Red Wings at Penguins - 01-18-11
PREGAME
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-Greetings from a mild, cloudy day in Pittsburgh. It's in the 40s. Overcast. And all that snow we got this past week is melting away. Kind of a bleh day.
-Not much from our walk up. The Red Wings are still not that popular here:
-Consol Energy Center:
-The ice:
-Are we the only ones who have trouble working up any sort of extra excitement for this game? Yeah, it's the Red Wings. But nothing more than two points are on the line. And it's not even a conference match-up. We are about as excited for this game as we were for the Wild last week.
-On top of that, the injuries have sucked a lot of the excitement out of this. No Pavel Datsyuk. No Tomas Holmstrom. No Chris Osgood. No Jimmy Howard. No Sidney Crosby. No...er... uh... Mike Comrie.
-This pregame montage from Game 5 of the 2009 Cup final has more intensity than this game seems to offer:
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-We'll have jersey photos up in a bit. We had a bit of a hiccup in terms of uploading them.
-These Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin have a complicated relationship:
-Did Gordie Howe ever wear a jersey with his name on the back of it in Detroit:
-Jimmy Howard:
-Fans walking in off Centre Avenue:
-Nicklas Lidstrom from the 2009 Winter Classic in Chicago:
-Darren McCarty and Martin Lapointe:
-The McCarty jersey had a Stanley Cup Final patch from 1997:
-Johan Hedberg:
-Kris Letang has been notified:
-The hero from Game 5 of the 2008 Cup Final, Petr Sykora:
-Vladmir Konstantinov:
-Tom Barrasso:
-"Hulk Hogan Guy" is a "fan" of Todd Bertuzzi:
-And Chris Osgood:
-Grant Jennings:
-Brett Hull and Steve Yzerman:
-Kevin Stevens:
-Alex Kovalev:
-Jiri Slegr:
-Jersey of the Night: Zarley Zalapski:
(The bearer, an EN reader, said she paid a whopping $4 at a thrift store for this beauty.)
-Warm ups:
-The Penguins' starters are Matt Cooke, Tyler Kennedy, Jordan Staal, Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik and Marc-Andre Fleury.
-Their scratches are Sidney Crosby and Ben Lovejoy.
-The Red Wings starters are Patrick Eaves, Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, Jonathan Ericsson, Brian Rafalski and Joey MacDonald.
-Their scratches are Tomas Holmstrom and Thomas McCollum.
-No Jimerson. No photo.
FIRST PERIOD
19:22: There certainly feels like there's more energy in the building than usual. A pretty healthy "Let's Go Pens!" chant starts early.
19:15: Zetterberg bulls his way to the net from behind the cage and tries to jam on in on a forehand. The puck squeaks behind Fleury. Orpik is Johnny On the Spot and holds it out with some help from Letang.
17:54: Maxime Talbot whips a backhander from the right wing to the far side. MacDonald kicks it out with his right foot.
17:23: Paul Martin grips and rips a wrister from the left point. MacDonald knocks it dead with his left leg and covers with Mark Letestu hovering around.
16:58: Oh what a mistake. MacDonald controls a dump in in front of his cage. He tries to move it back behind the net for Ericsson to take over. Ericsson is on a completely different page and sort of skates away. Kennedy flies in and steals it right off MacDonald. As MacDonald scrambles to get back into position, Kennedy sneaks a backhander to Staal in crease. Staal punches it into the cage for the easiest goal of his career. Ick. Kennedy gets the only assist. MacDonald could make a case for one. The "Woo-Hoo!" song is played. Penguins 1-0.
16:49: Right off the ensuing draw, the Penguins nearly strike again. Kronwall make a brutal turnover in his own zone forcing a pass to Lidstrom. Evgeni Malkin is right there, takes it off him, moves in on net and snaps off a wrister. MacDonald robs him with a glove hand. Kronwall owes MacDonald a beer for that.
16:21: Filppula pushes a puck up the right wing, turns and deals a pass to Kronwall at the right point. Kronwall drives a slap-pass to the slot. Bertuzzi is there and has Fleury beat but taps the shot wide. He had a goal there.
14:18: Off a turnover in the Detroit zone, Letang rips a wrister from right half wall. MacDonald eats it up.
12:59: Dupuis snaps off a loose puck from the left circle on net. It clunks off the cross bar.
12:50: Zetterberg chips a pass behind Martin on the right wing. Eaves tracks it down, move sin on net and is denied by Fleury
12:15: Fleury is tune in right now. Zetterberg cuts through the defense on his backhand, turns to his forehand at the last second and is denied in tight by Fleury. What a tough shot created by Zetterberg.
11:31: Conner gets loose up on the right wing. He hustles towards the net, fends off a poke check from Jakub Kindl and flicks a backhander on net. MacDonald holds it out as Conner crashes into him and dislodges the net.
11:10: Lidstrom sneaks a half slapper through traffic from the left point. Fleury boots it away despite a screen.
9:58: Dupuis gains the offensive zone on the left wing and leaves a drop pass at the point. Kun
9:49: Kunitz levels Filppula behind the Red Wings net with a thick meaty body check.
8:31: Conner creates with his speed once agian. He gets behind the defense down the slot. Draper hacks and hooks the tar out of him. A penalty shot is awarded. This place is buzzing. He takes the puck at center ice, glides in on net, stares straight at MacDonald and move to his backhand. He opens up MacDonald's five hole just enough to sneak a little shot through. This place is going nuts. You would think you'd see that in an AHL All-Star Game skills competition. The "Woo-Hoo!" song is played. Penguins 2-0.
6:48: Kennedy sneaks in off the right wing towards the slot and chops a shot on net. MacDonald fends it off.
4:58: Darren Helm rips a wrister from above the right circle. Fleury boots it out.
3:23: Justin Abdelkader jets up the right wing by Alex Goligoski and chips a backhander on net. Fleury boots it out to the slot. Jan Mursak jumps on it. He hurries the shot and puts it over the cage.
1:57: Off a faceoff win, Rafalski drives a one-timer from the left point. Helm is down low and re-directs it on net. Fleury makes the initial save. Helm recovers the rebound and backhands it on net. Fleury covers and freezes play.
1:22: Rupp barges his way around the back of the net, emerges on the left wing, turns and whips a wrister towards the cage from the faceoff circle. It hits a cluster of bodies. Officials blow play when they believe the puck is frozen.
0:47: Bertuzzi girps and rips a wrister from the right circle. Fleury fights it off and swats away the rebound with his stick.
0:00: End of period. Penguins 2, Red Wings 0.
FIRST INTERMISSION
-That was a really sharp, aggressive period for the Penguins. They used their speed against a wounded Detroit team and battered them with physical play. They forced a few mistakes and have a lead as a result.
-The Red Wings almost seemed overwhelmed at time by the Penguins' speed. This isn't the same Red Wings team we're used to seeing and that's to be understood given the injuries.
-This wasn't a totally one-sided period. Detroit actually generated more than a few quality scoring chances. Fleury was just really strong that period.
-Chris Conner is playing like he has something to prove.
-The Penguins have a 16-13 lead in shots.
-Zetterberg and Helm each lead the game with three.
-Kunitz, Rupp, Conner and Malkin each lead the game with two.
-Kronwall leads the game with 8:19 of ice time.
-Letang leads the Penguins with 7:28.
-The Red Wings have a 13-9 lead in faceoffs (59 percent).
-Zetterberg and Filppula are each 4 for 6 (67 percent).
-Staal is 4 for 7 (57 percent).
-No one has more than one blocked shot.
-Also, apparently Dan Bylsma didn't check with IceTime's publishing schedule before determining his lineup tonight:
SECOND PERIOD
16:58: After a fairly stagnant first three minutes to the period, Arron Asham deals a pass to Letestu in the right circle. Letestu snaps off a quick shot. MacDonald says no.
16:45: Abdelkader sneaks a pass from the left circle into the slot. Tomas Tatar is there and jabs a quick shot on net. Fleury makes a tough save.
16:14: Franzen gains the offensive zone with speed on the right wing and snaps off a wrister. Fleury eats it up.
15:32: The first power play of the game goes to the Penguins. Guess who got it. You'll never get it. Matt Cooke! He trips up Rafalski along the right wing wall in Detroit's zone. That's two minutes. Adams, Orpik, Talbot and Zbynek Michalek take the ice.
13:32: The Cooke minor is killed with little threat from the Red Wings.
13:07: Kunitz gains the offensive zone in the middle and deals a pass to Talbot on the right wing. Talbot snaps off a long-distance wrister. MacDonald gloves it.
12:54: Kunitz is called for hooking Filppula along the right wing wall in the Penguins' zone. The evidence is pretty damning as Kunitz's stick got stuck in Filppula's glove. Orpik, Michalek, Staal and Cooke take the ice.
12:14: Zetterberg cuts his way down the slot and flips a backhander on net from the slot. Fleury boots it out.
10:54: Kunitz's minor expires. Not much going on there for the Red Wings.
10:43: How did that not go in!?! Goligoski drives a slapper from teh top of the slot. it hits a body or two and boucnes to Kunitz to the left of the cage. Kunitz flicks a backhander which appears to hit off MacDonald and deflects wide of the cage. What a crazy bounce.
9:42: Ruslan Salei decides Mike Rupp is a fleet enough skater that he needs tripped. That's two minutes. Kunitz, Letestu, Malkin, Letang and Goligoski take the ice.
9:08: Malkin drives a one-timer from the outisde of the right circle. MacDonald makes the initial save. Letang is on the back door and pushes it to the net but it skips along the goal line and through the crease. Argh.
8:26: Goligoski struggles to keep a puck in the offensive zone and dives at it. As he takes himself out of the play, Dre w Miller pushes the puck up ice. Letang hustles back to keep up with him. As Miller moves in on net, Letang dives attempting a poke check. He trips up Miller instead. Play is halted. Officials call a penalty and not a penalty shot. That's kind of surprising. We'll have four on four for 44 seconds.
7:55: Rafalski cranks a slapper from above the right circle. Fleury denies it despite traffic.
7:42: Salei's minor is killed. The Red Wings will have 1:16 of power play time.
6:26: The Letang minor is killed. Nothing doing for the Red Wings.
5:57: Attedance is announced as 18,284. It is the team's 190th consecutive sellout.
5:36: Letestu chops a bouncing puck on net with a backhander. MacDonald fends it off.
5:01: Malkin swats a backhander from the slot wide to the right of the cage.
3:11: Kennedy circles around the left circle in the Red Wings' zone and whips a wrister on net. MacDonald holds it out.
2:32: And this game gets a little bit more interesting. The Penguins have a breakdown defensively and pay the price. Fleury turns over the puck behind his own net. Zetterberg ends up with the puck, muscles his way by Letang and flicks it to the slot. Eaves is in front, settles the puck and calmly deals it to Franzen in the right circle. Franzen snaps it off into the open cage by Fleury on the glove side. Put that on Fleury. Eaves and Zetterberg get assists. Heck of a play by Eaves to calmly make that pass. Penguins 2-1.
2:02: And the Penguins get it right back. Kronwall makes another poor turnover in his own zone. Malkin is all over it. He gets the puck to Dupuis in the right circle. Dupuis flicks a backhander on net. MacDonald makes the save despite having the world crash around him. The rebound kicks out to the slot where Kunitz cleans up the garbage and punches it by a scrambling Kronwall and MacDonald who was totally out of position. Malkin and Dupuis get assists. The "Woo-Hoo!" song is played. Penguins 3-1.
0:00: End of period. Penguins 3, Red Wings 1.
SECOND INTERMISSION
-Well that was a pretty boring period for about 17 and a half minutes. Then BOOM! Two goals.
-Neither team really pressed the issue until late. It was just a ton of stagnant play. Even with a few power plays.
-Turnovers have really been the story. Three goals have been off turnovers by the defending team in its own zone. One was off a penalty shot.
-For our money, Zetterberg has been the best overall player in this game. He's created a few offensive chances. He's been responsible in the neutral and defensive zones. And he's been dominant in the faceoff circle.
-Shots are tied, 25-25.
-Zetterberg leads the game with five shots.
-Kunitz leads the Penguins with four.
-Lidstrom leads the game with 16:33 of ice time.
-Martin leads the Penguins with 15:52.
-The Red Wings control faceoffs, 24-14 (63 percent).
-Zetterberg is 8 for 11 (73 percent).
-Malkin is 5 for 9 (56 percent).
-Michalek leads the game with three blocked shots.
-None of the Red Wings has more than one.
-EN Reader @dupweeeee spotted a Frank Pietrangelo jersey:
THIRD PERIOD
18:45: Krwonall cranks a one-timer from the right point. Fleury makes the save. The rebound kicks out to Filppula in the right circle. Fleury eats his shot as well.
17:02: Off a turnover by the Penguins in their own zone, Franzen snaps off a wrister from the right circle. Fleury swats it out of play with a glove.
16:22: Franzen rips a wrister from above the left circle wide on the near side.
14:41: Krownall snaps off a wrister from the left point which gets deflected on net. Fleury fights it off.
13:39: The Red Wings continue to control this period. Ericsson whips a wrister on net from above the left circle. The Red Wings have outshot the Penguins, 7-0, in this period.
13:09: Michalek floats a wrister on net from the right point. MacDonald fights it off despite traffic. That's the Penguins' first shot on net this period.
11:27: Cooke emerges from a scrum behind the Red Wings' net and deals a pass to Staal in the left circle. Staal whips a puck on net. MacDonald makes a tough save.
10:58: Malkin spins and crank a blind slapper from above the right circle. MacDonald boots it out.
9:27: Filppula challenges Orpik one-on-one off the right wing. He goes backhand to forehand ans snaps off a wrister on net. Fleury knocks it dead and covers.
9:20: We were just alerted that the the last Penguins' penalty shot goal was by Jarkko Ruutu against the Maples Leafs during the 2006-07 season:
7:43: Mursak races up the right wing wing boards and whips a wrister on net. Fleury boots it out.
6:41: Off a turnover by the Penguins deep in their own zone, Rafalski snaps off a one-timer in the offensive zone. Fleury fends it off.
6:35: With the Red Wings having dominated play in the Penguins' zone, Dan Bylsma calls a time out to get his team organized.
5:59: Kennedy attemps a backhander wraparound. MacDonald holds it out.
5:53: Cotton-Eye Joe is busted out:
-Speaking of cotton, we ran into this guy earlier too:
1:55: Afte ra stagnant three minutes, Cooke rattles Lidstrom along the right wing boards in the Red Wings' zone.
1:40: MacDonald is puleld for an etrattacker
1:19: Kennedy chips a puck up by Rafalski at the right point. He moves it upice on a two-on-one against Lidstrom. He pushes a pass to Cooke in the right circle. Cooke buries it for one of us:
-Kennedy and Orpik get assists. The "Woo-Hoo!" song is played.
1:11: We get a little bit of a skrimish has Rupp and Kindl mis i up near the Red Wings' blue line. Both players are sent to the locker room early.
0:00: End of game. The "Woo-Hoo!" song is played and Mike Lange informs us of Elvis' where abouts. Penguins 4, Red Wings 1.
POSTGAME
-That was an odd game. Mistakes dicated everything. Three goals came off turnovers in the defensive zone by the defending team. One came off a penalty shot and the other was an empty netter.
-The Penguins' best player was Marc-Andre Fleury. The Red Wings press the attack quite a bit in this game, especially late. Having seen the Penguins collapse a few times this season late in games, you were almost half expecting them to do it again. Fleury wouldn't allow it. He came through with some tough saves on several quality chances.
-The Red Wings might be beat up, but they're still a pretty dang good team. They'll be a little scarier once they get a few bodies back in the lineup.
-The Cooke-Kennedy-Staal line continues to be the Penguins' best line. They cycle down low, they create scoring chances out of dirty areas and they're responsible in all three zones. They are a prototypical line for a Dan Bylsma line.
-Malkin displayed a little bit more chemistry with Kunitz and Dupuis tonight. They created a few things off the rush and scored the goal that essentially sealed this win off late in the second period.
-Henrik Zetterberg still has it. He was easily the best skater for Detroit.
-MacDonald actually played a pretty solid game despite some less than ideal circumstances. He could have won this game easily.
-The Red Wings pretty much dominated the third period. They kept play in the offensive zone and peppered Fleury with several quality chances. The Penguins did not finish this game on a high note.
-The Red Wings led in shots, 37-29.
-Franze led the game with six.
-Kunitz led the Penguins with four.
-Lidstrom led the game with 24:03.
-Martin led the Penguins with 23:28.
-The Red Wings controlled faceoffs, 33-23 (59 percent).
-Filppula was 9 for 15 (60 percent).
-Malkin is 6 for 11 (55 percent).
-Martin led the game with four blocked shots.
-None of the Red Wings had more than one blocked shot.
-Staal moved past Pat Boutette for 39th place on the team's all-time scoring list. Both players have 174 points, but Staal (87) has more goals than Boutette (65).
-Kennedy (101) moved past Blair Chapman (99) for 79th place.
-Kennedy became the 79th place in franchise history to record 100 career points with the Penguins.
-Cooke moved ahead of Darius Kasparaitis for 96th place. Both players have 83 points, but Cooke (37) has more goals than Kasparaitis (15).