Penguins at Hurricanes - 12-03-11

PREGAME

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First things first. Simon Despres made his NHL debut Thursday. He became the seventh player in franchise history to wear No. 47. His predecessors:

Chris Ferraro
Maxim Galanov
Kent Manderville
Michal Sivek
Micki DuPont
Tim Brent

-It's might not be a stretch to suggest Despres is already the best No. 47 in franchise history.

-Dan Bylsma and Dan Potash are all business sans the 'staches:

15:19: Ruutu and Skinner each have a chance in tight but Johnson covers the puck.

15:00: Alexei Ponikarovsky has a pass in the offensive zone stolen by Bortuzzo in the slot. Bortuzzo calmly one-touches it to Malkin on the left wing and Malkin skates it out of danger. What a nice, calm, composed play by Bortuzzo.

14:40: Bryan Allen feeds a pass from the left half wall into the slot. Jokinen one-touches it on net. Johnson holds it out. Tough save.

13:07: Andreas Nodl swats a loose puck at the top of the slot at the net. Johnson eats it up despite Eric Staal moving through the slot on a screen. Coming back from commercial, new Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller might needed remined that he's coaching the home team tonight:

11:50: Kunitz pushes the puck up ice into the offensive zone on the right wing. He pulls up and taps a pass to Deryk Engelland moving into the offensive zone. Engelland drives a one-timer which misses the net to the left. Paul Martin follows up on the rebound off the end boards and chops it on net. Boucher eats it up.

11:09: Steve Sullivan races up the right wing and drives a slapper on net. Boucher kicks it out.

11:01: Martin swats a shot from the left point. It hits a body in front and deflects wide.

10:59: Broadcaster Bob Errey mentions that Matt Cooke is absent from the bench.

10:07: Jussi Jokinen sneaks a cross ice pass from the right wing corner to Chad LaRose in the left circle. LaRose leans down and swats a shot on net. Johnson slides to his right and fights it off. Tough save.

9:03: Ruutu dumps the puck into the offensive zone from the boards in front of the benches near the red line. Brooks Orpik steps up and slams him into the boards.

8:09: Gleason smacks a slapper from the right point. It hits a stick in front and deflects away.

6:48: Eric Staal pushes the puck up the right wing one-on-one with Bortuzzo. Bortuzzo goes stick on puck and knocks it away.

5:41: Ruutu pushes the puck up the left wing and snaps off a wrister to the far side. Johnson gloves it.

4:06: Skinner backhands a pass from the left wing corner to the slot. Despres is there. He steals it and one-touches it to Tyler Kenned with his backhand. Kennedy skates it out of hte defensive zone. Another nice, composed play from a rookie.

3:13: Patrick Dwyer drives the puck into the offensive zone one-on-one with Martin. Martin knocks it away with a stick on puck.

3:05: Allen booms a slapper from the left point. Johnson knocks it dead.

2:26: Craig Adams was a Hurricane:

1:37: From the left circle, Kunitz snaps off a centering pass. Dupuis drives up the slot but juuuuusssttt misses redirecting the puck on net.

0:54: Ponikarovsky moves the puck up the right wing. Engelland forces him to go deep into the corner. They battle for the puck. Engelland sticks the former Penguin on his backside. What a play.

0:03: Martin lugs the puck up the right wing out of his zone. Dwyer challenges him and ends up holding up Martin. That's two minutes. Tough time to take a penalty. Malkin, Martin, Crosby, James Neal and Sullivan take the ice.

0:00: End of period. Hurricanes 0, Penguins 0.

FIRST INTERMISSION

-That was a fairly entertaining period despite the lack of scoring. Both team skated the puck quite a bit. Each team fired plenty of shots. And there weren't too many whistles.

-Kunitz was everywhere that period. He was a terror on the forecheck. He was responisble on the backcheck. And he even managed to create a few offensive chances.

-Martin had a very strong period. He managed to make several subtle, little plays in his zone to get the puck out of danger.

-Despres and Bortuzzo were smart and safe.

-The Hurricanes have a 12-7 lead in shots.

-Sullivan, Allen, Gleason, Ruutu, Tomas Kaberle and Eric Staal each lead the game with two.

-Engelland leads the game with 10:03 of ice time.

-Eric Staal leads the Hurricanes with 7:58.

-The Hurricanes have a 7-5 edge in faceoffs (58 percent).

-Eric Staal is 5 for 7 (71 percent).

-Crosby was 3 for 6 (50 percent).

-Allen and Engelland each lead the game with two blocked shots.

-Brooks Orpik didn't look like he was in a mood for any hijinks from Dan Potash:

16:35: Bortuzzo controls the puck behind his own net while being hounded by Jiri Tlusty. He skates away from Tlusty and gets the puck out of danger. Nice, subtle play.

16:13: Cooke lifts a wrister from the left wing. Boucher knocks it down and covers.

15:55: Skinner challenges Engelland one-on-one on the left wing. Engelland goes stick on puck and knocks it away.

15:20: Kunitz takes a drop pass from Crosby in the right circle. He grips and rips a wrister. Boucher kicks it to the opposite boards.

14:32: Malkin takes a one-touch pass from Neal in the neutral zone and flies into the offensive zone. He splits Joslin and Kaberle and attacks the net. He taps a low wrister on net. Boucher makes the save. Malkin whacks at the rebound. Boucher covers to freeze play.

13:21: Kennedy snaps off a wrister from the right wing. Allen appears to deflect it wide with his stick.

13:12: Skinner has a clean chance in the left circle. Johnson challenges him heavily above the crease and kicks out a wrister.

12:01: Despres goes in deep on an offensive rush and whips a low wrister on net. Boucher boots it out.

11:30: Kunitz pushes the puck up the left wing on a two-on-one with Adams against Allen. Kunitz moves in on net. Allen slides down and blocks the shot by Kunitz.

11:26: Crosby recovers the rebound off Kunitz' blocked shot, circles out of the left wing corner and flicks a backhander to Adams down low along the goal line on the left wing. Adams one-timers it through the gear of Boucher and into the cage. What a play. Crosby and Kunitz get assists. Adams used to be a Hurricane. Penguins 1-0.

x2.

9:28: Gleason chops a slapper from the left point. Ponikarovsky appears to re-direct it on net. Johnson kicks it out with his left leg.

8:56: Kennedy whips a wrister from the right circle over the cage.

7:36: Dupuis gains the offensive zone on the right wing and deals a cross ice pass to Crosby on the left wing. Crosby  taps a feed to Kunitz driving down the slot. Kunitz re-directs it on net. Boucher holds it out.

7:26: Jamie McBain tries to play a puck behind his net and is leveled by Dupuis.

5:10: Engelland grips and rips a rising wrister from above the right circle. Boucher gloves it and freezes play.

4:35: Whoa! What a play by Orpik! Eric Staal snaps off a wrister from the left circle. It hits a body and trickles behind an out of place Johnson. Skinner is on the back door and has the puck hit him in the legs. He swats at the bouncer but whiffs. Before he can get a second crack, Orpik pokes it out of danger into the left wing corner. What a play!

3:30: Neal has a backhander from in tight kicked out by Boucher.

1:19: What a shot! On a delayed penalty, Joni Pitkanen controls the puck on the right half wall, spins off a check from Arron Asham and deala a pss to McBain at the left point. McBain booms a one-timer which sneks through traffic and pops the twice in the cage. Johnson complains he was interfered with. Officials aren't buying it. Pitkanen and Stewart get assists. Hurricanes 1, Penguins 1.

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1:12: On the ensuing faceoff, Crosby rushes up ice and flicks a backhander on net. Boucher covers to freeze play.

0:53: Skinner appears to trip Engelland in the left wing corner of the Penguins' zone. No call.

0:21: Orpik hits Crosby with a pass at the Carolina blue line Crosby sneaks in off the left wing and snaps off a wrister to the far side. Boucher fends it off with his glove hand.

0:00: End of period. Hurricanes 1, Hurricanes 1.

SECOND INTERMISSION

-The Penguins controlled the bulk of that period. Carolina just popped in one shot at the end and tied it.

-The Penguins had the bulk of puck possession in the Carolina zone for the first 15 minutes or so of the period.

-There really hasn't been a great deal of physical play from either team. It's a far cry from Thursday night.

-The Neal-Malkin-Sullivan line has been quiet.

-The Penguins have a 21-18 lead in shots.

-The Penguins' had a 13-6 advantage in shots that period.

-Crosby and Kunitz each lead the game with four shots.

-Skinner leads the Hurricanes with three.

-The Hurricanes have a 16-11 lead in faceoffs (59 percent).

-Jokinen is 5 for 7 (71 percent).

-Crosby is 5 for 12 (43 percent).

-Allen leads the game with three blocked shots.

-Engelland and Orpik each lead the Penguins with two.

-EN reader @owenvogel spotted a Boba Fett fan at the game:

THIRD PERIOD

18:40ish: Orpik settles a bouncing puck on the left wing and deals a centering pass to Kunitz in the slot. Kunitz cranks a one-timer which Boucher kicks out.

18:00: Dwyer snaps off a backhander from the right the crease wide of the cage.

17:17: Niskanen chops a slapper from the right point. It hits the stick of Nodl and pops into the left wign corner.

16:03:

x3.

15:32: Dupuis chases down a loose puck on the left wing and swats a slapper at the cage. Boucher gloves it.

14:17: Jordan Staal has a wrister from the left circle blocked wide on the near side.

13:35: Kennedy gains the offensive zone on the left wing and chops a slapper. Boucher fends it off.

13:26: Pitkanen goes in deep on the left wing, winds up and cranks a slapper. Niskanen goes stick on puck and deflects it out of play.

12:51: Crosby drives the puck into the offensive zone down the slot. McBain knocks the puck off his stick. It bounces right to Kunitz trailing in the left circle. Kunitz grips and rips it on net. Boucher denies it.

12:50: Broadcaster Paul Steigerwald reports Engelland is out for the rest of the game due to a "lower-body" injury.

12:24: The Penguins fling the puck down ice. Justin Faulk races Sullivan for the icing. The puck hits the ends boards and deflects to the front of the crease. Sullivan lifts Faulk's stick and chops it on net. Boucher is in perfect position for the puck and eats it up. Big save. Faulk owes Boucher a beer.

12:01: LaRose tries to settle a bouncing puck in the neutral zone and is run over by Despres for his troubles.

11:27: The fourth line comes through again. Adams gaisn the offenive zone on the right wing and taps a cross ice pass to Asham above the left circle. Asham takes the pass, moves a bit towards the slot and booms a slapper which toasts Boucher by his glove hand. What a shot. Adams and Martin get assists. Martin gets a plus-1!!!!! Penguins 2-1.

10:49: Jordan Staal and and Ruutu are sent off for slashing minors. Four on four.

10:21: Crosby flicks a backhander from the right circle. Boucher eats it up.

10:05: Pascal Dupuis. Scoring winger. Malkin controls the uck in the right circle, spins off a check from Gleaosn and flings a backhander on net. Boucher makes the save. As he's swimming for the rebound, Dupuis fights off a check from Faulk, kicks the puck from his right skate to his stick and swats the puck over the glove of a helpless Boucher. That's Dupuis' eighth goal of the season. Niskanen and Malkin get assists. Penguins 3-1.

9:27: Sullivan is called for roughing Pitkanen. It's a four on three. Adams, Cooke and Orpik take the ice.

8:49: The minors to Jordan Staal and Ruutu are killed.

8:20: Orpik runs over Ruutu in the right wing corner.

8:05: HUGE save. Jokinen blows through the Penguins' defense cutting through a falling Bortuzzo and Martin. He attacks the net and whips a wrister at the cage. Johnson challenges and gloves the shot. Bortuzzo owes Johnson a beer.

7:31: The Hurricanes aren't quitting. Dwyer drives to the net off the left wing, he fends off a poke check from Martin and flings a backhander on net from a bad angle. Johnson challenges and makes the save but allows a rebound. McBain is in deep and taps in the rebound through Johnson's five hole with a backhander. And ugly goal to allow. Penguins 3-2.

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5:42: Kennedy controls the puck behind the cage and sneaks a pass to Jordan Staal just above the crease. Staal chops a shot which Boucher fends off. HUGE save.

4:38: Neal has a wrister from the slot blocked.

4:27: What an effort by James Neal! Niskanen booms a slapper from the left point. Boucher kicks it out despite a screen. Boucher falls backwards as Malkin falls over him. Neal falls down and backhand swats the rebound by the glove of a stretched out Boucher. Officials rule a goal initialy, confer then rule it no goal. They cite goaltening interference by Malkin. What a big break for the Hurricanes.

3:13: Kaberle flips a puck from the red line near the scorers box right into the face of Jordan Staal. Staal is staggered and falls to the ice. Staal stumbles to his skates with assistance of two officials. Athletic trainer Chris Stewart runs out to attend to Staal who has blood dripping from his face to the ice. Staal is helped to the ramp way by Stewart, Cooke and Martin with a towel over his face. Not good.

2:48: McBain settles a puck at the right point and cranks a slapper weellll over the cage.

2:26: This just keeps getting worse for the Penguins as they're called for too many  men on the ice. And Jordan Staal, their best defensive forward is unavailable. Asham will serve the minor. The Hurricanes call a time out. Martin, Adams, Orpik and Dupuis take the ice.

2:06: And it gets EVEN worse. Dupuis hauls down Eric Staal on the faceoff. Staal appeared to grab Dupuis' stick and fall down. A five on three for 1:36. Adams, Orpik and Cooke take the ice.

1:50: Staal drives a one-timer from the right point. It hits a body in front.

1:46: The rebound skids out to Eric Staal. Before he can get to it. Cooke dives and pokes it down ice.

1:34: Boucher is pulled for an extra attacker.

1:13: Ruutu swats a one-timer from the slot. Johnson holds it out. Orpik whips the rebound down ice.

0:56: This is unreal. Cooke trips up Eric Staal inside the Penguins' blue line with a leg on leg hit. Richard Park, Adams and Ropik take the ice.

0:34: Faulk whips a wrister from the slot. It hits a body in front.

0:29: A one-timer by Faulk is blocked by Park.

0:24: Eric Staal has a one-timer blocked by Adams in the right circle.

0:17: OH WOW! Faulk booms a one-timer from the slot. Johnson kicks it out to his right. Jokinen is there and pokes th erebound on net. Johnson stretches to his right and get juuuust a piece of it his with his skate. It glans off the goal post an ddefelcts into the back of Johnson. Johnson reaches back and covers. Orpik dives into the crease to prevent any rebounds. A massive scrum breaks out. What action! Eric Staal and Craig Adams each get roughin minors.

0:08: McBain has a one-timer from the left point blocked by Park.

0:00: End of game. Penguins 3, Hurricanes 2.

POSTGAME

-What hard-fought win for the Penguins. They were without two of their best defensemen to start the game. Then they lose a player in Deryk Engelland who has stepped it up the past three games. And finally they loose their best defensive forward late when his services were needed the most. They gutted it out and earned this win with a marvelous effort.

-The past two games have shown the Penguins can get scoring from secondary sources. It wasn't the "big three" scoring. The Penguins' last five goals were scored by Craig Adams (2), Chris Kunitz, Arron Asham and Pascal Dupuis. Not exactly first-team all-stars. But even when Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin are held relatively quiet in terms of offense, the Penguins find way to keep getting goals.

-The effort by the Penguins defensemen was marvelous. Paul Martin has stepped up his effort the past three games. He has cut down on errors and has made life difficult for any opposing forward to operate in the Penguins' zone. Before his injury Deryk Engelland was all over the ice. Brooks Orpik has been hitting anything in a different colored jersey. And Matt Niskanen has been steady.

-Robert Bortuzzo and Simon Despres have been thrust into a bad situation given the injuries on the blue line and have responded with steady efforts. They're not being asked to save the day and they're not taking chances. Despres probably has the talent to be up and down the ice, but for right now, he's playing a steady unspectacular game and that's what this team needs.

-The penalty kill hasn't been outstanding statistically the past few weeks, but what an effort tonight, especially late. They killed off a six on three to win this game. Dang.

-Brent Johnson was outstanding. He has had some bad luck and a few bad goals this season. Tonight, he earned a win against a desperate team.

-If not for Brian Boucher, this could have been a much more one-sided game. He kept his team in this thing.

-Jamie McBain just steps his game up against the Penguins. He has six points in seven career games against them.

-Per EN associate Dave Molinari, Dan Bylsma said Jordan Staal was "okay." He will be checked for any strutural damage to his face. Bylsma did not specify what Engelland injured.

-Bylsma also said Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek each passed concussion tests. Letang still is suffering from some symptoms.

-The Penguins led in shots, 40-32.

-Crosby led the game with seven shots.

-Jeff Skinner led the Hurricanes with four.

-Martin led the game with 27:50 of ice time.

-Eric Staal led the Hurricanes with 26:57.

-The Hurricanes controlled faceoffs, 31-24 (56 percent).

-Jussi Jokinen was 10 for 15 (67 percent).

-Evgeni Malkin was 7 for 12 (58 percent).

-Orpik, Bryan Allen, Tim Gleason, Brandon Sutter and Tomas Kaberle each led the game with three blocked shots.

-Malkin passed Martin Straka for ninth place on the franchise scoring list. Both have 442 points but Malkin (167) has more goals than Straka (165).

-Johnson earned his 25th career win against the Penguins.

-Game summary.

-Event summary.

-Highlights: