Lightning at Penguins - 02-12-12

FIRST PERIOD

19:32: The Penguins go on the power play immediately as Staal is called for high sticking Lecavalier. Craig Adams, Dustin Jeffrey, Brooks Oprik and Zbynek Michalek take the ice.

18:39: After Victor Hedman is booed for touching the puck, Bruno Gervais is dropped on a nice hip check at the Penguins' blue line by Orpik.

17:32: The Penguins kill off the Staal minor. Tampa Bay little with that power play.

16:56: On a two-on-one aagainst Engelland, former Penguin Dominic Moore deals a pass from the left circle to Tom Pyatt just to the right of the crease. Pyatt seems to have Johnson beat but Kunitz reaches back on a tremendous back check and forces him to miss the puck.

15:56: Staal tries to jam in a backhanded wraparound from the left of the net. Garon holds it out.

14:49: Off a turnover by the Lightning, Kuntiz gets loose on a breakaway. He moves in on net and rips a wrister from the crease wide to the left of the net. He needs to get that on net.

13:51: Michalek gains the offensive zone on the right wing and chucks a wrister on net. Garon gloves it.

12:30: Martin St. Louis tees up a slapper from the left circle. Michalek blocks it and pays a price. He staggers to his feet and skates to the bench with his left leg raised. He stays on the bench as an athletic trainer attends to him.

11:37: Evgeni Malkin moves from behind the net to the right circle and flings a wrister on net. Garon makes the inital save. Kunitz in tight battling for a rebound but can't get it by Garon's stick. Tough save! Malkin controls the rebound behind the cage and deals to Neal in the right circle. Neal puts a one-timer on net which hits a body in front.

10:28: Lecavlaier deas a pass from the left win corner to the slot. Ryan Shannon is there re-direct.

10:11: Michalek returns to the ice. He did not miss a shift.

10:02: Brent Johnson's struggles continue. Steve Downie winds up and blows a pretty simple slapper from above the left circle. Martin reaches out and tips the puck just slightly with a stick on puck. It flutters on net and sneaks under the glove hand of Johnson. Ouch. Martin might have re-directed that a bit but Johnson needs to make that save. Teddy Purcell and Hedman get assists. Lightning 1-0.

9:51: This is like deja vu. Another poor start leads to an early two-goal deficit. Purcell dekes around Letang in the slot and deals a pass from just to the left of the crease to Downie on the back door. Downie crashes in and pokes it in by Johnson's left skate. What a play by Purcell. Letang and Orpik looked awful there. Purcell and Brett Clark get assists. Lightning 2-0.

6:55: Sullivan (5-foot-11, 161 pounds) tries to sneak up the left wing with the puck but is erased off the puck by Pavel Kubina (6-foot-4, 258 pounds).

6:45: A loose puck skids out to Michalek at the right point. He winds up and puts a one-timer on net. Pyatt blocks it.

4:59: Malkin tries to chip a chase a puck from the Tampa Bay Blue line but he's held up by Eric Brewer. No call.

4:35: There's a make up call. Stamkos is called for holding against Malkin. Malkin, Neal, Kunitz, Sullivan and Letang take the ice.

3:45: Wow. Just.... wow. Letang controls the puck at the left point and deals a simpl pass to Malkin in the right circle. Malkin unleashes hell with a one-timer which blows by Garon's blocker. Garon didn't have a prayer on that. Unreal. The "crack" on that shot was special. Letang and Neal get assists. the "Woo-Hoo!" song and the "Malkamania" videos are played. Lightning 2-1.

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3:07: Cooke has a chance from the right circle off  turnover and flings a wrister from the right circle wide to the far side.

2:03: Michalek and Letang are taking a shift together.

1:01: Orpik and Letang are back together.

0:36: Off  turnover by Kunitz, Lecavalier flings a backhanded pass to the slot. Shannon is there but a solid backcheck by Letang breaks up the pass.

0:00: End of period. Lightning 2, Penguins 1.

FIRST INTERMISSION

-That was almost like a repeat of yesterday's first period. The only difference is that the Lightning aren't a poor defensive team like the Jets. They won't give up a million odd-man rushes.

-The Penguins defense continues to give up far too much time and space in its own zone. Matt Niskanen and Deryk Engelland continue to struggle for the third consecutive game.

-We have a hard time blaming Martin for that first goal. It's just a fluky hop.

-The Penguins' power play is pretty much an outright threat now. That's three goals in two games.

-Downie came close but he did not break the Penguins franchise record for two fastest goals by an opposing player. Sylvain Turgeon of the Whalers scored twice in the span of six seconds during a 5-4 home win by the Whalers, March 28, 1987.

-The Penguins have an 8-5 lead in shots.

-Letang, Staal, Downie and Nate Thompson each lead the game with two shots.

-Hedman leads the game with 9:18 of ice time.

-Letang leads the Penguins with 8:11.

-The Lightning has an 11-9 edge in faceoffs (55 percent).

-Staal is 5 for 7 (71 percent).

-Thompson is 2 for 2 (100 percent).

-Michalek leads the game with three blocked shots.

-Pyatt leads the Lightning with two.

SECOND PERIOD

19:22: From the neutral zone, Cooke chips a puck from the neutral zone to the right wing corner of the Tampa Bay zone. Dupuis and Brewer chase after it. Dupuis drops Brewer with a solid check but Brewer is able to get the puck up ice.

19:04: Chris Kunitz. Goal scorer. Kunitz take the puck in the neutral zone, motors to the center of the ice off the left wing, gains the offensive zone, blows right by a stick check from Brett Clark and tucks a forehand shot through the five hole of Garon. What a burst by Kunitz. Wow! Letang and Johnson get assists. Johnson is putting pressure on Marc-Andre Fleury's goaltending assist lead. The "Woo-Hoo!" song is played. Lightning 2, Penguins 2.

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17:32: Niskanen snaps off a wrister from the left point wide of the cage.

16:58: Niskanen and Michalek are working togther. Michalek slides around the offensive zone, behind the net, tot he right wing wall and coast to the top of the slot. he flings a wrister which Garon punches away with his blocker.

16:25: Sullivan snaps off a wrister from the right circle wide of the cage.

16:02: Malkin gainst the offensive zone and pounds a slapper from above the left circle. Garon knocks it dead and covers. After a few dominant shifts by the Penguins, the Lightning call a timeout to break up the momentum.

15:32: What pretty passing. Fighting off a check from above the left circle, Neal taps a pass to Kunitz on the left wing wall. Kunitz snaps off a pass to Letang in the right circle. Letang Rips a wrister which clunks off the blocker of Garon and into the cage. The Penguins are storming the gates right now. Kunitz and Neal get assists.  Th e"Woo-Hoo!" song is played.

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14:38: Off some strong work down low along the boars by Staal, Dupuis has a chance in tight but can't pucn the puck by Garon from the right of the crease.

14:13: Clark snaps off a wrister from the right point. It hits a cluster of bodies in front.

14:05: Off a strong effort by Pyatt behind the net, St. Louis jabs a little wrister on net from the right of the blue paint. Johnson is able to kick it out. Tough save.

13:48: Nisaken controls the puck at the right point, shows a slapper then deals a nifty cross-ice pass to neal in the right circle. Neal kind of "bunts" the shot on net with a half slapper. Garon is able to stretch to his left and make the save.

12:51: Off a turnover by Orpik in the offensive zone, Brett Connelly leads a rush up the right wing boards, cut towards the net and is bodied off the puck by Letang. Thompson keeps up with the play and puts a wrister on net. Johnson fights it off.

12:08: Staal races into the offensive zone,fights off a check from Brewer and lifts a backhander from the right circle. Garon punches it away.

11:10: Off a drop pass from the great Joe Vitale, Cooke has wrister from the right circle blocked by Gervais.

10:11: Park crashes into Garon and knocks him over thansk slight trip by  Gervais. The puck is loose on the right wing and Letang launches a slapper from the right circle. Garon dives for the puck but doesn't have a chance. The official standing to the side of the cage waves the goal off immediately. That's the easiest non-goal call he'll ever make. Garon didn't have a chance to play the puck. No penalty. No goal.

9:06: The auditions for Sidney Crosby's new left wing can begin. There's no way Kunitz is leaving Malkin's line. Kunitz carries the puck into the offensive zone on the right wing on a two-on-one with Malkin against Brewer. Brewer slides down hoping to block a pass but Kunitz is able to sneak it across the slot to Malkin on the back door. Malkin lunges forward and pokes the feed with his forehand by the left skate of Garon. What a goal. The "Woo-Hoo!" song and "Malkamania" videos are played again. This team is rolling. Penguins 4-2.

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9:02: On the ensuing faceoff, Malkin pushes the puck by Stamkos and is tripped up by Kubina. That's two minutes.  Malkin, Letang, Neal, Sullivan and Letang take the ice.

8:46: Letang taps a pass from the left point to Malkin deep on the right wing wall. Malkin blasts a one-timer which Garon kicks out.

8:18: Malkin carries the puck on the offenive zone on the right wing and spins off a check from Hedman with a brilliant move. Wow. He's just having fun at this point.

7:39: Kunitz and Neal each have chances in tight but can't punch it by Garon.

7:02: The Kubina minor is killed. The Penguins had a few chances there.

6:46: Michalek flings a wrister on net from the right point. Garon gloves it.

5:55: Letang to the rescue. Johnson challenges heavily on a shot from the right circle. The rebound squeaks behind him and it seems like a sure goal for Downie, but Letang is able to hold it out with his stick. Huge "save" by Letang.

5:17: Engelland flings a wrister from the right point wide of the cage.

4:53: Off a give and go pass with St. Louis from the right wing, Lecavalier puts a backhander on net. Johnson kicks it out.

4:40: Dustin Jeffrey snaps off a wrister from the right wing. Garon kicks it out. Engelland crashes in hoping for a rebound but Garon covers to freeze play.

3:56: Jeffrey controls a puck deep in the left wing corner and taps a pass to O'Reilly on the back door. The pass is a little too hard and O'Reilly pokes the puck over the cage.

2:59: Downie tries to lineup Malkin the right wing corner of the Penguins' zone but Downie ducks under the hit. Somewhere, Mike Milbury just slammed his club down in anger over Malkin's "attack" on fellow caveman Steve Downie.

2:37: Attendance is announced as 18,506. It is the team's 236th consecutive sell-out.

0:55: After an icing call, Dan Bylsma calls a timeout to give his players a breather.

0:29: Hedman snaps off a wrister from the top of the slot which is blocked.

0:00: End of period. Penguins 4, Lightning 2.

SECOND INTERMISSION

-The Penguins are flying, especially their top line. The Lightning looks completely overwhelmed right now by Neal-Malkin-Kunitz right now.

-The return of Jordan Staal seems to have made life so much easier for Malkin in terms of matchups.

-Dan Bylsma's decision to mix up his bottom two defensive pairings seems to have worked. Those four have cut down on their mistakes.

-The Penguins are dominating shots, 27-14.

-Michalek and Malkin each lead the game with five shots.

-Downie, St. Louis, Purcell, Brendan Mikkelson, Thompson and Hedman each lead the Lightning with two.

-Hedman leads the game with 17:50 of  ice time.

-Letang leads the Penguins with 15:06.

-The Lightning has a 24-20 edge in faceoffs (55 percent).

-Staal is 8 for 13 (62 percent).

-Former Penguin Dominic Moore is 6 for 8 (75 percent).

-Michalek leads the game with five blocked shots.

-Brewer, Clark and Hedman each lead the Lightnign with three.

-EN cohort Ron Michalek spotted a tremendous jersey. Alexander Pechurskiy:

(The story on the spelling of his last night is kind of complicated.)

THIRD PERIOD

19:52: Hedman gains the offensive zone on the right wing and flings a wrister on net. Johnson eats it up.

19:42: The great Joe Vitale races up the right wing and snaps off a wrister. Clark gets a piece of the shot but the puck still skids in on net. Garon kicks it out.

19:20: Off a great steal by Malkin aagainst Downie on a backcheck in the Penguins' zone, Kunitz steals a pass fro mthe right of the cage to Neal trailing in the left circle. Neal snaps off a wrister wide of the cage. Kunitz has a chance to the right of the blue paint with the rebound but chops it over the net.

17:32: Dupuis strikes a one-timer from the left circle. It hits a stick and deflects out of play.

17:07: Purcell zips into the offensive zone with speed and lifts a wrister on net from above the left circle. Johnson gloves it easily.

15:26: Off a steal by the great Jove Vitale, Staal snaps off a wrister from the right circle. Kubina blocks it.

14:23: The Lightning are called for too many men on the ice. Downie will serve the minor. Malkin, Neal, Kunitz, Letang and Sullivan take the ice. The Penguins can secure the win here.

13:48: From the left wing wall, Letang deals a cross ice pass to Malkin in the right circle. Malkin tries to blast a one-timer but fans on the shot.

13:42:  Malkin settles the puck and just pounds a slapper from the right half wall. Garon kicks it out.

13:28:  Neal rips a wrister from the right circle. Garon eats it up.

12:45: Cooke shuffles a backhander from the right circle. Garon kicks it out.

12:23: Downie returns to play. That was the Penguins' least impressive power-play of the night.

11:16: Malkin races into the offensive zone, gains the blue line, tries to cross over to his forehand and is tripped up by Bruno Gervais. That's two minutes for tripping. You almost feel bad for Gervais there. It's not fair. Malkin, Neal, Sullivan, letang and Kunitz take the ice.

10:36: Letang chops a slapper from the top of the slot. Neal is there on the side of the blue paint and appears to re-direct it wide through the crease.

10:12: Kunitz backhands a rebound from the crease. Garon kicks it out.

10:09: Kunitz slams Purcell into the left wign corner and breaks his stick. That's two minuts for slashing. Four on four for 53 seconds.

9:31: Mikkelson booms a slapper from the top of the slot. Johnson kicks it out with a "thud."

9:16: The Gervais minor is killed. The Lightning with have a power play for 1:07. A goal here is a must for Tampa Bay.

8:31: Adams forces a turnover in the defensive zone and snaps off a clear down the ice.

8:05: Just as the Kunitz minor is killed. Hedman chips a wrister at the cage from the left point.

7:05: After a poor turnover by Letang in his own zone, Purcell snaps off a rister from the slot. Orpik blocks it. Letang owes Orpik a beer.

6:25: Staal races into the offensive zone with the puck on his fbackhand. he fends off Pyatt and drives to the net. Pyatt thumps him to the ice legally and prevents a shot from really being taken.

5:38: People are leaving with the Penguins holding a somewhat precarious two-goal lead. Weak.

4:37: Of some hard work down low, J.T. Wyaman has a chance in tight but can't put it behind Johnson.

4:10: Battling for a puck, Engelland smokes Connolly witha  shoulder on shoulder check in front of the scorers' booth. Oof.

1:36: Garon is pulled for an extra attacker.

1:12: Stamkos has a chance to the left of the crease but Orpik blocks it.

1:00: With Malkin cherry picking in the offensive zone, fans chant "GEEEEE-NOOO! GEEEEE-NOOO!" hoping to see a hat trick.

0:26: Neal has a chance with the empt net to above the right circle but he puts it wide on the near side.

0:08: Downie shas a one-timer from the right circle blocked by Letang.

0:00: Letang  taps a pass to Malkin on the right wing boards. Malkin launches it at the empty cage and puts it off the right post as time expires. Argh! End of game. The "Woo-Hoo!" song plays. Mike Lange informs us of Elvis' whereabouts. Penguins 4, Lightning 2.

POSTGAME

-What a weekend for this team offensively. They just toyed with the Jets and Lightning and produced a 12-goal outburst. Offensively, this team is really scary right now.

-We credit the return of Jordan Staal. In the previous few games before this weekend, the top line's production was limited in part to opponent's being able to load up defensive match-ups aagainst Chris Kunitz, Evgeni Malkin and James Neal. With Staal back, opponents can't completely load up on that top line. Obviously, being at home gives the Penguins the benefit of first change after whistles, but Malkin, Kunitz and Neal have had a lot more freedom and time to work with.

-We still think Marc-Andre Fleury is the team's MVP based on the fact that he hasn't missed any games due to injury. He was the team's rock in the first half of the season. But it's getting tougher an tougher to ignore Malkin given how he has played since December. He's the best player int he world right now.

-The most impressive thing (or scary thing perhaps) is that the Penguins staged another comeback from an ugly start. The Lightning had the Penguins on the ropes after some brutal mistakes. The first goal by Downie should have been saved, even if Paul Martin tipped it. And the Penguins' defense look attrocious on Downie's second goal.

-It seemed like the team settled down defensively once the bottom two defensive pairings were mixed up. Paul Martin was teamed with Deryk Engelland while Zbynek Michalek worked with Matt Niskanen. All four players seemed to cut down on errors and really seemed to benefit from the change. Said Michalek, ""Obviously it helped. After that it we didn't' give up any goals. It served a purpose."

-Brent Johnson responded after a poor first goal and a quick second goal he didn't have a chance on. He cut down on some poor rebounds and looked sharp after the rought start.

-Malkin now has goals in eight consecutive home games. By way of Elias Sports Bureau, Mario Lemieux holds the franchise record with 11.

-Letang made a pretty ugly play which put him out of position on Downie's second goal, but he settled down after that and was a force in all three zones. He provided some offense, he was strong in the neutral zone and provided a physical presense in the defensive zone. His return to the lineup from his concussion has given this team a tremendous boost.

-Did anyone see Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis or Steven Stamkos?

-The Penguins had a 41-23 lead in shots.

-Malkin led the game with six shots.

-Hedman led the Lightning with five.

-Michalek (five) had as many shots as Lecavalier (two), St. Louis (two) and Stamkos (one).

-Cal O'Reilly and Richard Park were the only Penguins skaters who failed to record a shot on net.

-Hedman led the game with 28:18 of ice time.

-Letang led the Penguins with 23:11.

-The Lightning had a 35-32 edge in faceoffs (52 percent).

-Former Penguin Dominic Moore was 9 for 11 (82 percent).

-Malkin was 12 for 20 (60 percent).

-Michalek and Kubina each led the game with five blocked shots.

-Letang (158) moved past Tomas Sandstrom (155) for 49th place on the franchise's all-time scoring list.

-Kunitz (138) moved past Stu Barnes (135) for 59th place.

-Game summary.

-Event summary.

-Highlights: