Zip, Zilch, Nada: Wild Shutout Pens 4-0

Wild Blog: Hockey Wilderness

For just the second time this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins were shutout by an opponent, as Jose Theodore and the Minnesota Wild blanked Evgeni Malkin and the boys by the final of 4-0.  The Sid-less Pens are now 0-1-1 without their captain in the lineup, an element that will hopefully improve as the Pens face off against three teams in the east over the next week.

When Crosby missed games in the past, Malkin was always quick to pick up the slack and carry the flag for this team.  Tonight the Wild did a pretty solid job of limiting Geno, as he walked away from this game a -3 with only two shots on net.  Obviously it's only two games without Crosby, but Geno has failed to register a point in two straight.  Here's to hoping that will change when the Pens take on the Bruins Monday at 7:30.

On the bright side, the Pittsburgh penalty kill held the Wild scoreless on four attempts with the man advantage (and 36 seconds of a 5-on-3), but unfortunately the Penguins were unable to convert on any of the team's four power-play chances.

Theodore has backstopped the Wild to four-straight wins and made it look easy tonight against the Pens as he blocked all of Pittsburgh's 26 shots en route to his first shutout of the season.  I don't know what it is about the Wild, but the Penguins always appear to struggle against them.  Pittsburgh is winless in four straight against the Wild, with the last 'W' coming back on October 30, 2007.

Nothing more to say about this game. Forget it, move on and pick up a win Monday against the Bruins.