Pardon the horrible Limp Bizkit reference in the title, but it was the first thing that popped into my head when I started to think of what the Penguins are currently doing. After knocking off the Florida Panthers this evening, they are 7-1-1 under Dan Bylsma, 10-3-1 in their last 14 overall and looking a team that can get themselves in position to make a bit of a run.
For whatever reason, the team just seems to be a lot more relaxed under Dan Bylsma. That was never more evident than tonight when they found themselves trailing Florida 1-0 in the second period. They almost immediately bounced back on a goal by Sidney Crosby. A month ago falling behind in a game like tonight's might have deflated the team and resulted in a loss.
The Penguins realized that this was a very important game and went out and handled their business. They played a relatively mistake free game and put the puck on net early and often. They finally cracked Tomas Vokoun's resolve and put 4 pucks past him. Very impressive win for a team that needed to keep it rolling.
Here are a couple quick hits on the game...
Bill Guerin and Craig Adams made their Penguins debut. Guerin joined Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz on the top line, while Adams skated on the fourth line with Max Talbot and Pascal Dupuis. Adding these players to the line-up definitely had the desired result. It allowed the Penguins to roll four lines and they all seemed to be very effective. Every line played great two way hockey and they made it tough on the Panthers in all zones.
Guerin looked pretty good for his first game with a whole new group. He made some good plays on the puck in the corners and along the boards and made a great no look head man pass to spring Crosby for the Penguins first goal. The assist was Guerin's 800th career point. He did have some pucks roll off of his blade as he attempted one timers off of Crosby passes, but that should get better as he gets used to Crosby's tendencies. He was a big body in the slot and in front of the goaltender all night long...he also did a nice job of getting back to help clean up his own zone.
Adams was pretty much what I expected him to be...a very effective fourth line player. He was physical, hard working, good with the puck and an all around scrappy addition to the line-up. He has decent wheels and played just under 10 minutes. Though it was only one look, I feel he upgraded the Penguins bottom two lines...
Sidney Crosby was flying all over the ice. Though I am sure his groin is still an issue, he did a great job of playing through it. His goal was a think of beauty, as he took the Guerin pass, danced through the neutral zone and into the Panthers zone, beating Jay Bouwmeester in the process. As he cleared the defense he lashed a shot past Vokoun giving the Penguins the lift that they needed.
Tyler Kennedy had one of his best games in ages. It isn't just that he scored two goals. It is more a matter of the fact that he was moving his feet, putting the puck on net without hesitation and playing a physical brand of hockey. His first goal was a great shot. He could really start to put up some numbers if he makes a habit of setting up in the slot and getting his shot off as quicky as he did tonight.
Jordan Staal, Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke were very effective. It looks like they are recapturing their magic from earlier in the season. They are registered shots on goal, were throwing their bodies around and cycling like Lance Armstrong. The Penguins look very dangerous when they actually employ four lines...
Kris Letang was again hit from behind...this time Cory Stillman caught him in the back of the head with an elbow. They didn't call it that way, but it did earn the Penguins a power play.
Speaking of Letang, he shook the cobwebs from the above hit and played another very good game. Aside from not being able to tie up Dvorak, who scored the Panthers lone goal. Letang is unleashing that wicked shot of his with much more frequency and he picked up another goal this evening. If he ever harnesses that thing and consistently puts it on the net, he could be a 20 goal scorer. It just seems that he is going for corners or picking spots a bit to often, which is causing him to miss the net. I know that the coaches have told him to just hit the net and good things will happen.
Brooks Orpik, Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi were all very good tonight. They effectively killed penalties, cleared pucks from the front of the net and just played sound defense. This is the way they need to play if the team is going to be successful.
What was going on with Petr Sykora? His actions are doing nothing to convince Ray Shero that he is worth a three year contract. He had 4 or 5 opportunities that never got on the net. He has been fanning on shots, missing prime scoring opportunities and looking a lot like a guy who is losing his touch. I really hope that he can recapture it, because he has been very good for the team. His play will decide his fate in Pittsburgh...unfortunately he isn't doing much to show his worth over the last week or two.
Lastly, Marc Andre Fleury has been much better as of late. He is making big saves, playing the puck effectively and winning games. He has been a vital component to the current run and he will be key to the run continuing. He looks very comfortable in his net, he is sharp with his angles and he is not making the first move on shooters. I think the biggest improvement is that he isn't serving up rebounds with as much frequency and when he does, his defensemen clear the puck away.
Overall the Penguins picked up a huge two points. They are currently tied with the Panthers and Rangers, but are stuck in 8th place based on the fact that they have played one more game than the other two.
The Penguins are definitely getting hot at the right time and it has been a blast to watch them as of late. There can't be many teams clamoring to meet this Penguins team in the playoffs...a team that looks like they are starting to believe in themselves.
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