Red Wings at Penguins - Third Period, Overtime and Shootout - 01-31-1

THIRD PERIOD

19:32: Dan Clear whips a wrister from the left wing wide and far of the cage.

19:10: Datsyuk hops a backhanded pass to Zetterberg in the left circle. Zetterberg hammers a slapper which Fleury fights off with a "thud." Big save.

18:48: Off a turnover in the neutral zone, Dupuis steals the puck, gains the blue line and dishes to Malkin coming in off the righ twing. Malkin one-touches it to Staal coming in off the left wing. Staal hurries and pushes a low shot right into Howard's legs. Howard covers to freeze play.

17:55: Crosby moaves up the left wing and zips a wrister under Howard's glove and juuuust wide of the far post.

17:20: Cooke skates into the net, stops then bumps into the back of Howard. Officials calls him for goaltender interference. It's the right call. He ran right into the back of Howard. He protests and the fans boo but it's the right call. Staal, Adams, McKee and Eaton take the ice.

17:09: Williams hammers a slapper from the right point that appears to get deflected wide

16:32: Williams has the puck at the right point, moves up the wing a zips a cross ice pass to Filppula on the back door. Filppula has a wide open net to shoot at but whips it through the crease behind Fleury and totally misses the net. McKee might have gotten his stick on that to deflect it. Either way, the Red Wings missed a big chance there.

16:11: Kronwall gets a pass at the left point. He tees up and blasts a high slapper. Fleury hops up and traps it against his chest. Miller is called for high sticking Eaton. Four-on-four for 51 seconds.

15:20: Cooke's penalty is killed. The Penguins will have 1:09 of power-play time.

14:47: Cleary backhands the puck down ice to kill time.

14:28: Eaves whips the puck down ice from the corner on the left wing to the opposite corner. Malkin lumbers back for the puck. Just as he picks it up, he shakes off Helm and sends him crashing into the boards. Helm is fine.

14:11: Miller's penalty is killed. Not a lot of tone there of note for the Penguins.

13:54: Fedotenko chases down a puck in the corner on the left wing and backhands a centering pass. Johnson is there and deflects it out of play.

13:21: Datsyuk moves the puck up the left wing against Orpik and backhands a centerting attempt into the slot. Gonchar's left skate deflects it juuuust wide. Yeesh.

12:09: Letestu saucers a centering pass from the left wing to Kennedy in the slot. It's half a second ahead of Kennedy who is able to lunge and re-direct it on net.  Howard boots it out with his left foot. Nice effort by Kennedy. Nice save by Howard.

11:00: EN reader Joshua McElhattan sends on this

10:04: Lidstrom chops a half slapper from the left point. It gets deflected once or twice on its way to the net before Fleury fights it off.

9:55: Rafalski pounds a slapper from the left point wide of hte cage on the near side.

8:50: That was only a matte of time. The Red Wings had controlled play for nearly two minutes. Brad Stuart and his wonkly left shoulder tie this game up. Cleary moves a puck from behind the goal line to Stuart at the left point. Stuart winds up and blasts a slapper. Cleary apparently redirected it by Fleury on the glove side. Cleary gets the goal. Stuart and Zetterberg get the assists. Penguins 1, Red Wings 1.

8:23: Helm smacks a slapper from the slot. Fleury makes the save despite a redirection attempt from in front.

7:59: Johnson fights off a few checks and tries to jam on in from the lfet of the cage. Howard holds it out.

7:16: Gonchar snaps off a wrister from the top of the slot. Howard makes the save despite a screen

6:42: Guerin moves the puck up the ice, gains the blue line and dishes a pass to Crosby on the left wing. Crosby lifts a wrister which Howard fights off up high. The rebound bounces around a bit before Howard covers

6:15: Fedotenko chips a puck by Williams on the left wing in the neutral zone, chases it down, makes a nice move by Rafalski and rips a wrister right into Howard. who eats it up. Nice effort by Fedotenko there.

5:50: Cooke gets denied in tight on awrap around attempt by Howard.

5:45: Kennedy whips a wrister on net from the righ thalf wall. Howard boots it out.

5:38: Cooke get stripped up behind the Detroit net. no call.

5:03: Datsyuk cranks a one-timer from the slot which Fleury fights off.

4:43: Orpik hammers a slapper from the left point that clears the net.

4:38: Gonchar gets a pass at the left point and swats a one-timer. Howard is able to eat it up with "thud."

3:20: Malkin dishes a pss to Dupuis in the right circle. With a defender hanging all over him, Dupuis snaps a backhander towards the crease. Staal is there and re-directs it juust wide.

2:41: Datsyuk gains the zone with speed and whips a wrister which Fleury gets a piece of with his stick and deflects out of play. That was a little scary. That had "game-winner" written all over it.

2:21: Guerin hammers a slapper from the right point on net. Howard makes the easy save.

1:51: Eaton races back to touchup an iced puck by Detroit. Faceoff in the Detroit zone.

1:39: Off a Detroit turnover, Malkin lifts a wrister from the left circle. Howard fights it off with his blocker.

1:27: Helm pumps a wrister on net from the left wing. Fleury deflects it out of play.

1:09: Kennedy moves up the righ wing and snaps off a sneaky wrister. Howard has to trap it between his left elbow and left knee. That was a tough save.

0:39: The "old" third line is re-united for a shift. Kennedy snaps off a wrister to Staal on the left wing. Staal moves up ice and rips a wrister to the far side with Howard gloves. The Penguins lineup for the faceoff with Guerin, Malkin and Staal.

0:15: Guerin coasts up the right wing and rips a wrister off the side of the cage.

0:01: Guerin battls efor a puck and dishes ot Staal in the left circle. Staal moves it back to Orpik who hurries a slapper into a cluster of bodies in front. It gets blocked and cleared down ice by Detroit.

0:00: End of period. Penguins 1, Red WIngs 1.

THIRD INTERMISSION

-The Penguins have a 45-21 lead in shots.

OVERTIME

3:59: Staal enters the offensvie zone. Kronwall steps up to make a hit leading with his knee. His right knee hits the side of Staal's right knee. Both players go down. Staal gets right up and chases the puck. Kronwall

3:54: Malkin whips a wrister on net from the slot. Howard makes the huge save. Kronwall limps to the bench. Hard to feel sorry for him considering he led with the knee and his history of questionable hit. You'd think he'd know better after he was injured on a bad knee-on-knee hit by Canadiens forward Georges Laraque earlier this season.

3:18: Letang snaps off a wrister from the top of the slot. Howard eats it up. Staal digs for a rebound. The offcials wait about 12 minutes to blow a whistle.

2:50: Kennedy races up the right wing and rips a wrister high to the far side.

1:38: Crosby moves the puck up from hs own zone against Stuart. Crosby gains the blue line, moves it by Stuart who looks like he's trying to wrestle a deer to the ice. Crosby bets by Stuartbut cant get a shot off. Howard covers the puck. What an effort by Jimmy Howard.

1:21: Filppula moves the puck up ice, undresses GOnchar and attacks the net with a backhander. Filppula goes to shoot but Gonchar hooks his right hand. Officials sent Gonchar to the box. The Penguins have a big penalty kill. Saal, Cooke and Eaton take the ice. The Penguins will play for the shootout here.

0:41: Lidstrom has a one-timer from tth top of the slot deflected wide.

0:31: Helm cranks aone-timer from the right half wall booted out by Fleury.

0:09: Datsyuk blasts a one-timer from the left point that gets deflected juuuust wide.

0:05: The Penguins chip the puck down ice and kill the resto of the clock. Whew.

0:00: End of period. Penguins 1, Red Wings 1.

 FOURTH INTERMISSION

"FLERR-EEE! FLERRR-EEE!"

SHOOTOUT

-Letang is first. he weaves his way toward the net down the slot, attempts a backhander but pretty much runs out of room. Howard make the save.

-Datsyuk who is so dangerous at the shootout is up for Detriot. He moves in, tries to go with a backahnder and punches it wide.

-Crosby races in, cuts across the slot, waits, waits, waits and gets Howard to commit low. He lifts the backhander over Howard's glove and gets the goal. What patience. Penguins 1-0.

-Williams gets the call for Detroit. He flies in, goes right at Fleury and shoots low. Fleury makes the save with his glove hand.

-Malkin can end it. Interesting choice considering his spotty history with the shootout. He goes wide to the right wing, moves in on net with a delayed approach, springs to his backhand tucking the puck juuuust behind Howard's left leg and into the cage. That was soooo smooth. End of shootout. Penguins 2, Red Wings 0. End of game. Penguins 2, Red Wings 1.