Blue Jackets at Penguins - 09-25-10
PREGAME
-Greetings from a wonderfully sunny, dry and cloud-free day in Pittsburgh. It's almost a waste to be inside right now. The State Office Building:
-Looking down Fifth Avenue:
-Gateway Center:
-The Roosevelt Arms building:
-If you didn't know that the Granite Building was orginally the German National Bank, you do now:
-Mario Lemieux isn't the only former Penguin with a street in town named after him. So does Paul Coffey:
-We think.
-The Oliver Building:
-Ken Rice not amused:
-Trinity Cathedral:
-This guy took Alex Smigelski's demotion to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton really hard:
-We think.
-Brooks Orpik's eyes are might be even scarier in street banner form:
-This is hard to look at:
-It looks so lonely.
-A Rick Nash All-Star jersey from the 2004 game:
-Ron Francis:
-Jaromir Jagr:
-Next door at Ephiphany Catholic Church, they have been holding a hockey expo:
-Consol Energy Center:
-Gary Roberts must be here:
-The ice:
-More team photos in the stairwells. 1989-90:
-This place is like a daycare center tonight since the team gave away every ticket for free to youth hockey groups and such:
-A Gary Roberts jersey:
-Mario Lemieux Wale Conference:
-Darius Kasparaitis:
-Looking out on Downtown:
-We dig this Winter Classic hoodie:
-Not liking this terrible jersey foul:
-Not one Rick Tocchet jersey:
-But two Rick Tocchet jerseys:
-Ty Conklin:
-Paul Coffey:
-Phil Bourque:
-Zarley Zalapski:
-Kevin __evens:
-Click here for the scratches. Mercifully, the terror that is Tomas Kubalik is scratched.
-The Penguins' starting lineup is Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Brett Sterling, Brooks Orpik, Corey Potter and Marc-Andre Fleury .
-The Blue Jackets' starting lineup is Derick Brassard, Rick Nash, Jakub Voracek, former Penguin Nate Guenin, John Moore and Steve Mason.
-No Jimerson. No photo.
-We'll have the jersey photos up in a bit. The wireless is slow again.
FIRST PERIOD
18:44: Nikita Filatov lifts a wrister from the left wing right into Fleury who makes an easty glove save.
17:27: Craig Adams has a chance in tight but can't put it by Mason.
17:17: Pascal Dupuis rattles Moore in the right wing corner in Columbus' zone.
16:56: Tyler Kennedy zips up the right wing and snaps off a wrister. Mason eats it up.
16:02: Joe Vitale is nabbed for slashing Jakub Voracek at center ice. Dupuis, Dustin Jeffrey, Zbynek Michalek and Kris Letang take the ice.
15:50: Ryan Johansen circles off the right wing wall and whips a wrster on net from the faceoff circle. Fleury knocks it dead and covers. Play is delayed as Mason has a skate attended to.
15:00: Jeffrey steals a pass at the right point and calmly dumps it down ice to change lines.
14:40: Tyler Kennedy is getting some penalty kill time along with Ryan Craig, Potter and Orpik.
14:02: The Vitale penalty is killed. The Penguins allowed only one shot on net.
12:18: Tim Wallace comes through with a nice bit of hustling to negate a potential icing call behind Columbus' net.
10:37: Crosby and Malkin have a little give and go up the right wing and nearly connect on a fancy play. A Columbus player is able to break that up.
10:03: Michalek flops down and blocks a wrister by Johansen right to the right of Fleury. Johansen had a clear look at the net too. Big play by Michalek.
9:23: Michalek blocks a potential pass by Derek Dorsett from the right wing. Michalek is bringing it so far in the preseason.
7:57: Brassard fakes a slapper from the right circle. Fleury challenges the shot a bit too much and bite on the fake. He stumble a bit to his right. Potter makes contact with Fleury a bit as well. The puck ends up on the stick of Michael Ratchuk who lifts backhander over the glove hand of Fleury who whiffs as he attempts to glove it. Nice shot by Ratchuk, but that was a pretty brutal goal by Fleury. A little ammo for his detractors. Put in Dennis Dixon. Brassard gets the only assist. Fleury could make a case for one. Blue Jackets 1-0.
7:20: Simon Despres puts a wrister on net from the left point. Mason eats it up despite some bodies in front.
5:47: Dupuis snaps off a wrister from deep on the left wing. Mason boots it away to the far boards.
5:17: Arron Asham cranks a slapper from the right half wall. Trevor Frischmon blocks it.
5:11: The Penguins are nabbed for too many men on the ice. Malkin will serve the minor. Jeffrey, Wallace, Orpik and Michalek take the ice.
4:10: Shorthanded, Dupuis whips a wrister on net from the left wing Mason makes the inital save. Dupuis picks it back up and lifts a shot again. Mason once again fights it off.
3:11: The Penguins' penalty is killed.
2:49: Jan Hejda collects a loose puck and immediately blasts it on net from the left point. Fleury eats it up despite traffic.
2:05: Another penalty for the Penguins. Eric Tangradi is called for hooking Frischmon. Wallace, Craig, Despres and Letang take the ice.
1:59: Despres is able to whip the puck around the boards and down ice.
1:11: Dupuis reaches out with his stick and blocks a slapper by Fedor Tyutin from the top of the point.
0:47: Michalek steals the puck in the left wing corner and whips it down ice.
0:25: Orpik lifts a puck from his own zone on a clearing attempt but gets Ratchuk in the face. Ratchuk is dazed a bit but appears fine.
0:02: Jeffrey hustsle up the left wing after a loose puck. He has a step on Ratchuk who dives in an attempt to knock the puck away. Instead he trips up Jeffrey. The officials's hand goes up. Vitale picks up the puck and puts it on net from a tough angle on a backhander. Mason steers it away. Columbus touches up. Play is halted.
0:00: End of period. Off the faceoff, Malkin is able to snap off a quick wrister which Mason fights off. Blue Jackets 1, Penguins 0.
FIRST INTERMISSION
-That wasn't exactly the most spirited effort for the Penguins. But again, you can ever worry too much about what goes on here collectively. Focus on the individuals.
-Pascal Dupuis has been the Penguins' best player tonight. He's been a presence in all three zones.
-Whatever chemistry Brett Sterling had with Sidney Crosby Wednesday is absent tonight so far.
-Despres and Letang, who are friends off the ice, appear to have some on-ice chemistry.
-Michalek is even better than advertised. He's just a puck magnet. And it's not like he's some big body like Hal Gill who can't help but get by pucks, he's just a very positionally sound player.
-The Penguins have a 7-6 edge in shots.
-Dupuis leads the game with three.
-Tyutin leads the Blue Jackets with two.
-The Penguins are dominating faceoffs, 14-3 (82 percent).
-Jeffrey, Vitale and Crosby are each 4 for 5 (80 percent).
-Brassard is 3 for 7 (43 percent).
-Brassard leads th game with 7:55 of ice time.
-Potter leads the Penguins with 7:48.
-Hejda and Orpik each lead the game with two blocked shots.
-The Penguins will have 1:58 of power play tim on fresh ice. Tangradi, Malkin, Crosby, Letang and take teh ice.
SECOND PERIOD
19:49: A wild slapper from the right point misses the cage and richochets to the left circle. Crosby is there and immediately whips it at a seemingly open cage. Mason is scrambling but is able to slide to his right and hold the shot out. Nice save.
19:18: Crosby takes a pass from Letang in the right circle, looks towards the net and pumps a slapper wide on th enear side.
18:26: Letang has a one-timer from the top of the slot blocked in front.
17:58: As the penalty expires, Crosby controls the puck in the right circle and dishes it to Letang entering the offensive zone. Letang takes the puck, glides into the slot and rips a wrister which clinks off the left post. Lots of "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.........'s" rain down.
15:58: Potter chases down a loose puck in the left wing corner in his own zone with Filatov chasing him. Potter touches the puck on his forehand and makes a nice little subtle move to shake off Filatov. It won't show up in score sheet, but that was a really nice play.
14:55: Vitale and Kennedy have a chance on a two-on-one but Kennedy put the shot wide on the near side from the slot.
14:26: Oliver Gabriel puts a wrister on net. Fleury fights it off.
12:53: Ashams sippl David Savard in the Columbus crease. It would be a stretch to say Asham has stood out so far this preseason.
12:11: Fleury has a little bit of a collisiton with Potter and Maksim Mayorov and gets caught out of position as the puck is loose to the right of the crease. He's able to scramble and eat up a quick little shot by Filatov. Letang tries to move Filatov away. Filatov appears to spear him in a bad spot. Letang takes exception, drops his glove and tries to rip off Filatov's lid. An offiical is there to hold them at bay. Somehow, there are not penalties.
11:44: Whatever happend with Letang didn't settle. He drops the gloves with Matt Calvert in the Blue Jackets' zone after Letang planted him face first into the boards. He jabs Letang with his stick. Letang accepts the invitation. They wrestle around. Calvert lands a few little rabbit punches with his left hand. Letang grabs a hold and throws a few wild punches which don't connect. Finally, Calvert's legs give way and Letang takes the opportunity to land a couple lefts. Not exactly the most honorable thing for Letang to do there. He skates to the penalty box and sticks out his tounge with a smile.
11:28: Another fith. It's a more conventialonal match-up with Eric Godard and Jared Boll. They pin each other to the boards and struggle a bit. Godard lands a few shots, but they mostly just wrestle around and end up towards the middle of the Columbus blue line. They kind of look at each other and decide they've had enough. Not exactly the best fight.
8:47: During a stoppage, Cotton Eye Joe is busted out:
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8:05: Rick Nash jostled Malkin with a solid check in the neutral zone. Malkin was looking at his pass and had his glove knocked off.
7:52: Crosby and Brassard mix it up in the Columbus zone. Nothing comes of it.
7:03: Andrew Hutchinson blocks a wrister by Mayorov in the right circle.
5:40: Despres makes a nifty move to gain the offensive zone and lifts a wrister on net. Mason eats it up.
5:30: It looks like the Brett Sterling experiment is on hold for a bit as Dupuis gets some time on the top line with Malkin and Crosby.
4:18: Johansen has a nice chance from the slot but pushes it wide to the left of Fleury.
4:09: Jeffrey has a chance in the slot but puts it wide to the right corner.
3:56: Jeffrey and Tangradi try to hook up on a nifty play. Tangradi saucers a pass off the left wing into the slot. It never really settles down and Jeffrey can't push it into the cage.
3:48: Attendance is announced as 18,087.
3:12: The Blue Jackets get a little sloppy around their own net and the Penguins take advantage. Asham and Vitale control the puck behind the net and battle with a pair of Blue Jackets. Ratchuk tries to move it up ice and pushes a lazy pass right too... Pascal Dupuis. Dupuis says, "Thank you," and rips a wrister over the glove hand of a helpless Mason from the left circle. Ugly play by Ratchuck. Asham gets the only assist. Ratchuk deserves one. Blue Jackets 1, Penguins 1.
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-The "Woo-Hoo" song actually played after the horn:
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1:29: Nash has a chance in tight but is denied by Fleury. The puck comes loose in the slot. Fleury is out of position but is still able to boot a seemingly clean chance for Jakub Voracek. "FLERRR-EEE! FLERRR-EEEE!" chants rain down.
0:00: End of period. Blue Jackets 1, Penguins 1.
SECOND INTERMISSION
-Not really a lot of notables from that period. It was pretty sloppy all around.
-Fleury hasn't exactly looked all that great. He's been caught of position a few times.
-Dupuis continues to be the team's best forward tonight.
-Shots are tied, 14-14.
-Dupuis leads the game with four.
-Filatov, Tyutin, Nash, Gabriel and xx lead the Blue Jackets with two each.
-The Penguins are dominating faceoffs, 26-8 (76 percent).
-Vitale is 7 for 9 (78 percent).
-Brassard is 5 for 14 (36 percent).
-Orpik leads the game with 15:03 of ice time.
-Savard lead the Blue Jackets with 15:00.
-Former Penguin and Hopewell native Nate Guenin leads the game with six blocked shots. Yeesh.
-Fire Ray Shero.
-Oprik and Letang each lead the Blue Jackets with four.
-The underrated "Don't Stop Until You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson's is played during the intermission:
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THIRD PERIOD
20:00: Orpik was nabbed for cross checking at the end of the second period. Wallace, Michalek, Potter and Vitale take the ice.
19:36: Nash tries to curl and drag the puck towards the net but can't really get a clean shot off as Fleury covers the puck.
18:49: Brassard controls the puck in the right circle, grips and rips a wrister right on net. Fleury eats it up.
18:00: The Orpik penalty is killed. Very little threat from Columbus.
17:13: Malkin enters the offensive zone on the right wing and makes a nifty backhanded pass to Hutchinson trailing. Hutchinson sneaks up the boards and dishes it back to Malkin in the slot. Malkin taps the puck in net by Mason who was completely unprepared for any shot. Hutchinson takes an awkward spill over an official. Hutchinson and Tangradi get assists.
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-The "Woo-Hoo" song actually played after the horn:
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16:53: A scrum develops near the Penguins' net. Letang is sent off for roughing. Orpik, Dupuis, Jeffrey and Michalek take the ice.
16:48: The Blue Jackets' power play comes to a quick end as Voracek is called for hooking Orpik. Four-on-four for 1:55.
14:52: As Letang's penalty is killed, Kennedy has a chance on a quick little rush on net. He move in but instead of taking the shot, he forces a pass which is broken up. Take the shot.
14:48: Letang gets into another fight?! This time he drops the golves with Voracek. They wrestle around. Letang gets his left arm free of his jersey and lands five or six shots to the side of Voracek's noggin. It looked like Letang totally initiated that. They were wrestling on boards. Voracek turnaround and shoved him. Letang didn't even offer an invitation. He just dropped his gloves and went to town on Voracek. Yeesh. Each player gets fighting majors. Letang gets a slashing minor. Voracek gets a roughing minor. Four on four.
13:29: Dupuis centers a puck to the slot from the left wing corner. Kennedy has a chance all alone in the slot but can't get a clean handle on the puck. Mason covers to freeze play.
13:25: Another fight. Tim Wallace versus Derek Dorsett. They circle one another for amoment then lock up. Lots of quick little punches in tight. They then wrestle and fall to the ice.
12:41: Jared Boll tries a "dipsy doodle" move around Orpik. Orpik holds his ground and takes the puck in the Penguins' zone. We'd say that was an impressive play by Orpik, but that was Jared Flipping Boll.
11:16: Crosby is called for slashing. Dupuis, Orpik, Vitale and Potter take the ice.
10:58: xxx launches a rocket of a slapper on net from the left wing. Fleury eats it up.
10:37: Savard cranks a one-timer from the left point. Fleury boots it out. Tough save.
9:23: Off a faceoff win, Guenin sneaks a wrister on net from the right point. Fleury punches it away with his blocker.
8:17: Crosby is working with Tangradi and Sterling.
7:56: Hejda cranks a slapper on net from the left point. Fleury fights it off then hold off a few chances in tight on the rebound.
7:08: Ryan Craig is done for the night due to a sore groin.
6:56: After a turnover by Michalek, Guenin puts a wrister on net from the right point. Fleury makes the inital save. Dorsett is right on his doorstep for the rebound but can't get it by Fleury.
6:12: From the right wing, Jeffrey flicks a backhanded pass to the slot. Dupuis is there and pushes it wide. He collects the rebound and tries to sneak it by Mason. Mason covers. Calvert is called for hooking Dupuis. Malkin, Crosby, Letang, Tangradi and Sterling take the ice. Malkin and Letang man the points.
4:42: Malkin is tripped up by Frischmon in the offensive zone. No call. Frischmon take the puck, rushes up the right wing and puts a wrister on net. Fleury steers it away.
4:12: The Calvert penalty is killed. Not much going on for the Penguins there.
2:48: What. A. Save! Letang sneaks up the right wing and centers a pass to the slot. Asham is there and immediately whips it on net. Mason is able to slide to his right and glove the shot. Wow!.
2:43: Off a faceoff wing by Jeffrey, Letang gets the puck at the right point. He tosses it towards the net. It hits a body or two and bounches around the crease. Asham punches it in by Mason's left leg. Jeffrey and Kennedy get assists. Penguins 3-1.
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-The "Woo-Hoo" song actually played after the horn:
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2:23: Another fight. And this time it's Malkin and Nash!?!?! What?!?! They kind of make contact in the Columbus zone and start talking. They skate towards the neutral zone as play moves towards the Penguins net. Then they just drop gloves. They mostly wrestle around before Nash slips and falls to his knees. Malkin then lands a few lefts to his head. That was really bizarre. Stunning really. Arguably the two best players on their teams just got into a fight. Asham is seen on the bench with a surprised look on his face.
1:01: Mason is pulled for an extra attacker.
0:21: Asham is called for slashing. Despres, Dupuis, Michalek and Jeffrey take the ice. The Blue Jackets call a time out to organize something.
0:08: Derek MacKenzie is denied in tight by Fleury.
0:00: End of game. Penguins 3, Blue Jackets 1.
POSTGAME
-A really bizare game. Even by warped preseason standards.
-Kris Letang gets into two fights. Rick Nash and Evgeni Malkin, two of the best players in the league, fights. Really bizare.
-Dupuis was the best player on the ice. He was strong in all three zones.
-His turnover which led to the Columbus goal aside, Potter was strong. Dan Bylsma pointed out his presence near the Penguins net after the game.
-No update on Ryan Craig's injury.
-Zbynek Michalek continues to impress. He's exactly what this team missed last season.
-Tyler Kennedy was strong early one but kind of faded as the game wore on.
-Marc-Andre Fleury got better as the game wore on. He was shaky in the first period but settled down.
-We liked what Dustin Jeffrey did on the penalty kill. With Jordan Staal injured, he's a guy who could get some serious consideration to make the roster.
-Brett Sterling was invisible.
-The Blue Jackets led in shots, 33-28.
-Dupuis led the game with six.
-Gabriel led the Blue Jackets with four.
-The Penguins dominated faceoffs, 41-18 (69 percent).
-Vitale was 13 for 18 (72 percent).
-Jeffrey was 10 for 15 (67 percent).
-Crosby was 12 for 19 (63 percent).
-MacKenzie was 8 for 19 (42 percent).
Potter led the game with 22:52 of ice time.
-Savard led the Blue Jackets with 22:25 of ice time.
-Guenin led the game with six blocked shots.
-Fire Ray Shero.
-Michalek led the Penguins with five.
-Give Shero a raise.