Penguins at Lightning - 10-27-10
PREGAME
-Hey, guess where we are:
-No, not quite:
-The Penguins' starters are Mike Rupp, Arron Asham, Sidney Crosby, Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury.
-Their scratches are Zbynek Michalek and Eric Godard.
-The Lightning's starters are Adam Hall, Dana Tyrell, Nate Thompson, Brett Clark, Victor Hedman and Mike Smith.
-Its scratches are Dominic Moore, Matt Smaby and Blair Jones.
-Arron Asham makes his official Penguins debut tonight.
-Too bad Zenon Konopka still isn't with the Lightning:
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-Dan Bylsma will ease Asham into the lineup and stick him on the fourth line with Mike Rupp and Craig Adams.
-Fleury is back in net searching for his 150th career win.
FIRST PERIOD
19:43: Paul Steigerwald doesn't waste anytime busting out the "xxxx is a former Penguin" lines. Adam Hall is up first:
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18:17: Mark Letestu (5-foot-11, 195 pounds) knocks Victor Hedman (6-foot-6, 229 pounds) off the puck and to the ice with a nice shoulder check into the boards behind the Lightning net. No offense to Letestu, but Hedman can't let that happen at his size.
17:09: And for the second consecutive game, Marc-Andre Fleury allows a goal on the first shot he faces. Fleury fails to stop a puck behind the net. Nate Thompson feeds a quick pass to Dana Tyrell to the right of the net. Tyrellbeats his defender and snaps a quick shot which squeaks through Fleury's equipment. That was a failure all around. On Fleury and his defense. Thompson and Pavel Kubina get assists. Lightning 1-0.
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16:42: Pascal Dupuis is nabbed for holding Tyrell. Craig Adams, Matt Cooke, Brooks Oprik and Ben Lovejoy take the ice.
16:32: And this game is off to a flying start. Cooke gains the offensive zone on the left wing and centers to Adams From the right circle, Adams just grips and rips a pretty pedestrian wrister which beats Smith under the blocker. Ugly. Cooke and Brooks Orpik get assists. Lightning 1, Penguins 1.
16:15: Errey mentions Adams used to be a Whalers draft pick:
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15:31: Uh... wow??? Two shorthanded goals on the same penalty? What!?!? Adams gainst eh offensive zone on the left wing and chips a pass to the slot for Letang. Letang moves in and lifts a wrister. Smith makes the initial save but leaves a juicy rebound. Cooke follows up on it and deposits the puck into the empty cage for one of the easiest goals of his life. What is going on? This is supposed to be a dangerous power play for Tampa Bay and the Penguins got two shorthanded goals on the same penalty!?!? Unreal. Letang and Adams get assists. Who would think in a game with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, Adams and Cooke would be the first ones with multiple points? Penguins 2-1.
14:42: Mercifully for the Lightning, Dupuis' penalty expires.
13:25: Smith eats up a wrister by Orpik from the right point.
12:25: St. Louis can't beat Fleury on three chances in tight.
9:58: On a backcheck, Adams trips up Stamkos in the neutral zone. That's two minutes. Cooke, Maxime Talbot, Martin and Letang take the ice.
7:45: Craig Adams. Playmaker. As he leaves the box, he takes the puck, gains the offensive zone on the left wing and deals a pass to Dupuis down low along the goal line. Dupuis cuts to the slot and chips a backhander by Smith. Anothe bad goal. So bad, head coach Guy Boucher pulls him in favor of Dan Ellis. Adams and Crosby get assists. Adams now has three assists. Unreal. Penguins 3-1.
5:55: Bergenheim and Orpik crash into Fleury. A scrum breaks out. Asham appears to go after Downie. As things get broke up, Downie and Lovejoy are at the bottom of the pile. Downie and Lovejoy each get roughing minors and 10-minute misconducts. Bergenheim is nabbed for interference against Orpik. The Penguins end up with a power play. Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Alex Goligoski and Chris Kunitz take the ice.
5:50: Adams' last three-point game came as a member of the Hurricanes. He had two goals and an assist in a 5-3 defeat of the Blackhawks, Dec. 13, 2005.
4:29: Letang snaps off a wrister from the left point. it gets deflected in on it's way to the net. Ellis
4:06: Rupp rips a wrister from the right wing. Ellis fights it off.
3:55: Bergenheim's minor expires. The Penguins had some nice possession in the offensive zone, but did little to threaten Ellis.
3:20: And that was another ugly goal. Purcell gains the offensive zone on the right wing, cuts across the slot behind Matias Ritola and snaps off a wrister which blows by Fleury on the glove side. Brutal. There were a few bodies screening him, but he needs to make that save. Period. Kubina gets the only assist. Penguins 3-2.
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3:02: Bergenhein snaps off a wrister from the right circle. Fleury stands up and traps it against his chest. A scrum breaks out with Talbot and former teammate Ryan Malon in the middle of it.
0:00: End of period. Penguins 3, Lightning 2.
FIRST INTERMISSION
-Okay, that was a bit crazy. Yeah, there's plenty of offense on each side of the ice with Crosby, Malkin, Stamkos and others, but Adams, Cooke, Kubina and Purcell? The offense isn't exactly coming from players who will be on any all-star teams.
-Marc-Andre Fleury needs to be better. Period. We'll forgive the first goals since his defense had a hand in it with the breakdown, but the Purcell goal was inexcusable.
-Arron Asham looks like Arron Asham so far. He's banging bodies along the boards and tried to mix it up with Steve Downie. Play like that is why he's an asset.
-Adams' goal was his first in 119 regular season games.
-This is hardly over. With Fleury looking shaky so far, the Lightning has the talent to easily take the lead back.
-The Penguins have a 12-8 lead in shots.
-Letang and St. Louis each lead the game with three shots.
-Martin leads the game with 8:47 of ice time.
-Thompson leads the Lightning with 7:53.
-The Penguins have a 9-7 edge in faceoffs (56 percent).
-Talbot is 3 for 4 (75 percent).
-Thompson is 3 for 5 (60 percent).
-Thompson and Hedman each lead the game with three blocked shots.
-Per the Penguins' Twitter feed, the last time the Penguins had two goals on the same penalty was a 3-1 win at Montreal, Apr. 11, 2009. Letang and Talbot had the goals.
SECOND PERIOD
19:10: One of Sidney Crosby's highlights goals against the Lightning from 2006-07 is replayed:
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18:52: Mike Comrie is nabbed for tripping Mike Lundin. Goligoski, Adams, Oprika nd Cooke take the ice.
16:52: Comrie's penalty expires. The Lightning maintained good possession in the Penguins' zone but didn't really do much with the puck.
16:45: Craig "Production" Adams lifts a wrister from the right circle. Ellis denies it
16:20: Tyrell chips a little backhander on net from the right circle. Fleury fends it off.
14:50: Malkin leaves a drop pass in the right circle in Tampa Bay's zone. Tyler Kennedy picks it up and whips a wrister on net. Ellis eats it up.
13:55: It takes a while, but coming back from commercial, Ryan Malone used to play for the Penguins finally:
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13:10: Asham is getting some time on the top line with Kunitz and Crosby.
12:20: Pascal Dupuis is the new Matt Cooke. he's doing nothing buttaking penaltys. He levels Tyrell with a shoulder check in the netural zone away from the puck. That's two minutes for interference. Cooke, Adams, Martin and Letang take the ice.
11:42: Things goe from bad to worse for the penguins. Kunitz is called for high sticking Stamkos. Ans as that happens, Letang leaves the ice and retreats to the locker room. Accordint to Paul Steigerwald, he was hunched over on the bench before going to the locker room. The Lightning will have 1:22 of a two-man advantage. Cooke, Orpik and Adams take the ice.
11:17: That was only a matter of time. A two man advantage against this bunch? From the left circle Stamkos moves the puck to St. Louis at the left point. Adams and Cooke are kind of bunched together (as pointed out by Errey) and St. Louis moves it to Lecavalier at the right point. Lecavalier booms a one-timer which Fleury doesn't have a prayer on. Tie game. The Lightning still has 1:34 of a one-man advantage. Lightning 3, Penguins 3.
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9:42: The Kunitz minor is killed.
9:30: Racing for a loose puck int he right wing corner in the Penguins' zone, Crosby sticks a shoulder int St. Louis and completely bodies him off the puck.
9:08: Stamkos is called for tripping Cooke. Crosby, Malkin, Kunitz, Goligoski and.... Comrie take the ice.
9:00: After bad turnover by Crosby in the offensive zone, Thompson gets loose on a breakwaway almost immediately. He has Fleury beaten on a backhander but clacks the puck off the left post. The goal horn actually sounds off for a moment. Malkin was manning the poin on that play and Thompson simply blew right by him.
8:41: Goligoski smacks a one-timer from the right circle. It hist Lundin and deflects out of play.
6:08: The Stamkos minor is killed.
7:46: Malone hustles by a defender on the left wing and centers a pass to the slot. St. Louis beats his man to the slot and tips the puck on net. Fleury JUUUUUUUST gets a piece of it.
6:44: As Mike Vernance goes to the box roughing Rupp, FSN Pittsburgh presents a replay which shows Letang getting hit in the had with a puck prior to leaving the ice.
6:22: Crosby strikes a one-timer from the right point. It hops up and stricks Lundin near the neck. Lundin staggers to the ice. Play is halted. Lundin appears fine, relatively speaking, and recovers to his feet. Lundin makes his way to the bench and retreats to the locker room.
6:09: What in the world is going on? The Penguins give up another breakway shorhanded. Bergenheim gets behind the defense. Malkin catches up to him and hooks him to death. Bergenheim still gets a backhander off. Fleury denies him. The official calls for a penalty shot. Bergenheim moves in on net, grips and rips a wrister on Fleury's glove hand. Fleury swats it away to keep it tied.
4:48: St. Louis forces Goligoski into a turnover in the neutral zone. Goligoski holds him up. That's two minutes for interference. We'll have four-on-four for seconds.
4:44: The Vernance penalty expires. Tampa Bay will have a power play for 1:56.
2:48: The Goligoski minor is killed. Nothing really going on for the Lightning there.
2:14: Crosby makes a little move by Hedman in the right circle and pokes a backhander on net. Ellis eats it up. As we come back from commercial, Letang returns to the ice.
2:00: Using Mattias Ohlund as a screen, Kunitz rips a wrister from the right circle. Ellis eats it up.
0:56: As a slapper by Orpik from the left point is off the mark, Purcell is called for tripping Malkin. Tough time to take a penalty. Crosby, Malkin, Goligoski, Letang and Kunitz take the ice.
0:00: End of period. Penguins 3, Lightning 3.
SECOND INTERMISSION
-This is just a bizarre game. We totally expected some offensive in the contest, but we didn't think it would go down the way it has. Each team has looked bad on the power play, with the one-man advantage at least. Overall, play has been sloppy.
-We just don't see Malkin on the point. He's a liability defensively.
-We'll confess we never really saw Thompson as much more than an energy type of role player. He's played a pretty complete game tonight.
-The second period was a special teams battle.
-Ryan Malone has been awfully quiet.
-The Penguins have a 22-19 edge in shots.
-St. Louis leads the game with five.
-Letang leads the Penguins with three.
-Goligoski leads the game with 18:55 of ice time.
-Brett Clark leads the Lightning with 15:42.
-Faceoffs are even, 20-20 (50 percent).
-Crosby is 8 fro 15 (53 percent).
-Stamkos is 3 for 5 (60 percent).
-Ohlund, Thompson and Hedman each lead the game with three blocked shots.
-Lovejoy leads the Penguins with two.
THIRD PERIOD
20:00: The Penguins will have 1:04 of power play time on fresh ice. Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Goligoski and Kunitz take the ice.
18:56: The Penguins power play expires without much ofa threat.
18:50: Letang cracks a one-timer on a loose puck at the top of the slot. It gets deflected wide.
18:40: Kunitz hacks the stick out of Hall's hands in the left wing corner in the Penguins' zone. That's two minutes for slashington. Orpik, Cooke, Martin and Adams take the ice.
18:00ish: Malone socks his friend Orpik with an inadvertant elbow behind the Penguins' net. No call.
17:50: St. Louis blasts a slapper from the right circle. Fleury boots it away with his left leg.
16:40: The Kunitz penalty expires. That wasn't a great effort by Tampa Bay.
16:14: Lundin cranks a slapper from the top of the slot. it gets defelcted to the left of the cage.
15:24: Engelland muscles Tyrell off the puck on the right wing boards.
15:18: Adam Hall used to be a Penguin:
14:23: Fleury boots out a deflected wrister by Clark from the right point with his right foot.
13:20: Whoa. Look at that individual skill... St. Louis just blows through the neutral zone. Paul Martin seems completely lost on the play. Lovejoy tries to engage St. Louis but simply isn't fast enough to keep up with the former Hart Trophy winner. St. Louis veers towards the net from the right circle. Fleury challenges with a poke check but St. Louis is able to tuck it upstars with a little wrister. What a dazzling goal by a dazzling player. Downie and Stamkos get assists. Lightning 4-3.
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-In honor of St. Louis, "Louie, Louie" by the the Kingsmen is played:
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11:26: Hall makes a mistake and pushes a loose stick on the ice towards Goligoski as he carries the puck. That's two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. This is a gift for the penguins. Malkin, Crosby, Letang, Kunitz and Goligoski take the ice.
9:26: The Hall minor is killed. The Penguins completely wasted that opportunity.
9:00: Bust out the Michel Therrien Memorial Bingo Ball Roller/Line Combination-Maker. Comrie is getting some time with Talbot and Asham.
7:16: Lecavalier carries the puck up the left wing with Purcell on a two-on-one against Martin. Martin gets twisted around as Lecavalier dishes to Purcell. Purcell jabs a quick shot on net but Martin appears to block it with his butt.
6:13: Talbot gets away with some interference agaisnt Tyrell.
5:49: Crosby takes a pass and backs into the offensive zone but is knocked off the puck on a nice play by Clark.
4:59: Steigerwald suggests Jordan Staal could return to the line up Friday against the Flyers.
3:35: Hall gains the offensive zone on the right wing and whips a quick wrister on net. Fleury eats it up.
2:25: Letang chops a slapper fromt he right point. It gets deflected out of play towards St. Petersburg.
1:57: Tyrell tries to hustle the puck up the left wing. Letang chases him downa nd just throws him off th euck.
1:34: Orpik deals a pass to Goligoski. Goligoski takes the puck Winds up, hesitates for a moment and strikes a slapper. Unscreened, Ellis gloves it. Bylsma calls a timout to organize a night everyone can come over to watch "Last of the Mohicans:"
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-We think. Fleury is pulled for an extra attacker.
0:30: Goligoski can't control the puck at the left point. Stamkos chips it up ice. St. Louis just skates by Goligoski who can't do anything but hook him. Despite that, St. Louis is able to punch it in for:
-Stamkos gets the only assist. Lightning 5-3.
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-"Louie, Louie" is played once again:
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0:00: End of game. Lightning 5, Penguins 3.
POSTGAME
-That one was tough to watch. Part of us wants to say, "Hey the Lightning is a good team. Losing to them is no shame." But the other part of us wants to point out how the Penguins had control of this game after scoring two shorthanded goals on the same penalty kill chased Mike Smith and still lost this game.
-Fleury fingerprints are all over this loss but he's hardly the only one to blame. He had nothing to do with that putrid power play or the numerous penalties the Penguins took.
-That said. Fleury needs to steal at least one of those early goals.
-In honor of halloween, this is how we feel about the power play:
-Crosby and Malkin needed to contribute more in terms of production. Tampa Bay's stars - Stamkos (three assists), St. Louis (two goals, one assist) and Lecavalier (one goal) - all produced. Crosby and Malkin combined for one secondary assist.
-Can someone put out an APB for Mike Comrie?
-Or Maxime Talbot? We know he's playing solid defensively, but it's probably fair to expect an occasional contribution on offense from him.
-We're not trying to make excused for Fleury, but the Penguins' defense was way too loose tonight. The Lightning had too much space and time to operate with.
-Not that we expected a ton out of him tonight, but Asham was average. He played his game, but he hardly made an impact.
-Amazing what an in-game goaltending change can do for team huh? The Lightning was getting embarrassed prior to benching Smith. The change to Ellis woke the team up.
-Shots ended up being tied, 31-31.
-St. Louis led the game with nine.
-Engelland, Letang and Crosby each led the Penguins with three.
-Lovejoy and Talbot were the only Penguins skaters who failed to record a shot.
-Goligoski led the game with 28:19 of ice time.
-Clark led the Lightning with 22:40.
-Faceoffs were tied, 30-30 (50 percent).
-Talbot was 9 for 16 (56 percent).
-Thompson was 7 for 12 (58 percent).
-Clark, Ohlund, Thompson and Hedman each led the game with three blocked shots.
-Lovejoy and Cooke each led the Penguins with two.