Ever see the movie Groundhog day? Well, that is exactly what we say tonight...almost the exact same game that we saw the Penguins play a couple weeks back in Buffalo. They held a lead, let it slip away and watched as the Sabres got the fourth goal that they themselves could not bury.
The Sabres penalty killing stole the show tonight killing off several two man disadvantages and disrupting just about everything that the Penguins tried to do with the extra man. When the PK faltered a bit, Ryan Miller was there with a big stop or a cover up to stop play. Buffalo really controlled the flow of most of the Penguins power play time, as they got in the passing lanes, blocked shots and kept getting the puck into the neutral zone and deep on the Penguins.
There weren't many players available post game, which is usually the case after a bad loss like tonight, so I figured that I would save Fedotenko's comments for a rainy and I would let Coach Therrien have the blog this evening.
Coach Therrien indicted his power play for giving away numerous opportunities and potentially costing the team a couple of points.
"The power play was not good...try to be cute, there is no traffic in front," Therrien said. "We ask people to go to the front of the net...they don't want to go...so we need the perfect shot."
Therrien mentioned the "perfect shot" almost sarcastically speaking to the fact that the power play is over passing the puck and not getting to the front of the opposing goaltender.
I realize that skilled players usually try to make the perfect play, but this group is way to fancy. It is to the point where when Sidney Crosby winds up for a one timer the opposing defensemen don't even go down to block a shot...they know that he going cross ice with the puck. It is almost maddening at times. Other teams have got to be game planning that way now...always take the lane on 87 he is passing. Sid is too skilled to have that continue to be an issue. If he starts getting that puck on net, he will start beating the goalie because they will have been looking for the pass.
The team just didn't play a 60 minute game, overpassed, got poor play from their goaltender and blew a two goal lead. You may be able to overcome one or two of those things on a given day, but not all of them on one evening.
Michel Therrien was clearly bothered by it all and I am sure these players are in for a crazy skate tomorrow.
"At 3-1 we start to be horrible, pretty simple. We're playing not bad until we get the lead 3-1...after that we were horrible," Therrien said. "We give them the game we don't get the puck out on the second goal. On the third goal we don't want to bring the puck deep we turn the puck over, the pucks in our own end...we are having a hard time to stay on our feet...what can I say, it's a horrible performance...and that's the truth."
That is one thing that I really enjoy about Therrien...he is so candid and just tells it like it is. There is no sugar coating it.
When Therrien was asked if he could put his finger on something that was causing the problem or that was missing, he got thought for a second and then answered:
"Excuses are for losers...you can have excuses that we are missing players, we play a lot of games...as far as Im concerned they should play for 60 minutes and they aren't playing for 60 minutes right now."
That about sums up the problem, Coach... More tomorrow.
Third Period:
Aaaaaaand there it is...the Penguins just allowed Buffalo to pick up the go ahead goal. They couldn't get the puck deep into the Sabres zone and it resulted in a sparkling opportunity for Vanek, Pominville and Hecht, who passed it around the Pens zone and set Vanek up for a tap in right in front of Sabourin.
4-3 Buffalo
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That sound you hear is the wheels coming off in Pittsburgh. Alex Goligoski just took a penalty and the Sabres are back to work on the power play. This is turning into a vintage first game back from the road for the Penguins.
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The Penguins just got the chance that they have been waiting for...a power play. We talked about this on XM earlier tonight when I was on with Peter and Jamie. Special teams would probably be the difference...the Penguins power play against the Sabres PK which has been lights out lately. Can the Penguins penetrate their unit for the equalizer??
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No dice for the Penguins during the last power play, but they have gotten a mulligan. Nathan Gerbe was whistled for high sticking and will serve two minutes.
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Warrior, your life force is running out...
The Penguins have only :50 seconds remaining on the power play and have yet to get set up in the Buffalo zone. They have just cashed their time out to work strategy.
I will be headed down to the rooms soon...stay tuned after the game for past game wrap up and reaction from the Pens...
Second Period:
As the second period got underway, the Sabres were quickly whistled for another penalty. Jochen Hecht was called for tripping and the Penguins went on an extended two man advantage.
The Penguins moved the puck around and were getting plenty of chances. One of which resulted in a nice save by Miller on Kris Letang...Letang would have his revenge moments later as he took a feed from Sidney Crosby and one timed it past Miller's blocker for a 3-1 lead.
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Dany Sabourin just lost a puck that was right under his nose and Ales Kotalik knocked it past him. The puck was tossed into the crease, Sabu stopped it, but thought it got away from him. It was loose in front of his pads. Kotalik got the pickle stabber out there and jabbed it in.
3-2 Pens
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The Penguins are getting another chance with the two man advantage. Thomas Vanek was just called for interference and it went hand in hand with an unsportsmanlike conduct call after some banter with the referee.
Dany Sabourin is having some trouble with pucks around his net tonight, though he didn't get much help on this last one. He made the initial save, but the puck trickled past him. There was a pile up in front and on top of him, the puck came loose and Dan Paille knocked it home.
The Penguins are again unable to play with the lead and find themselves tied at 3's.
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Paul Gaustad just lit up Ben Lovejoy behind the Penguins net. Lovejoy was trying to make a play on the puck and Goose came in Colby Armstrong style with a big hit. Then, Clarke Macarthur got into a fracas with Evgeni Malkin. The two exchanged cross checks and hits, until Ben Lovejoy jumped to Malkin's defense.
Geno got the extra penalty and the Sabres go to work on the power play.
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On my way into the game tonight, the parking attendant who I have been dealing with for the past three years asked me what I thought of tonight's game. He gambles a little bit and was looking for a betting tip. I told him that I had a feeling on the over and that feeling looks like it is going to strike gold for my man.
The Penguins still just cannot play with the lead and they watched the Sabres claw back from a two goal deficit. They have gotten their chances, but couldn't get a fourth puck past Ryan Miller, even during an extended two man advantage.
This game is starting to smell a lot like the last match up between these two team...the Penguins looked as if they were going to hold on and watched a 3-2 lead turn into a 4-3 loss. You do not want to become famous for come from ahead losses.
The Penguins are ahead in shots through two 24-20, but are being knocked around in the physical department. They are getting outhit 22-13.
Hopefully Sabourin can relax and settle in his groove. No more coming way out of his net like he did in Ottawa and seconds ago to start the third period.
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First Period:
The Penguins drew the first power play of the game, as the Sabres were whistled for too many men on the ice. They sent out a unit of Malkin, Goligoski, Staal, Sykora and Staal. They worked the puck around effectively, but didn't get many chances. Alex Goligoski did walk down the left wing once and rang a shot off of the cross bar, but no dice the rest of the way.
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As quickly as the Penguins took the lead, they surrendered it. They lost a puck in the neutral zone and Derek Roy took it to the top of the face-off circle and lasered a shot past Dany Sabourin. It my be one that Sabu would like to have back, but it counts... 1-1
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Thomas Vanek just drew a penalty with a great individual effort. He used a power move and speed to blow past Kris Letang at the left point and was almost in alone. Brooks Orpik got him turned around and he curled off, but he as he spun and fired a shot towards the net he was hooked down. Sabres PP...
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Evgeni Malkin just worked some magic. He took a pass from Petr Sykora coming across the blue line, danced down the right wing boards and made his patented pass the puck to himself between his legs move to slide a smooth pass over to Ruslan Fedotenko, who knocked it past Ryan Miller. Could Malkin be the guy who brings Tank out of his slump??
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For as pretty as the Malkin move was, he is starting to use it a bit to often. It is a great one on one move, but he has got to be careful with it. I could see someone just laying him out one time as he goes for it...he just needs to mix it up a little. However, if it isn't broken, do not try to fix it...
Evgeni Malkin just made another play that resulted in a Ruslan Fedotenko goal. He took the puck from Petr Sykora who was coming around the net and quickly dealt it over to Fedotenko who one timed it past Miller.
2-1
Let's see if these two teams trade goals again!
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With his second goal of the game, Ruslan Fedotenko registered his 250 NHL point.
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Miro Satan looks a little lost tonight. He has had two pucks go right past his blade that could have been in the back of the net...or nice opportunities at the very least.
Throughout his career, he has been a streaky player...he needs to get it going.
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The Sabres were called for two penalties late in the second period. The first was a hook by Jason Pominville. The Penguins were working the puck around during the power play and Buffalo was able to clear. The puck when into the corner behind the Penguins net and Thomas Vanek went down on top of it...the Penguins could not get the puck free and it was clear that he was working on running down some clock. Well, he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, as the officials issued a delay of game penalty. It is a rarely seen call that should be made a lot more often. We see players lay down on the puck in hopes of drawing a whistle and they get away with it in every game, the officials should take that tactic away by making the call that as they did on Vanek.
The Penguins will have 1:40 remaining on the power play when play resumes...that also contains :02 seconds of two man advantage time.
Aside from surrendering a goal moments after scoring their first, the Penguins have done a nice job against the Sabres. They lead in shots 11-9 and hold a 2-1 lead on the score board. One unsettling statistic is the fact that the Penguins have given the puck away five times. That is something that has got to get better as this game goes on. The Sabres have too many players who can score goals to give them free opportunities.
Ben Lovejoy looks confident with the puck and has made good decisions with the it. He has made safe play after safe play, but still looks to be settling in a bit. We will see if the "Hockey Guy" can keep it going.
Can the Penguins break the trend of trading goals with the Sabres? We will find out in just under 7:00 minutes.
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Pre-game Preview:
The Penguins finally return to the friendly confines of Mellon Arena for their third of four meetings with the Buffalo Sabres. The two teams split the first two games of the series with each team winning at home. The Penguins are 63-56-38 in 157 career games against the Sabres, with a 41-18-20 record at Mellon Arena. The Sabres have dropped three straight games at Mellon Arena.
The Penguins have cooled off a bit, but have still managed a 5-3-2 record over the past 10 games. They didn’t play their best hockey while on the road for three games in New York, Carolina and Ottawa, but picked up points in two of the three games.
There were times during the trip where the Penguins were guilty of overpassing, something that has haunted them throughout the season. That is something that tends to occur when skilled players are on the ice together. Unfortunately it seems to get worse when a team is having some offensive success, as the Penguins did in Carolina. The players start to think that they are going to work a ton of tic tac toe plays for goals and end up not even getting a shot on goal.
The Penguins need to get back to basics this evening if they want to find success against the Sabres. The key will be a smooth transition game that starts with crisp break out passes to spring the Penguins skilled forwards. They need to get themselves into odd man situations in the Buffalo zone and get the puck on net. They have got to test Ryan Miller often, though he is not unbeatable for the Penguins who have had some success against him.
The Defense has got to avoid the turnovers they have been making at their own blue line, as the Sabres have the personnel to convert many of those chances into goals. Their speedy forwards will swarm the Penguins net and work give and gos along the goal line, something that produced goals for them a 4-3 victory against Pittsburgh back on November 28th.
The Penguins also need to contain Max Afinogenov and Tomas Vanek, two players that have had regular success against them. Putting the onus on the likes of Paul Gaustad and Drew Stafford to beat them, though that tactic failed in the last meeting, where each player scored two goals.
The Penguins swept the season series against the Sabres last season.
Game Notes:
Marc Andre Fleury returned to practice with his teammates this morning. The Penguins goaltender had been skating on his own before or after the group workout with team trainers.
The recall of Ben Lovejoy was prompted by an undisclosed injury to Hal Gill Saturday in Ottawa. Lovejoy was slated to skate with Alex Goligoski according to the Penguins official site.
Sidney Crosby has posted 15 points (6G-9A) in 12 career games against the Sabres.
Crosby is in the middle of a six-game point streak, posting 15 points (6G-9A) from Nov. 26 to Dec. 6.
Ruslan Fedotenko has 18 points (12G-18A) in 28 games versus Buffalo.
Dany Sabourin, who ranks third in the NHL with a 1.96 GAA, has faced the Buffalo Sabres one time in his career, a 4-3 overtime loss with the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 19, 2007.
Evgeni Malkin has points in 22 of 26 games, including 12 multiple-point games this season. He has 12 points (4G-8A) over his last six games.
The Penguins are 8-2-3 in games in which they record the first goal. They are 7-5-1 (.538) in games they allow the first goal, ranking fourth in the NHL.
The Sabres are 3-7-0 over their last 10 games.
Jordan Staal's goal on Saturday was the 50th of his career.
Milestone Watch:
Jordan Staal 11 games shy of playing in his 200th career game.
Ruslan Fedotenko is two points shy of reaching 250 in his career.
Pascal Dupuis is seven assists shy of reaching 100 in his career.
Marc-Andre Fleury is four wins away from tying Denis Herron for third all-time in wins (88) among Penguins’ goaltenders.
Petr Sykora is seven points shy of reaching 650 in his NHL career.
Rob Scuderi is six games shy of appearing in his 250th career game while needing two penalty minutes to reach 100 in his career.
Evgeni Malkin is nine goals shy of reaching 100 and seven assists shy of reaching 150 for his career.
Miroslav Satan is three goals shy of reaching 350 in his career.
Philippe Boucher is nine goals shy of reaching 100 for his career.
Kris Letang is four games shy of playing in his 100th NHL game.
Michel Therrien is seven wins shy of winning his 200th NHL game.
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