The Big Black 'n Gold Machine keeps rolling....Pens win 4-1 in Ottawa
by Hooks Orpik on Oct 12, 2009 10:31 PM EDT
in Game Recaps
23 comments
Another game, another workman-like effort and another win for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They're up to 4-0 on the road off the latest result against Ottawa. All summer long we heard "hangover this", "not enough rest and time off" that, but the players haven't seemed to notice or let that bother them much at all. Pittsburgh's been business-like this year; effort in, wins out. So far it's worked.
- On a night where the two big boys didn't find the scoresheet, the 3rd line produced. Tyler Kennedy's two goal effort was another big night (another game winner too) and Jordan Staal iced the game with a goal in the third period.
- Three goals in as many games for Staal now, they're using him in his traditional center role, but also picking and choosing spots to get him up on Evgeni Malkin's line. Staal got a shift with Malkin and Sidney Crosby on the powerplay too, gotta find a way to get the big guy some minutes and Pittsburgh is using him more fluidly than in year's past. With good reason, as the results have been there.
- If we lived in ancient Greek times, a poet might write a diddy about Kennedy's slapper from just inside the blueline that smoked Pascal Leclaire. Instead TK only gets a couple pixels on some blogs, such is the times.
- Marc-Andre Fleury was again rock solid with 30 saves on 31 shots. 9 of the shots came off the old Shark sticks of Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo, Fleury only saw three total shots off of the Sens top gunners of Daniel Alfredsson, Alexei Kovalev and Jason Spezza.
- Solid night for the raccoon-eyed Craig Adams: 2 assists, +3, 3 blocked shots and 4 hits in 13:17 of work for Adams. His brothers-in-black-eyes (Michael Rupp and Eric Godard) had good nights too with Rupp picking up an assist and 2 hits. And Godard, well he played.
- Bad night for the powerplays units on both sides -- or a good night for the penalty kills if you're a "glass half full" type of person. Pittsburgh went 0 for 4 with the man advantage and Ottawa faired even worse going 0-5 including, an extended two man advantage. Better believe coaches are going to go to the video to pin-point missed chances and blown opportunities on both meeting rooms tomorrow.
- In what's becoming a trend, the Pens are answering goals against them quickly. The very next shift after Michalek opened the scoring, Bill Guerin drove the net, collected his own rebound and buried it while falling to the ice. That seemed to take a lot of wind out of the sails of the Ottawa players and crowd, who never really got back into the game again.
Ottawa looked out of sync and never found a rhythm, their own off night or a product of the Penguins frustrating them and making them look bad? As always, it's probably a combination of both. Anytime you go on the road and play a solid road game and take the two points away, it's a good night. Pittsburgh played strong again, bumping their record to an impressive 5-1-0. Another day, another dollar for all-business Pittsburgh Penguins.
The show moves on the road to Carolina on Wednesday, a team that's surely not forgotten about getting swept in the Eastern Conference finals last spring.
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Was it just me or was the game pretty exciting up until the third when it kinda felt like watching paint dry?
Either way a great game. This effort really showed the team’s depth. When you get two from Kennedy and one from Staal it’s always going to end well. Guerin’s goal was just a heads up veteran play to stay with the puck.
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
by FrankD on Oct 13, 2009 12:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
ESPN.com’s recap is laughable. They lead with “Even Tyler Kennedy’s two goals couldn’t keep Sid Crosby out of the spotlight.”
And then they go on to not mention Crosby at all for another three paragraphs, and when they do, he’s talking about how great TK and his linemates played.
But of course, I’m burying the lead here. Great game by our boys tonight.
Before each game, please remember to feed the bats.
by Cool Hand on Oct 13, 2009 1:17 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
It’s actually the AP story, not just ESPN’s.
by BlitzburghBlog on Oct 13, 2009 2:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I love how every team seems to think the best way to attack the Pens is to try to outmatch them physically. Sooner or later a coach will watch some tape and see the Pens can not only beat you on the score sheet, but they will also beat you up in the corners.
by PensFan024 on Oct 13, 2009 8:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
They just seem to be doing all the little things right. Clearing the front of the net, filling the passing lanes and standing up for each other are just a few of the things I’ve noticed all the lines doing consistently over the first 5 games (I am repressing the Phoenix memories).
by Ulf Murphy on Oct 13, 2009 8:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
That’s just it, “all of the lines”. The Pens don’t have anyone at the top of the points leaders list, because they are spreading it around. No Geno or Sid? Fine, they’ll beat you with Kennedy and Staal. Pick your poison.
by PensFan024 on Oct 13, 2009 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice!
Defensively they only allowed 31 shots.
by CGNC on Oct 13, 2009 10:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
A good game overall – great for TK, not so good for Sid and even worse for Geno.
But to me it doesn’t make any sense to play Godard in such games where no extra-physical element is expected… the way the game went (with 3rd and 4th line getting on the scoresheet) I would’ve bet there’s a good chance, say Bourque (or anyone who could make a normal 30 ft. tape-to-tape pass), gets his first point as a Penguin…
You have to see it for yourself...
by Bla Razor on Oct 13, 2009 10:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Godard should be dressed 10 times per year:
6 against the Flyers
4 against the Maple Leafs
That’s it.
by Link_Gaetz on Oct 13, 2009 10:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
6 agaisnt the rangers for brasheer aswel, and maybe the bruins for lucic.
There is a knack to flying: it's learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
by Sid the captain on Oct 13, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You’re right, maybe for the Rangers.
Lucic won’t fight heavyweights. He only goes after guys he knows he can beat.
by Link_Gaetz on Oct 13, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Off-topic a bit, but…
I think it was Seth at Empty Netters who would complain about Therrien changing up the lines all the time, and Bylsma’s doing to same thing. And I like it.
I like that Staal will play with Malkin and Fedotenko sometimes and Kennedy and Cooke others. I like how (I only watched about 10 minutes of the game last night, so this may not mean much) I saw Crosby centering a line of Goddard and Rupp.
Having four lines — the same all the time — may be good for NHL 94, but in real life, I like how he (and other coaches) mix things up.
I mean, I’d love to see Kennedy play a few shifts with Crosby and Geurin each game. And I like seeing Craig Adams rewarded by having a couple of shifts with Malkin.
by RCheli on Oct 13, 2009 1:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Staal is a huge improvent over dupuis and the cooke-adams-tk line has been very solid at worst and just plain awesome at best.
The claiming of adams last year just shows what a magician RS is and Disco shows he sure knows how to use guys like him. (Disco is doing an insane job at getting them this motivated immediatly after winning the cup anyway)
There is a knack to flying: it's learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
by Sid the captain on Oct 13, 2009 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think one difference between the MT line changes and the DB line changes is that Therrien’s were “reactive” where as Bylsma’s line changes seem to be “proactive”.
by PensFan024 on Oct 13, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kind of like changing running backs simply for a “change of pace”, keeping the opposition honest and on their heels.
by PensFan024 on Oct 13, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Or even akin to the “Wildcat” formation (made popular by THE University of Utah…I’ve got sources if you think otherwise). Load up the lines with either heavy offensive talent, or gritty grinders in order to exploit in-game tendencies.
"Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action." - George Washington
by Hockey Beard in SLC on Oct 13, 2009 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
At what point does consistency become an issue? I love playing devil’s advocate, so I will throw this out there….
Since the Pens are playing well, everyone is enamored with Bylsma’s shifting of lines. It was not so long ago, as someone else mentioned, that Therrien was doing the same exact thing, but the Pens were losing, and we were crucifying him for not letting the players develop any kind of rhythm with each other. When the Pens hit a losing streak, because it is unrealistic to believe that they will win 5 of 6 for the rest of the season, who will look back and wish Bylsma had formed cohesive lines?
Also, after watching most of the first six games, I am going to throw this out there. The second line should be: Staal – Malkin – Kennedy. I keep hearing everyone talk about how Kennedy is at his best with Staal and Staal is capable of 40 goals on Geno’s wing. Why not put them all together? Honestly, Tenks – Talbot – Cooke is still a REALLY sweet third line come November.
by Ulf Murphy on Oct 13, 2009 3:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
the only thing I dont like with mixing up the lines is the whole chemistry and knowing where one another will be and what the other ones will do. Its fine to put Staal on Genos line every now and then and mix it up a couple times a game just to change it up. But I dont agree with putting Staal on Genos line permanently. I think the reason the 3rd line is so effective is the players KNOW where one another is going to be and that obvisouly makes it easier for outlet passes and whatnot.
I agree however that Dupuis shouldnt be penciled in the 2nd line everynight though as he looks lost most of the time and has stone hands, he needs to go back to peewee and practice receiving eggs again.
by Repperson29 on Oct 13, 2009 7:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think another reason the third line is so good is because Jordan Staal is on it.
by PensFan024 on Oct 14, 2009 8:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Chemistry is very important but cooke-adams-tk have sofar showed to have a lot of chemistry aswel and malkin-staal has been effective sofar aswel. So these line changes appear to not disrupt the chemistry.
There is a knack to flying: it's learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
by Sid the captain on Oct 14, 2009 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m just happy to see that Staal is really starting to come off as the utility guy who can play with anyone. throw him on a line with Malkin, Sid, Kennedy, Cooke, Adams – it doesn’t matter. You’d like to think each guy can be used the same way but Staal makes it look easy. His ability to mingle on any line is going to speak volumes if/when a guy on the top two lines goes down for a few games with an injury.
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
by FrankD on Oct 14, 2009 5:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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