The Pittsburgh Penguins got back to winning ways with a 5-0 whitewash of the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Goals
Olli Maatta got his fifth goal of the season when he stepped past a Carolina forward, had an open look at the net and beat Canes goalie Eddie Lack blocker-side (which would become a recurring theme throughout the afternoon).
Olli Maatta nets one early for the #Pens. Full replay: https://t.co/4eIOyV6Soh pic.twitter.com/xR13EyDyEg
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 17, 2016
The Pens had some great back-pressure all night, which sprung the second goal of the game after Matt Cullen stopped a Carolina clearing effort and got the puck to Kevin Porter. Porter made a nifty pass to Conor Sheary who quickly threw a puck blocker-side by Lack.
Fun fact: @csheary13 can score with both feet off the ice. Full replay: https://t.co/uoLmmJGETD pic.twitter.com/IXRcEJbeyt
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 17, 2016
Sidney Crosby would make it 3-0 in the second period with a totally not-kicking motion deflection from right in front on the power play of a Phil Kessel pass.
The goal is GOOD and we're feeling stuPENdous! Here it is. pic.twitter.com/NSMADhXLYH
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 17, 2016
Crosby would score a more conventional goal to make it 4-0 in the third period with this goal, on a nice stretch pass from Patric Hornqvist . Shot placement? Oh yeah, blocker-side.
Top shelf beauty. Thanks Sid! Full replay: https://t.co/BX57iyf4i1 pic.twitter.com/TlCEmxEXU3
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 17, 2016
Trevor Daley finished off the block party by beating Lack, where else but blocker-side to make it 5-0.
What a way to celebrate your 800th NHL game! Full replay: https://t.co/AIrntmYq5e pic.twitter.com/Q6rlp97vw0
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 17, 2016
Also, late in the 3rd period, David Warsofsky would leave and not return after a strange incident where the ref lost his footing, and slid from behind into an unknowing Warsofsky, who flipped over and landed about on his head/neck. Hopefully he was OK, bizarre to see him taken out like that.
Warsofsky leaves the game with injury on the slide tackle. pic.twitter.com/MM79VeTGBa
— Stephanie (@myregularface) January 17, 2016
Some Thoughts
- Nice game for all the Pens, seemed like they clued in very quickly that Lack's positioning was off to the short side, so almost all the goals came from the right-side of the ice and shooting to the left on Lack's blocker.
- A turning point in the game was early in the second, Carolina got 43 seconds of a 5v3 power play. The Pens penalty killers stood tall and Carolina never seemed to threaten again.
- 2 minor penalties on the night for Evgeni Malkin, who has taken more minor penalties than any forward in the league this season.
- In Crosby's second goal, he had a lot of open space. The reason? A slow, extended change by Ron Hainsey who glided to the bench and just-like-that the puck was going the other way and the other defenseman couldn't make it over to the long-side to the ice to check Crosby in time.
- The Pens ended up getting the faceoff battle down to 35% wins, at one point in the third they were at about 20%. Carolina killed the Pens in the circle most the game.
- Carl Hagelin's Pittsburgh debut: 4 shots on goal, almost 2 minutes killing penalties and a nice semi-breakaway from in close that got saved. His speed was evident and he didn't look out of place on the Malkin-Kessel line. He clearly isn't in line with the team for just joining them, but that should come with time.
- An inspired night for Eric Fehr - now centering the 3rd line and getting some of his first looks of the season on the 2nd PP unit, to go along with his usual PK duty. At 17+ minutes tonight he was a big part of the effort up front.
- Kudos to Marc-Andre Fleury for his 3rd shutout of the season. He only faced 22 shots and almost all of them were routine, about the biggest moment of his night was when two of his own defensemen slid into him in the second period. He would wave the trainer off, flex his leg a little at the next stoppage and then seem no worse for wear for the rest of the game.
- 2 points a piece for all of Kessel, Crosby, Hornqvist and Malkin aka the 4 forwards that make-up the top power play. The Pens need these 4 to be their offensive engine and all were very visible today.
A nice win for the Pens, but no rest as they head out to St. Louis for a game tomorrow night.