Islanders at Penguins - 11-21-11

A few pregame sights. This is the worst picture ever, but they have spotlights out:

There are plenty of Crosby fans here tonight. A staircase of Crosby fans:

-A family of Crosby fans:

-Some people-watching Crosby fans:

-A Rimouski Oceanic Crosby fan:

-A Canadian Crosby fan:

-A Tony Tanti era jersey foul fan:

-A Dmitri Mironov era jersey foul fan:

-All-Star Crosby fans:

-A green Crosby fan:

-A chip off the old block set of Crosby fans:

-Fans walking in off Centre Avenue:

-Eric Godard still has a fan here:

-Tom Barasso:

-Craig Adams:

-Jarkko Ruutu:

-Jersey of the Night: Martin Straka:

-Crosby has some fans greeting him with homemade signs:

-Fans greet Crosby for warm ups:

-Warm ups:

-Crosby took the ice second to last prior to Evgeni Malkin per their usual routine.

-The Penguins' starters are Sidney Crosby, Pascal Dupuis, Chris Kunitz, Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik and Marc-Andre Fleury.

-Their scratches are Steve MacIntyre and Joe Vitale.

-The Islanders' starters are P.A. Parenteau, Matt Moulson, John Tavares, Travis Hamonic, Andrew MacDonald and Anders Nilsson.

-Their scratches are Blake Comeau, Mike Mottau and Nino Niederreiter.

-Root Sports has a countdown clock:

-Crosby steps onto the ice to roaring approval.

-Crosby is announced as a starter. Fans get playoff loud with that news.

-"CRRROSSS-BEEEEE!" chants rain down.

-Who else but Jeff Jimerson would handle the anthem on a night like this:

FIRST PERIOD

20:00: Crosby takes the ice for the first time in nearly 11 months. He mixes it up with Tavares on the opening faceoff and gets the puck back to Letang.

19:31: Right off the bad, Crosby is engaged physically a little bit behind the Islanders' net with Travis Hamonic. He bumps off a check attempt and flicks a backhanded pass to the slot. Dupuis whiffs on the the first shot. Kunitz has a chance on the rebound to the left of the crease but whips a backhander off the cross bar and into the left wing corner.

19:05: Crosby's first shift ends with him creating a nice scoring chance.

16:36: Off a turnover by the Penguins in the neutral zone, Tavaries whips a wrister.

16:29: MacDonald chucks a wrister on net from the left point. Fleury punches it away.

16:15: Hamonic hammers a one-timer from the right point. Fleur y fights it off despite traffic. There's a scramble for the loose rebound. Tyler Kennedy is able to skate it out of danger.

15:27: Malkin forces Frans Nielsen  into a turnover behind the cage and whips a backhander from the left of the net through the crease wide.

14:36: Wow. Just wow. Crosby takes a little pass in the neutral zone from Dupuis and blasts his way into the offensive zone with a blaze. He dodges a stick check from a trailing Jay Pandolfo, weaves his way by MacDonald in the right circle and roofs a backhander by the glove hand of poor, helpless Nilsson. Just stunning. Crosby celebrates with a one-legged fist pump in the right wing corner and a possible expletive. What a way to come back. The "Woo-Hoo!" song is actually drowned out by the cheering. Dupuis and Engelland get assists. Penguins 1-0.

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12: 52: Michael Grabner fires a wrister from the left circle. Paul Martin blocks it for $5 million.

12:44: Streit cranks a slapper from the left point. Adams slides down to lbock it. it deflects o net. Fleury is in his butterfly and kicks it out.

12:05: Brian Rolston snaps off a wrister from above the left circle. Fleury kicks it out.

11:00: Eaton cranks a slapper from the left point. It hits a body in black in front.

10:18: Following up on a deflected rebound behind the Islanders net, Crosby thumps Streit with a hip on hip check into the boards.

10:01: Milan Jurcina is called for cross-checking Crosby. Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Letang and Steve Sulliv tane the ice. neal is pretty much setting

9:22: Crosby coasts to the slot  off the right wing with the puck and deals a nifty pass to Malkin in the right circle Malkin uncorks a one-timer which hits the near post.

8:58: Letang drives a slapper from the top of the slot. Despite traffic, Nilsson kicks it out.

8:01: Jurcina's minor is killed. The Penguins generate a few chances there.

6:37: Dupuis chips a little wrister from the right wing along the goal line into Nilsson. Nilsson shrugs it off.

5:29: Malkin controls the puck behind the net and loses it on a poke check by Jurcina. Malkin tries to reclaim it and is leveled by Jurcina.

3:42: Letang chops a slapper from the right point. It hits a body in front.

3:31: First game back and Crosby is setting up Bobby Orrpik for goals? Okay. Why not. Dupuis dives at the blue line to keep a puck int h offensive zone. Crosby reclaims it in the right circle. He deals a backhanded pass to Orpik at the top of the slot. Orpik winds up and blasts a slapper which flies by Nilsson's blocker and into the cage. What a rocket. What a play by Dupuis to keep that in. The "Woo Hoo" song is played. Crosby and Dupuis get assists. Penguins 2-0.

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3:07: Tavares is called for hooking Matt Cooke. Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Letang and Sullivan take the ice.

1:19: Kennedy recovers a loose puck in the right circle and tries to jam it in under Nilsson but can't beat the rookie's glove hand.

1:07: The Tavares minor is killed. Not much going on there for the Penguins.

0:41: Jordan Staal deals a pass out of hte left wing corner of the Islanders zone to the slot. Michalek is there and snaps off a wrister. Nilsson kicks it out.

0:30: The Penguins get another power play as Parenteau is nabbed for interference. Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Sullivan and Letang take the ice.

0:12: Letang winds up a and cranks a slapper from the left point. Nielsen flops down and blocks it.

0:00: End of period. Penguins 2, Islanders 0.

FIRST INTERMISSION

-What a triumphant comeback. He looks like he hasn't missed a beat despite his debilitating injury. He's heads and shoulders above everyone else. Zbynek Michalek is back folks.

-This Crosby guy ain't bad either.

-In all seriousness, Crosby looked like he was let out of a cage tonight. He's taking out 11 months of frustration on the poor Islanders. His pace is light years ahead of everyone else.

-On seven shifts, Crosby has 7:10 of ice time, four shots, a goal, an assist and is plus-2.

-Crosby's linemates look like they haven't missed a beat either. Dupuis and Kunitz are perfect foils for Crosby.

-Michalek has been hard to notice, and that's probably good for him.

-The Penguins lead the game in shots, 12-9.

-Crosby leads the game with four shots.

-Streit leads the Islanders with two.

-Letang leads the game with 9:15 of ice time.

-MacDonald leads the Islanders with 8:41.

-The Penguins have a 10-8 lead in faceoffs (56 percent).

-Crosby is 5 for 7 (71 percent).

-Bailey is 3 for 3 (100 percent).

-Martin leads the game with two blocked shots.

-No one eles has more than one.

SECOND PERIOD

20:00: The Penguins will have 1:30 of power-play time to start the period on fresh ice. Malkin, Crosby, Neal, Sullivan and Neal take the ice.

19:12: Malkin cranks a one-timer form the right half wall. Crosby is just to the left of the crease and re-directs a the shot on net. Nilsson kicks it out with his left leg.

19:07: Neal is called for high sticking Mark eaton. Four on four for 15 seconds.

18:33: MacDonald is sent off for hooking Kunitz. Four on three for three seconds.

18:30: The Parenteau minor is killed. Four on four for 1:23.

17:07: The Neal minor is killed. The Penguins will have 34 second of power-play time.

18:16: Bylsma sends Malkin and Crosb you four on four. Malkin gains the offensive zone on the left wing and deals a pass to Crosby trailing on the right wing. Crosby hammers aone-timer which Nilsson denies.

16:56: Letang is in deep below the Islanders' goal line and flicks a feed to the crease. Crosby is right in the blue paint hacking away but cant' beat Nilsson. Jurcina steps in and moves Crosby out of the crease.

16:43: Crosby cranks a one-timer from above the right circle. Pandolfo and Jurcina each challenge and take a tumble trying to block it. Crosby recovers and deals to Letang above the left circle. Letang fires a one-timer wide on the near side, presumably to set up Malkin down low to the right of the cage. Malkin is able to controls it and tuck it behind the right leg of Nilsson. What a pretty goal. The "Woo-Hoo!" song is played. So is the "Malkamania" video. Letang and Crosby get assists. The power play is humming along. Penguins 3-0.

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14:45: Staal snaps off a wrister from the left circle. Nilsson gloves it.

14:07: So pretty. Just pretty. Sullivan leads a rusho uot of the defensive zone on the left wing. He taps a pass to Neal in the neutral zone. Neal deals to Malkin on the left wing. Malkin gains the offensive zone and deals the pass back to Sullivan streaking towards the net. Sullivan gets behind Bailey and re-driects the pass behind Nilsson's left leg. Nilsson has no chance tonight. The "Woo-Hoo" song is winded.  Penguins 4-0.

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12:03: Kennedy grips and rips a heavy wrister from the slot. Nilsson fends it off.

11:44: Play is halted as former Penguin Mark eaton is on all fours in the Pengins' zone. An athletic trainer attends to him. Eaton eventually recovers to his skates and heads to the bench gingerly. Replays show Cooke hitting him low. The collision appeared to be accidental.

10:39: Orpik corrals a puck at the left poitn and chucks it towards the net. Kennedy is in front and re-directs it on net. Nilsson hangs with the play and eats it up.

9:30: Crosby take a pass in the slot and backhands it to Kunitz cutting into the crease. Kuntiz can't take the pass cleanly and kicks it to the left wing corner. Crosby follows up on the rebound and whips it at the cage. Nilson is able to stretch to his right and punch it otu with his blocker

9:15: Attendance is announced as 18,571. It is the team's 219th consecutive sellout.

8:06: Tavares coasts up the left wing and snaps off a wrister. Fleury knocks it down and freezes play.

7:28: On a delayed penalty, MacDonald hammers a loose puck on net from the top of the slot. Fleury kicks it out. Arron Asham is sent off for hooking Steve Staios.  Dupuis, Staal, Orpik and Michalek take the ice.

6:46: Orpik clips Parenteau on the blue line with a nice check.

5:28: The Penguins kill off Asham's minor. They allowed nothing to the Islanders.

5:08: Crosby steals a puck off Parenteau on the left wing boards of the neutral zone, races into the offensive zone and flings a backhander at the cage from the slot. Nilsson punches it away.

4:35: Letang flings a wrister on net from the left half wall. Nilsson fights it off and tries to cover the rebound. Kunitz in in tight battling for hit but can't get a clean stick on it.

2:09: Malkin races after ap uck in the left wing corner and whips it to the crease. Adams is streaking in getting hooked up by MacDonald. MacDonald ends up crashing into Nilsson and knocks off his lid with a punch to the head. Somehow, the officials decide Adams is the guilty party.That's as bad of a bogus penalty as you'll ever see. Staal, Dupuis, Orpik and Michalek take the ice.

1:57: Streit winds up and cranks a big slapper from the right point. Fleury kicks it out with a "thump."

1:30: Streit takes a pass at the right point, fakes a slapper and deals a little pass to Rolston in the left circle. Rolston snaps off a wrister. Fleury knocks it dead and freezes play.

0:11: Nielsson hustles into the offensive zone and rips a wrister on net from the lot. Fleury gloves it easily.

0:09: The Adams minor is killed. The Islanders generated a few nice chances there.

0:00: End of period. Penguins 4, Islanders 0.

SECOND INTERMISSION

-More of the same that period. The Penguins are dominating play. The Islanders look completely overwhelmed through two periods.

-Crosby continued to look a step ahead of everyone else on the ice.

-The Penguins' special teams have rebounded in a big way tonight. They're perfect on the penalty kill and they've managed to scrape out a power-play goal.

-Fleury has been strong. The Islanders have put several quality shots on net and Fleury has not had to battle them at all.

-Crosby has 11:41 of ice time on 15 shifts. He had 7:10 in the first period and only 4:31 in the second.

-The Penguins have a 27-20 lead in shots.

-Crosby leads the game with six.

-Tavares leads the Islanders with four.

-Letang leads the game with 17:26 of ice time.

-MacDonald leads the Islanders with 16:27.

-The Penguins have a 27-21 lead in faceoffs (56 percent).

-Crosby is 11 for 17 (65 percent).

-Bailey is 6 for 9 (67 percent).

-Martin, Letang, Streit and Pandolfo each lead the game with two blocked shots.

THIRD PERIOD

19:09: Cooke spins and fires a blind slapper from the left circle. Nilsson makes the save but leaves a big fat rebound sitting to this left in the crease. Staal follows it up and juuuust taps it wide.

17:54: Is it too early to start engraving the Art Ross Trophy? Crosby hustles after a loose puck behind the cage. Despite getting knocked down and hacked by Jurcina, he battles for possession and moves it along the left wing boards. He whips a fluttering backhander from the wall which glances off the left thigh of Staios and deflects by Nilsson's glove hand. What an ugly but pretty goal. Dupuis and Michalek get assists. The "Woo Hoo!" song will get a maintenance day tomorrow.  Penguins 5-0.

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14:12: Whoa. Hamonic and Asham race for a puck behind the Islanders' net. Asham hammers Hamonic into the boards and the glass plops out on top of Asham. Play is halted to repair it. That was impressive and funny at the ame time.

13:13: Letang corrals a loose puck at the right poitn and swats a slapper at the cage. It hits a body or stick in front and bounces around before Nilsson covers it.

12:25: Fleury doesn't want to be outdone tonight. Nielsen gains the offensive zone with speed won the slot and deals a pass to Grabner wide on the left wing. Grabner has a little space and snaps off a nasty wrister to the far side. Fleury stretches out and gloves the shot with a dazzling glove save. "FLERRR-EEEE!" chants rain down.

12:04: Crosby nearly got a hat trick. Kunitz snaps off a heavy wrister from the left circle. Nilsson makes the save and allows a rebound to this right. Crosby is there but can't make contact with the puck.

11:56: Crosby recovers the rebound, circles around the back of the net, turns in the right circle and whips a rising wrister. Nilsson fends it off.

9:54: Michalek's return takes a sour tone as he's sent off for holding Tavares at the red line near the penalty boxes. Orpik, Martin, Staal and Cooke take the ice.

9:50: Rolston has a slapper at the left point blocked by Cooke's stick.

8:49: There's no way Crosby isn't getting the first star tonight. But Fleury's sure trying his darnes to steak it. Grabner caosts up the left wing and centers a pass to the slo. Nielsen is there to re-direct it on net. Fleury steals it with another nice glove save.

8:10: Tough spot for the Penguins here as Staal is called for hooking David Ullstrom. Five on three for 16 seconds. Adams, Cooke, and Orpik tahe tice

8:03: Jurcina pounces a one-timer from the left poinw wide on the near side

7:54: Michalek's minor is killed. The Islanders still have 1:44 of power-play time.

7:05: Streit hammers a dump in from center ice behind the Penguins' net. Fleury collects it and flings it back down ice for a clear.

6:27: Macdonwlas chops a half one-timer from the right point. Cooke challenges and blocks it kicking it down ice.

6:10: The Staal minor is killed. Marvelous effort by the Penguins' penalty kill.

6:00: After an icing call against his team, Dan Bylsma calls a time out.

5:27: Malkin whips a heavy wrister from the slot. Jurcina blocks it.

5:09: Another penalty for the Penguins as Kunitz is sent off for tripping Chris Kunitz for tripping Tavares.

4:54: Macdonald hammers a one-timer from the right circle. Fleury kicks it to theright wing corner.

4:16: Matt Moulson deals a pass from the left circle to above the crease. Parenteau is there but taps it juuuust wide to the right of the cage.

3:22: Adams chips the puck down ice essentially killing off the rest of Kunitz's minor.

2:24: Crosby deals a littl pass from the right of the cage for Malkin approaching in the left circle. Malkin snaps off a wrister which Nilsson fights off.

1:36: Kuntiz collects a loose puck in the left circle, swoops behind a cluster of bodies and taps a little shot down low. Nilsson kicks it out.

1:11: "CROSSS-BEE! CROSS-BEE!"

0:11: The remaining fans in the building stand and applaud their team's effort.

0:00: End of game. Mike Lange informs us of Elvis' whereabouts. That lame "PITTTTSBURRGGH" song is played. Penguins 5, Islanders 0.

POSTGAME

-So... that was pretty good for the first time out right?

-What a show. What a preformance. Sidney Crosby had the largest stage in the sport for one night and he came through with a virtuoso performance.

-It might be corny to draw the comaparison, but it's difficult to ignore the parralels between Crosby's comeback game versus Mario Lemieux's comeback game from his retirement Dec. 27, 2000. Both were resounding 5-0 wins. Both comeback players got a handful of points. And both games will be "where-were-you" moments for hockey fans.

-Killjoy Alert: The Islanders stink. They have been shutout in consecutive games by a combined 11-0 score. Let's not get too overboard over this win. The Penguins beat up a bad team with a rookie goaltender making his first NHL start.

-Special teams were key here. The Penguins shut the door on the penalty kill after giving up two goals each in their previous two games. And after failing to draw squat in their last two games on the power play, the Penguins scraped out a goal on the power play going 1 for 3.

-Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz get grief all the time for not being "real" scoring wingers for Crosby. But they have real chemistry with Crosby. They might not be your ideal 30-goal snipers, but they know how to play with him. And the experiments of Nils Ekman, Colby Armstrong, Jani Rita, Miroslav Satan and other have taught us that finding a good fit with Crosby is hardly an easy accomplishment. The chemistry Crosby has with Dupuis and Kunitz was very much on display tonight.

-It was interesting to see how the team limited Crosby's ice time as the game went on. His shifts looked like this by period:

-First period - 7:10 of ice time on seven shifts.
-Second period – 4:31 of ice time on eight shifts.
-Third period – 4:13 of ice time on six shifts.

-Clearly there wasn't much incentive from a competitive standpoint to keep him out there as the game wore on so the coaching staff let up on the gas.

-Totally overshadowed by Crosby-Fest was Fleury's shutout. He was sensational, especially late when the Islanders had a few power plays to work with. He had to turn away several quality scoring chances down low. He now has 21 career shutouts. Only Tom Barrasso (22) has more.

-Zbynek Michalek was solid in his return but hardly spectacular. But that's generally his type of game. You only notice him if he screws up generally. And he didn't screw up outside his minor against John Tavares late.

-Mark Eaton left the game in the second period due to a sprained MCL following his collision with Matt Cooke.

-The Penguins had a 36-29 advantage in shots.

-Crosby led the game with eight.

-Tavares led the Islanders with six.

-Mark Streit led the game with 26:24 of ice time.

-Kris Letang led the Penguins with 24:09.

-Faceoffs were tied, 34-34 (50 percent).

-Crosby was 14 for 21 (67 percent).

-Tavares was 15 for 23 (65 percent).

-Cooke and Jay Pandolfo each led the game with three blocked shots.

-Dupuis moved past Dave Burrows and Al McDonough for 60th place on the franchise's all-time scoring list. Dupuis and Burrows each have 132 points but Dupuis (53) has more goals than Burrows (24). McDonough has 130 points.

-Game summary.

-Event summary.

-Highlights: