Ducks Blog: Anaheim Calling
One Penguins team came back from a 3-0 deficit to win by the final of 5-4. That team is also on a nine-game win streak and showing some real heart along the way.
The other Penguins team could not come back from a 3-0 deficit, try as they did, falling by the final of 3-2. That team is also now playing below .500 on the season and showing some real disarray along the way.
Can you guess which one of those two teams is in Pittsburgh?
More after the jump...
The 5-2 shellacking against the Dallas Stars Wednesday night was, in theory, meant to motivate the Penguins to come out on fire tonight against the Anaheim Ducks. For the first period it didn't look so bad. Like many teams that don't play one another much, the first period was an effort for each to kind of get a feel for the other, make some adjustments during intermission and come out ready to take the lead in the second period. Anaheim adjusted just fine, scoring three goals in the second off the sticks of Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Saku Koivu. Sadly it's all they'd need to put this one away.
The Pens definitely did their part to try and get back into it, more specifically Sidney Crosby who notched both goals in the loss. While the second one of the night may easily go into the "weak goal" category, beggars can't be choosers and you're not hearing one complaint here. What I will say though is that tonight's performance, combined with the fight against Matt Niskanen two nights ago, is yet another example of Sid literally trying to power this team to victory on his own efforts.
I like what I saw from Pascal Dupuis out there tonight. He was everywhere he needed to be: digging in corners, taking some howitzer shots (team-high five, tying Malkin) and even earned an assist in the process. That's now four points in four games for Duper, a guy who was undoubtedly missed in Wednesday's game.
And then there's Marc-Andre Fleury. Point fingers or not, he just keeps coming up on the wrong side of games. With his record now standing at 1-6, there is eventually going to come a point where he turns it all around practically overnight or, sadly, continues to sink into a hole. Where do you draw the line? How far is too far before action must be taken?
The Pens are now 1-2 on this mini road trip with still one more left to go tomorrow night in Phoenix. Last season that one game in Phoenix ended in a shutout. Here's the hoping for a different outcome.
Comment of the night goes to SlayerGhaleon, who in one sentence more or less provides a solid game recap:
Amazing what a bad seven minutes can do in an otherwise solidly played hockey game.
Leaves me also wondering what another two minutes could've done for a Penguins comeback...