turnover by Cheechoo, Guerin controls the puck on the left wing and zips a pass/shot into the slot. Kunitz is flying throug the slot and re-directs it by Leclaire. What a bang-bang play. Cheechoo is having a terrible game. Guerin gets the only assist. Cheechoo deserves one. The "Hey Song" deserves an assist. Penguins 4-1.
7:33: The Senators keep digging a deeper hole for themselves. Donovan runs into Fleury and dislodges the net. We're not sure Donovan wasn't shoved into him by a Penguins defender. Either way, the Penguins have the power play. Malkin, Gonchar, Guerin, Corsyb and Kuntiz take the ice.
7:19: Guerin drives a one-timer from the left half wall. Leclaire boots it out. An Ottawa defender whips the rebound down ice.
6:26: Kunitz out works an Ottawa defender on the wall on the right wing for the puck and slides a cross ice pass to Malkin sneaking in from the left point. Malkin sneaks in and rips a wrister that clanks off the near post. Argh.
6:03: And this power play is on fire! After Kuba misses on a shot down low shorthanded, the rebound kicks up the ice to Kunitz and essentially creates a three-on-one between Kunitz, Crosby and Guerin against Carkner. Kunitz lugs the puck up the right wing and dishes to Crosby in the slot. That twists Carkner inside out and essentially removes him from the play. That allows Crosby to dish the puck to Guerin trailing in the slot. Guerin is able to sneak the puck under a helpless Leclaire for his second goal of the night. Where has this power play been? Crosby and Kunitz get assists. The "Hey Song" is getting winded. Penguins 5-1.
5:28: As play is halted, Neil takes a little bit of a late run at Staal. Staal shoves him back. Neil throws a punch. He's pretty brave throwing a punch at a guy with a damaged nose. No penalties.
4:50: McKee blocks a wrister by Fisher from the slot.
4:05: Fisher takes a pass from Kovalev in the slot and whips a wrister on net. Fleury eats it up.
3:52: Off a turnover by Fedotenko in the Penguins' zone, Ruutu steals the puck, moves in from the left wing and has his backhander denied by Fleury.
3:10: Letang fires a slapper from the right point. It misses the mark and ricochets off the back boards. Dupuis is there and tries to sneak it in by Leclaire's glove hand but tosses the puck through the crease.
3:02: The great Martin Skoula pumps a slapper on net from the left point. Leclaire boots it out.
1:33: Wow is this ugly. After Volchenkov pretty much tackles Malkin the corner wihtout being penalized, he gets caught in a two-on-one with Malkin and Kunitz. Kunitz steals a puck inside the Senaotrs' blue line and dishes it to Malkin on the right wing. Malkin one-times it off Leclaire's left leg and into the cage. Fans chant "Geee-NO! Geee-NO!" Kunitz gets the only assist. The "Hey Song" is setting a season high for ice time. Penguins 6, Senators 1.
0:00: End of period. The Penguins leave to the ice to a standing ovation. Penguins 6, Senators 1.
SECOND INTERMISSION
-What a period for the Penguins. Total dominance. The Senators look like an AHL team right now. And they looked like their spirit has been broken. You would think they would've rallied after seeing Alfredsson go down with a questionable hit, but it seemed like it only deflated them.
-To say the least, Malkin is clicking with his new linemates. Don't expect this trio to be broken up anytime soon.
-The power play looks awesome. But it's going against a goaltender who hasn't played in 18 games. The jury's still out in our book.
-Alex Kovalev's play has been particularly uninspired. But he's been like that his entire career.
-Amazingly, the Penguins are still being outshot, 39-24.
-Kovalev and Guerin each lead the game with seven shots.
-Gonchar leads the game with 17:05 of ice time.
-Phillips leads the Senators with 16:04.
-The Penguins have a 26-24 lead in faceoffs (52 percent).
-Crosby is 14 for 20 (70 percent).
-Regin is 7 for 12 (58 percent).
-Kuba leads the game with three blocked shots.
-Dupuis, Fedotenko and McKee each lead the game with two blocked shots.