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Around SBN: Miikka Kiprusoff Wins 300th Game, Buffalo Crushes Boston

Billy and the Kid: Pens beat back the Avs 4-1

Avalanche vs Penguins coverage - Mile High Hockey

The newspaper will say 4-1 tomorrow, but that really doesn't do justice to how tight a game it was.  For the majority of the game, real estate was tight to come by.  The television guys accurately called it "marking up" as if guys were playing defense like they were on the soccer field.  There wasn't much open room for good chances.  The difference was a quick whistle and the Penguins power-play finally coming through.

T.J. Galiardi opened the scoring for the Avs on the power-play when he steered Darcy Tucker's effort past Marc-Andre FleuryJay McKee was in front of the net with Galiardi and has to do a better job to take the man or the stick out of the play.

It appeared Colorado would take the lead into the intermission until the impromptu line of Mike Rupp - Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin struck.  Malkin upped the puck up and Rupp and Crosby passed the puck twice and #87 put it in an empty cage past a beaten Peter Budaj. 1-1 at the first break.

There'd be no more scoring until the third period; which was a huge break for Pittsburgh.  It appeared Galiardi had his second goal of the game, between Fleury's legs, but the referee from the side angle whistled the play dead, all the while the puck was in motion, and in the back of the net.  Unfortunately it's a play that can not be review.  It ought to have been a goal.  But it wasn't.  Just a bad break for Colorado.  Things have a funny way of evening up in a long 82 game season and hopefully they'll get the good end of a call soon to make up for it.


With the game still 1-1, the Penguins got a two man advantage.  They couldn't quite take advantage of it, but Crosby faked a shot and wired a perfect pass to Bill Guerin for a slam dunk goal.

That effectively ended the scoring, with Jordan Staal and Crosby tacking on empty netters to make the score look wider than it was.

  • Pittsburgh was no doubt lucky to catch a break on the disallowed Colorado goal, but they also earned the win by out-shooting the Avs 14-1 in the final period of a tie game.  They were the better team late.
  • Crosby set up the goal with a new tool in his offensive arsenal: the fake shot.  Teams have to respect him pulling the trigger, he's now tied for second in the league in goals.
  • Last year, it took until January 30th before Crosby got to 19 goals....This year he's there on December 3rd, almost two months better.
  • The Pens racked up 38 hits, everyone on the roster aside from Mark Eaton and the two goalies recorded at least one hit.
  • Ruslan Fedotenko is starting to turn things around...4 shots on goal (and 3 more misses, including a post) show he's firing away.  When he shoots, he plays well and produces.  He's getting there.
  • That T.J. Galiardi is quite impressive.  In addition to his goal on he night, he had a should-have-been goal and won 71% of his 17 faceoffs.
  • Matt Duchene might be the future, but the future was not tonight.  No points, a plus/minus of -3 (even though he was on the ice for both empty netters), two shots on goal in 18:50.
  • Paul Stastny, he of a Team USA future, also had a rough night in the final stat-line: No points, -3 (again on ice for both EN), just one shot on goal and only won 36% of his 28 faceoffs.
  • Both goalies played well, Budaj was tested more than Fleury, but both did well and did not allow any soft goals.  Any time the two goalies combined for three goals against, you can be sure both made some saves.
  • Evgeni Malkin had a somewhat quiet night, but still rang up three assists and helped the power-play get on the board.  It was a good night.

It was a good night indeed.  Crosby and Malkin put three points in their pocket and the team gets 2 of their own in the standings.  It was a quirky, hard-fought one that wasn't easy it looks at the end of the day.  But it's still a win.

Now onward to Saturday...I hear an old friend is ready to say hello again...Perhaps you remember him..

Hossa_medium 

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Sid on pace for 54 goals, MAF on pace for 46 wins if he plays 65 games. all in all time for some Career years (and then there is Noted ofcourse, as the Pensblog said, we should make sure he has a child’s birthday on every gameday)

There is a knack to flying: it's learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

by Sid the captain on Dec 3, 2009 11:17 PM EST reply actions  

I think scoring goals means something to Sid…Maybe he’s not shooting for a nice round number like 50 (he’s obviously just trying to score as much as possible each night) but he’s definitely a man on a mission.

7 goals and 11 points in 3 games? Wow. That’s a Lemieux-esque little stretch.

Sid’s now 3 points behind Joe Thornton for tops in the league. Those SJ guys are putting up some numbers, but if Crosby keeps it up it’s only a matter of time.

Pensburgh.com

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by Hooks Orpik on Dec 3, 2009 11:24 PM EST up reply actions  

and 33 points in 29 games is still below career average, I think that this might be another Art Ross season for sid since he’s putting up points below career average (even with the last 3 games) and still is within 4 points (Since the SJ game against StL) of the league leader with a game in hand. And Sid impersonating Sir Buries It is never a bad thing. (Who incidentally is a bit underrated as a goal scorer, he and Mike Bossy are a class apart there but you don’t here about that side too often imo.)

There is a knack to flying: it's learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

by Sid the captain on Dec 4, 2009 3:21 AM EST up reply actions  

great game tonight

by BDON911 on Dec 4, 2009 1:54 AM EST reply actions  

About the game Saturday, I have an idea. I forget who it was that said we need something to chant when Hossa has the puck, instead of booing. Some people suggested a choking sound. I say that when Hossa touches the puck, everyone in attendance should yell “Stanley Cup Stanley Cup”. I think thats the best jeer we could give him.

by biggoron on Dec 4, 2009 8:00 AM EST via mobile reply actions  

Is anyone in agreement with me that ENGs should not count negatively against a players +/-?

by spookygeek on Dec 4, 2009 9:03 AM EST reply actions  

To a degree

Duchene and Stastny played a ton better than -3s last night, but as it is, they were on the ice for a goal. Someone could’ve/should’ve been at least attempting to play a prevent style D maybe.

Not really, down two you need everyone trying to score, but still.

And if you’re going to take away +/- for ENs, you should probably take away Gs and As.

by Richard R on Dec 4, 2009 9:11 AM EST up reply actions  

I think they should just get rid of the +/- stat altogether. It’s utterly meaningless and misleading.

by SlayerGhaleon on Dec 4, 2009 12:43 PM EST up reply actions  

It’s a useful stat when comparing teammates.

by PensFan024 on Dec 4, 2009 12:55 PM EST up reply actions  

Like any stat, you can’t take +/- in a vacuum. You have to use it with other stats to see what it looks like. If a player trends year after year to be a -, then you have to look at what kind of a player he is in his own end. If year after year, he’s a +, then you see a player that’s going to score (and help his teammates score) and not be a liability.

And then you can be Bobby Orr and be a 124 one year. 124! He was very, very good.

by RCheli on Dec 4, 2009 2:42 PM EST up reply actions  

still a very misleading stat. You could just be stepping on the ice and the other team scores, you get a . I don’t put to much value into that stat.
I’ll never forget the Pens Flyers game in 06 tho. This kid behind me had a Hatcher +/
tracker sign behind us. He was like a -24 before the game. By time the game was over he was like a -30 and Sid had 6 pts. It was Classic.

by genomachine-O on Dec 4, 2009 2:47 PM EST up reply actions  

I think you prefaced the comment with a dash. I dunno. Some sort of formatting thing

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.

by FrankD on Dec 4, 2009 3:14 PM EST up reply actions  

I think it’s generally good defensive stat, of course you can’t say which player is better than another based on any stat only

You have to see it for yourself...

by Bla Razor on Dec 5, 2009 5:22 AM EST up reply actions  

I actually thought the don’t count against the +/-…, but I get Richard’s point also, so may be it’s better this way

You have to see it for yourself...

by Bla Razor on Dec 5, 2009 5:23 AM EST up reply actions  

You know you have a good team when you can get 2 pts from a game in which you only show up for 1 period.

by genomachine-O on Dec 4, 2009 11:06 AM EST reply actions   2 recs

Now that sums it up.

"Darling, you say Brooks Orpik 'checked' that guy. He did not 'get under him and put him into the wall'."--Beloved to me, Winter 2007

"Don't beat yourself!"--Darrell Waltrip

by GreenEyedLilo on Dec 4, 2009 1:25 PM EST up reply actions  

Malkins season could be summarize by that sentence “Evgeni Malkin had a somewhat quiet night, but still rang up three assists”.
He hasn’t really shown up this season with the exception of a few games. I know the Pens are winning and Genos still averaging over a point-per-game. But from what Genos shown us when hes at the top of his game in the past year or two, hes only shown flashes of that all season. I know his linemates haven’t helped much in that regard, but I can’t help but wonder if hes saving himself for the Olympics cuz a lot of nights this year the effort just hasn’t been there. We all know how important representing Russia is to him. And I know hes not exactly the model for consistency, but he can do better.

by genomachine-O on Dec 4, 2009 11:20 AM EST reply actions  

chris bourque experiment is offically over..for now anyway

by genomachine-O on Dec 4, 2009 2:43 PM EST reply actions  

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