Cold Start Leads To Hot Finish: Pens Romp 8-3
Game Review
October 28, 2014
In what looked like it was going to be yet another embarrassing game on home ice, the Penguins scored seven, yes, seven unanswered goals against the New Jersey Devils to pick up their fifth win of the season. Nine seconds into the contest, Dainius Zubrus wristed home a shot that made Penguins fans immediately think, "Great, here we go again!"; myself included. A Blake Comeau goal restored hope, but only until the second period until Jacob Josefeson and Tuomo Ruutu would put the Devils up 3-1. Usually, games with the Devils and Penguins are, for a lack of a better term, ugly. They are defensive battles that do not really spark interest, especially when the Devils get the lead. It is almost automatic at that point that they will play "The Trap" and shut down a Penguins' offense that can be too stubborn to dump, chase, and work for their goals.
However, this night was different.
After a Too Many Men on the ice call during a penalty kill, the New Jersey Devils watched this game slip out of their hands, and in a hurry. The Penguins comeback was nothing short of amazing, especially when you consider that there were six different goal scorers (Crosby netted two). Goals by Comeau, Evgeni Malkin (PPG), Patric Hornqvist, Craig Adams, Crosby, Pascal Dupuis (PPG), Steve Downie (PPG) and Crosby again, the Consol Energy Center was rocking and deservedly so.
Positives:
Negatives:
Lastly, my biggest positive for the night is Olli Maatta. A brave, courageous, and confident young kid that is playing with a Thyroid Tumor that has an "85% chance of being cancerous" and he turned in an exceptional hockey game tonight, registering one assist. He will have surgery to remove the tumor and will be out for an estimated month. The Penguins will greatly miss the young Finn, but nothing is more important than his own well being. I expect nothing but the best for Maatta on and off the ice in the next couple of days and weeks, respectively and he is in my thoughts and prayers. It'll only be a Maatta of time before he is back on the ice dominating once again.
Okay, I had to get one corny pun in there and that was my best shot...(another hockey pun; score!)
In what looked like it was going to be yet another embarrassing game on home ice, the Penguins scored seven, yes, seven unanswered goals against the New Jersey Devils to pick up their fifth win of the season. Nine seconds into the contest, Dainius Zubrus wristed home a shot that made Penguins fans immediately think, "Great, here we go again!"; myself included. A Blake Comeau goal restored hope, but only until the second period until Jacob Josefeson and Tuomo Ruutu would put the Devils up 3-1. Usually, games with the Devils and Penguins are, for a lack of a better term, ugly. They are defensive battles that do not really spark interest, especially when the Devils get the lead. It is almost automatic at that point that they will play "The Trap" and shut down a Penguins' offense that can be too stubborn to dump, chase, and work for their goals.
However, this night was different.
After a Too Many Men on the ice call during a penalty kill, the New Jersey Devils watched this game slip out of their hands, and in a hurry. The Penguins comeback was nothing short of amazing, especially when you consider that there were six different goal scorers (Crosby netted two). Goals by Comeau, Evgeni Malkin (PPG), Patric Hornqvist, Craig Adams, Crosby, Pascal Dupuis (PPG), Steve Downie (PPG) and Crosby again, the Consol Energy Center was rocking and deservedly so.
Positives:
- Spread out scoring. You can see that everyone got in the action. The only forward to not score a goal thus far is Zach Sill. Hopefully his time comes soon.
- Simon Despres. By far his best game of the season. Two assists, two blocks, three hits, a plus-3; he was incredible tonight. Was even promoted to playing with Christian Ehrhoff from midway in the second period on. Big confidence boost for this kid.
- Powerplay. The New Jersey Devils had one of the worst penalty killing squads in the league coming into the contest. Those stats will not be helped after this one-sided special teams affair. Pittsburgh went 3-for-7 with the man advantage and proved why they are the best powerplay unit in the National Hockey League.
- Middle Six Forwards. Evgeni Malkin, Pascal Dupuis, Blake Comeau, Brandon Sutter, Steve Downie, and Nick Spaling were once again fantastic. The top line produced as well (Chris Kunitz-Crosby-Hornqvist), but the middle six were standout tonight.
- Coach Mike Johnston. With such a lopsided lead in the third period, rolling the fourth line more and even putting them on a late powerplay, along with Paul Martin and Rob Scuderi was a classy move, albeit we know he was saving his top players from potential injuries. Still, a good move and reward for players who do not always receive the glory.
- Penalty kill. Killed another three, running their streak close to 20 straight. Quickly moving up the ranks as the kills look easier and easier.
Negatives:
- Marc-Andre Fleury. Looked shaky to begin the game and did not really look settled until the third period. Thankfully for Flower, the defense was solid in front of him after the goals started pouring in. After a fantastic performance against Nashville, his play tonight was disappointing.
- Shorthanded goal. I have been hoping for a Kris Letang-Christian Ehrhoff pairing on the first powerplay unit, but with the continued success of the unit with Malkin on the back end, it is hard to argue that. Tonight, they were burned as Josefeson scored easily shorthanded while Malkin weakly, being polite, played defense. The Penguins dominated after that period, which is okay for tonight, but something that may need to be addressed sometime down the road.
Lastly, my biggest positive for the night is Olli Maatta. A brave, courageous, and confident young kid that is playing with a Thyroid Tumor that has an "85% chance of being cancerous" and he turned in an exceptional hockey game tonight, registering one assist. He will have surgery to remove the tumor and will be out for an estimated month. The Penguins will greatly miss the young Finn, but nothing is more important than his own well being. I expect nothing but the best for Maatta on and off the ice in the next couple of days and weeks, respectively and he is in my thoughts and prayers. It'll only be a Maatta of time before he is back on the ice dominating once again.
Okay, I had to get one corny pun in there and that was my best shot...(another hockey pun; score!)
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