Penguins at Maple Leafs - 02-01-12

-Brent Johnson is getting a start tonight. It's his first since... well forever. He hasn't played very well this season. This is a big night for him.

-Ben Lovejoy is in the line up tonight in place of Deryk Engelland who might be a little dinged up. Lovejoy has some slightly better wheels than Engelland and he might offer a little better match-up against the Maple Leafs' fleet skating forwards.

-The Penguins' starters are Craig Adams, Matt Cooke, the great Joe Vitale, Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik and Brent Johnson.

-Their scratches are Arron Asham, Deryk Engelland and the newly acquired Cal O'Reilly.

-The Maple Leafs' scratches are Tyler Bozak, Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, Cody Franson, John-Michael Liles and James Reimer.

-Their scratches are Darryl Boyce, Mike Komisarek and Jay Rosehill.

-Root Sports provides your lines and defensive pairings:

-The Penguins are wearing black on the road after wearing white at home last night.

FIRST PERIOD

20:00: As the game starts, Root Sports' feed has some issues and we get a generic "test pattern" type of screen. This happens far too frequently.

19:26: Someone is wearing The great Joe Vitale's jersey:

18:35: Tyler Kennedy sneaks up the right wing, winds up and chops a slapper which clanks off the cross bar.

17:48: The Short, Old Men line creates a chance with its skating as Matt Cooke forces a turnover on the left wing wall of the Toronto zone. That results in a chance in tight for Park. Reimer kicks it out.

16:47: Colin McDonald gets a chance with some space in the left circle and snaps off a wrister wide to the far side.

16:23: Clarke MacArthur is called for tripping Chris Kunitz in the neutral zone. Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Kunitz, Letang and Steve Sullivan take the ice.

15:29: Neal whips a kind of fade-away shot from the left circle which hits a body in front.

14:35: Letang slams Kulemin to the ice inside the Toronto blue line. Officials rule Letang boarded him. We'll have four on four for 12 seconds.

14:23: MacArthur's minor is killed. The Maple Leafs will have 1:48 of power-play time.

13:07: Cooke gets loose on the right wing, hustles towards the cage, fights off a check from Tim Connolly and flings a backhander on net. Reimer traps it against his body for the save.

12:35: Letang returns to the ice. The Maple Leafs did little with that chance.

11:34: Brooks Orpik winds up and chops a slapper from the left point which is off the mark.

10:42: After Kulemin takes a spill in the right wing corner, Sullivan picks up a loose puck on the right wing boards and deals an immediate pass to Park in the slot. Park swats the feed on net. Reimer eats it up. The Short, Old Men are creating offense.

7:54: Johnson gets his first test as John-Michael Liles booms a slapper from the left point. It hits a body in front. David Steckel recovers the rebound and snaps off a wrister to the far side which Johnson fights off with his left shoulder.

6:45: Letang gets mixed up in a puck battle in the right winc corner as Orpik and Kessel mix it up. Kessle stick comes up and clips Letang in the nose. Letang is on the ice on all fours. Play is halted. Letang eventually recovers to his feet and barks at an official for missing the call. Letang is bleeding from the nose. That should be a "four-minuter" for high sticking.

5:55: Carl Gunnarsson snaps off a wrister from the top of the slot through traffic and wide to the right of the cage.

5:16: From the left point, Niskanen snaps off a wrister which hits a body or two and clinks off the left post.

4:36: From the right wign wall of the Toronto zone, Jeffrey recovers a loose puck and taps a pass to Kennedy at the slot. Kennedy guns a one-timer wide of the cage.

3:39: Liles cranks a one-timer from the right circle on net. Johnson eats it up.

1:55: After a poor clearing attempt by Lovejoy in the right wing corner, Joey Crabb has two chances in front of the crease. Johnson denies the both. The rebound on the second shot sneaks behind Johnson. Lovejoy is Johnny-On-The-Spot and punches it out of the blue pain with his right hand.

1:34: Jeffrey pushes the puck through the neutral zone, into the offensive zone, cuts through Liles and Franson and has a clean look at the net. he snaps off a wrister which misses the cage. He needs to bury that.

0:18: Steve Sullivan (5-foot-8, 161 pounds) pounds Dion Phaneuf (6-foot-3, 214 pounds) into the Maple Leafs' bench with a solid hit.

0:06: Grabovski leans down for a loose puck in the neutral zone and is leveled by Letang with a shoulder hit. Wow.

0:02: Cooke drives the puck deep on the right wing, and taps a backhanded pass to Park in the right cicle. Park cranks a one-timer which Reimer kicks out as time expires.

0:00: End of period. Maple Leafs 0, Penguins 0.

FIRST INTERMISSION

-That was a complete 180 from the first period the Penguins played last night. They weren't overwhelmed by the Maple Leafs speed. They looked a lot more confident. And they possessed the puck a lot more in the Maple Leafs' zone.

-Brent Johnson was sharp. The Maple Leafs had a handful of quality scoring chances and he was up to the challenge.

-The Short, Old Men line has produced three quality scoring chances with skating. Additionally Sullivan and Cooke seem to be under Phaneuf's skin.

-The Maple Leafs have an 8-4 lead in shots.

-The Penguins officially recorded 14 missed shots.

-Park leads the game with three.

-Mike Brown, Crabb and Steckel each lead the Maple Leafs with two.

-Letang leads the game with 8:26 of ice time.

-Phaneuf leads the Maple Leafs with 8:07.

-The Maple Leafs lead in faceoffs, 10-5 (67 percent).

-Steckel is 3 for 4 (75 percent).

-The great Joe Vitale is 2 for 3 (67 percent).

-Zbynek Michalek, Niskanen and Mike Brown each lead the game with two blocked shots.

-Tie Domi. Pittsburgh Penguin:

FIRST PERIOD

19:45: Lupul chucks a wrister from above the right circle at the cage. Johnson kicks it out to the left circle. Liles jumps on it and pounds a one-timer on net which Johnson fights off. Kessel is right there for the rebound to the left of the crease but can't beat Johnson's right leg.

18:43: The Penguisn go to the net and cash in. Malkin just outworks Franson for a puck and strips it off him in the left wing corner of the Tornto zone, He spins off a check from Grabovski on the goal line and flings a backhander at Reimer. Reimer fights it off initially but can't prevent Kunitz from striking the puck into the net with his left skate. Officials rule it a goal on the ice but immediately go to a video review. They rule he kicked in the puck. It's a legit call. No goal.

16:56: Craig Adams has a wrister from the left circle blocked in front by Liles.

15:57: Letang is able to sneak his way into the offensive zone and snaps off a wrister which is off the mark.

15:42: Kunitz fumbles a puck on the right wing wall of the defensive zone. Grabovski is all over and steals the puck, cuts to the slot and lifts a wrister. Johnson fights it off. Grabovski recovers the rebound and flings it at the cage from the left circle. Letang blocks that chance.

12:54: Grabovski settles a loose puck in the right circle and snaps it wide to the far side.

11:25: Martin takes a pass above the left circle and chops a slapper wide to the far side.

11:08: Mike Brown takes a run at Cooke in the left wing corner of the Maple Leafs' zone. Cooke dodges the "meat" of the hit and appears to slash Brown afterwards. Brown tries to invite Cooke into a fight and even drops a glove. Cooke declines. No calls.

8:56: Martin drives a slapper from the left point. Reimer eats it up.

8:26: After losing the puck, Malkin tries to get it back by putting an improvised Heimlick maneuver on MacArthur. That's two minutes for holding. Adams, Pascal Dupuis, Michalek and Orpik take the ice.

7:05: Liles chops a slapper from the right circle. Johnson eats it up despite traffic. Lupul gives a jab to Johnson hoping for a rebound. Michalek clears him out of the way.

6:26: Malkin's minor is killed. The Maple Leafs did little with their chance.

5:07: Jake Gardiner chops a slapper from the left point. Johnson fights it off.

4:12: Malkin gets a chance in tight but taps a shot just over the cage from 10 feet in front of the net.

3:19: Kennedy holds the puck in the right circle and rips a wrister on net. Reimer knocks it dead and covers.

2:48: Dupuis booms a slapper from the left circle wide of hte cage.

2:07: Luke Schenn flings a wrister from the right point. It hits something front but Johnson is able to still fight it off.

2:00: Schenn booms a slapper from above the right circle. Johnson eats it up.

1:36: McDonald settles a loose puck ont he right wing and flings a wrister on net from a tough angle. Reimer eats it up.

1:09: Malkin tries to jam in a puck from the right of the cage but Reimer holds it out.

0:16: Matthew Lombardi trips Letang in the right circle of the Penguins' zone. No call.

0:00: End of period. Maple Leafs 0, Penguins 0.

SECOND INTERMISSION

-The officiating has been brutal in this game. They are letting everything go. It's like a rugby match. Combine that with the fact that these teams played last night and you're getting an ugly game.

-Letang has been getting abused throughout the night. He deserves a day off tomorrow.

-Johnson continues to be sharp. The Maple Leafs have had a fair amount of quality chances and Johnson has been strong.

-The Maple Leafs have a 17-16 lead in shots.

-Park, Malkin and Liles each lead the game with three shots.

-Phaneuf leads the game with 17:40 of ice time.

-Oprik leads the Penguins with 16:16.

-The Maple Leafs have a 17-12 lead in faceoffs (59 percent).

-Bozak is 6 for 9 (67 percent).

-The great Joe Vitale is 3 for 4 (75 percent).

-Niskanen and Michalek each lead the game with three blocked shots.

-Schenn, Lombardi, Lupul and Liles each lead the Maple Leafs with two.

THIRD PERIOD

18:52: Kunitz drives a slapper from the left circle. Reimer fights it off. Malkin is there for the rebound to the right of the crease but can't settle it enough to get a shot off.

17:22: Armstrong runs over former teammate Orpik in the left wing corner of the Penguins' zone.

16:09: Malkin has a chance to the right of the crease. Lupul dives down to poke check it away before the shot can be taken.

15:21: MacArthur pounds a slapper from the left wing. Johnson swats it away.

15:17: Grabovski trips up Park in the Penguins' zone. That's two minutes. Malkin, Neal, Kunitz, Letang and Sullivan take the ice.

14:27: Letang taps a pass to Neal in the right circle. Neal chops a one-timer. Reimer reads the play perfectly and kicks it away.

13:56: Malkin pounds a slapper from the left point. Reimer kicks it out.

13:52: Malkin fires a one-timer from above the right circle. Reimer eats it up.

13:21: Martin strikes a slapper from the right wing wall. Reimer fights it off.

12:37: Off a rush, Adams takes a pass in the right circle and flings a wrister to the far side. Reimer gets a piece of it with his blocker.

12:31: In transition, Lupul snaps off a wrister from the right circle which Johnson fights off.

11:40: Armstrong tries to push the puck into the offensive zone and is rattle on a body check by Letang.

11:33: Lovejoy fumbles a dump in at his blue line. Grabovski jumps all over it and creates a mini-breakaway. He tries to flip it to his forehand but loses the puck before he can shoot.

11:22: Letang is called for slashing Grabovski. A big two minutes. Dupuis, Michalek, Orpik and the great Joe Vitale take the ice.

11:18: Liles booms a slapper from the top of the slot. It hits something in front and trickles juuuusssttt wide.

10:47: Orpik slashes Kessel's stick in half. No call. Just brutal officiating.

9:29: Martin chops a loose puck from the right wing corner of the Penguins' zone to the neutral zone and essentially kills off the rest of Letang's minor.

8:00: Martin chops a half  slapper from the left point. Reimer fights it off.

6:47: Dupuis fights off a check and throws a wrister at the cage from the left of the crease. Reimer covers to freeze play.

6:21: Orpik chucks a wrister from the left point. Neal cuts through the slot and appears to re-direct it a bit. It clanks off the cross bar.

6:05: Finally some offense. Kulemin pushes the puck up the left wing, pulls up and taps a little feed to Grabovski. Grabovski distributes to MacArthur in the right circle. MacArthur settles it with his skates, takes it with his forehand and goes wide on his forehand by Johnson who challenges the shot heavily. MacArthur is able to pushe it into the cage by Johnson's stick. A great move. MacArthur is a Penguins killer. He has five points in three games against them this season. Grabovski and Kulemin get assists. Maple Leafs 1-0.

{youtube width="465" height="266"}FJd3AEj7yXk{/youtube}

(What an awful goal song.)

5:01: Michalek is called for interfering with Lupul in the neutral zone. That's a penalty by the book but the officials have allowed a lot worse without a penalty tonight. This is a huge two minutes. Orpik, Dupuis, the great Joe Vitale and Martin take the ice.

3:38: Franson rips a wrister from the right point. Johnson gloves it.

3:10: Kessel has a wrister from the left circle blocked by Letang.

2:39: Phanef fires a shot from above the right circle. It hits a body or two and skids in on net. Johnson is able to glove it.

1:35: Armstrong picks up a loose puck in the left wing corner and drives to the cage. Johnson holds it out.

1:28: Gardiner booms a slapper from the left point. It hits Steckel who tumbles in the slot.

0:55: Johnson is pulled for an extra attacker.

0:36: Dan Bylsma calls time out to get something organized.

0:34: Off a faceoff win by Malkin the left circle, Dupuis booms a one-timer from left circle

0:03: Neal has a slapper in the left circle blocked by Steckel.

0:00: End of game. Maple Leafs 1, Penguins 0.

POSTGAME

-It wasn't going to last forever. The Penguins were going to lose eventually. They didn't get the breaks they got last night and lost a pretty tight game. There's no shame in this loss.

-It's amazing how this sport can change in one series of events. Late in the game, Orpik chucks a wrister which Neal re-directs off the cross bar. Very close to a goal. The Leafs take the puck in transition, make a nifty passing play and take a 1-0 lead which ultimately holds up. If Neal scores, the Penguins probably have their ninth consecutive win. In addition to just playing well, you have to get lucky bounces sometimes in order to win.

-The biggest positive for the Penguins in this game has to be the effort Brent Johnson gave. He has not has a good season and he hasn't played much in the past month. He needed a game like this to show he's still capable of giving Fleury a little rest before the playoffs. He responded to the challenge in a big way. He deserve a better fate tonight.

-In no way was the officiating to blame for the result tonight, but it was brutal. The officials pulled out a rule book from 1998-99 and called the game like we were right smack dab in the "Dead Puck" era. This was horrendous to watch. It was like rugby. It was garage league.

-Give the Maple Leafs credit. They took away the space the Penguins could world with. Especially for the top line of Chris Kunitz, Evgnei Malkin and James Neal. Every inch of ice had to be earned.

-Last night's effort notwithstanding, the Penguins need more secondary scoring. The top line can't do everything. The second line of Tyler Kennedy, Dustin Jeffrey and Pascal Dupuis needs to do more. This is why the team brought in Cal O'Reilly.

-Paul Martin was infinitely better tonight. That said, the bar was set very low last night.

-MacArthur is a Penguin killer. He has seven points in his last five game against the penguins.

-The Penguins had a 25-24 edge in shots.

-Malkin led the game with four shots.

-Colby Armstrong and John-Michael Liles each led the game with three shots.

-Dion Phaneuf led the game with 27:49 of ice time.

-Letang led the Penguins with 25:00 of ice time.

-The Maple Leafs controlled faceoffs, 28-19 (60 percent).

-David Steckel was 9 for 12 (75 percent).

-Malkin was 9 for 17 (53 percent).

-Zbynek Michalek led the game with five blocked shots.

-Steckel led the Maple Leafs with three.

-The last Maple Leafs goaltender to get a shutout against the Penguins was Mikael Tellqvist in a 1-0 win, March 19, 2006. That was the same night the lights repeatedly went out in the Civic Arena. Fans were chanting "New A-REN-A!"

{youtube width="465" height="345"}LGHHgMQnlMc{/youtube}

-Game summary.

-Event summary.