I will be updating the blog shortly, but wanted to throw a quick note up...
Metz with the call on the Kunitz goal! He just seemed like it was his night...everything he touched was ending up in the net one way or another. After picking up 3 assists, he finally notched his first goal of the season on a beauty of a breakaway. You can't help but root for a Chris Kunitz, as he is such a team first kind of guy...
Prior to the Kunitz goal, it was Alex Goligoski who lashed a wrister in from the blue line. It didn't seem as if Carey Price even saw the puck coming until it was in the net.
Great win for the Penguins...nice to see them bounce right back from the loss to the Devils this past Saturday night.
More later...
Third Period:
Carey Price is now in goal for the Canadiens...
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Sidney Crosby is leading all players with seven shots in the game...not only has he notched the hat trick, but he has also won 73% of his face-offs thus far.
Alex Goligoski is leading all Penguins in ice time with 14:50...
Aside from Crosby, the Canadiens have been king in the circle....winning 54% of the draws on the night.
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Jordan Staal just took a high stick to the face... Penguins back on the power play...
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Mark Eaton was just whistled for hooking, eliminating the final 24 seconds of the Birds power play...
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The Penguins will have to kill off a two man advantage, as Marc Andre Fleury was just whistled for delay of game. Montreal wasted no time in cashing in for their first of the night... Tomas Plekanec had a puck pop right to the blade of his stick and he quickly threw it past Fleury...
4-1 Penguins...
Second Period:
The Penguins came out on the power play and had a little trouble getting set up. The Canadiens immediately got the puck down the ice and the boys had to regroup.
They finally got set, as Crosby fed Malkin to break into the zone. Malkin carried the puck into the corner and immediately found Letang for a big blast from the point. Halak was sharp in making the stop.
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Sidney Crosby just picked up his second goal of the night on a nifty back hand play. As the play developed around an Alex Goligoski shot from the point that deflected and then went off of the post, Crosby slid into his "office" to the right of Halak. The puck deflected into a scrum of feet, Crosby chopped at it and missed, but was ready for it when it came free. It did come free and right to the blade of 87, who got control of the puck before roofing a backhand shot over a fallen Halak.
2-0 Penguins
Kunitz picked up his second assist of the game.
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On the ensuing face-off, Matt Cooke was high sticked and the Penguins went right back on the PP.
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Sidney Crosby came very close to notching his third goal...he and Evgeni Malkin got into a two on one situation. Crosby deked the defenseman, made a backhand forehand move, but Halak kicked it away.
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The Penguins just pushed ahead to a three goal lead. They were about to go on the power play, but were in full control during the delayed penalty. Jay McKee made a nice play to keep the puck alive, gliding along the blue line and sliding the puck over to Mark Eaton. Eaton slid the puck to Mike Rupp who quickly slid it back to him...he shot the puck to the net, where it hit a mash of bodies. The puck was bouncing and Mike Rupp stabbed at it between Halak's legs and knocked it home.
3-0 Penguins...
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Sidney Crosby just notched the hat trick. He got the puck in the slot, where he was some how standing all alone, made a quick move...changed direction and put the puck on Halak. The save was actually made, but the puck deflected back towards Crosby and Hal Gill who was coming in to defend him...the puck went off of the skates and into the net.
4-0 Penguins
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A big pile up in front of the Canadiens net resulted in Bill Guerin and Tomas Plekanec getting into an "almost" fight. The linesmen jumped in quickly and all the players came together...Evgeni Malkin popped Plekanec in the mouth, earning an expletive laced response that was visible on the television replay.
Guerin and Plekanec to the box...
First Period:
The Canadiens have come out flying and set up shop in the Penguins zone almost immediately after the opening face-off. They worked the puck around the zone pretty well, though their best scoring chance came when a Scott Gomez pass took a weird hop toward Marc Andre Fleury and almost popped by him and into his net.
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Chris Bourque has taken his first shift of the night and if nothing else, he flashed his speed and high energy level. The line didn't put much together, but he did get a chance to lay a hit near the bench and went for it.
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The Penguins look as if their Red Bull, or should I say Viper Energy drink, has kicked in. Chances a plenty on Jaro Halak, but not goals to show for it. Evgeni Malkin set up a great opportunity with a great individual move across the blue line. He got the puck to Ruslan Fedotenko, who got it back across...Malkin just missed getting the handle on the puck. There was a scrum around the net, but Halak was able to keep it out.
The line came through the zone a couple more times with nothing to show for it, before the Crosby line came out and got the Penguins on the board.
The Habs could not clear a puck that was caught in Chris Kunitz's skates near the blue line in the offensive zone. Kunitz was able to chip it to Bill Guerin, who slid it directly to Sidney Crosby in his new favorite shooting position...the right circle. Crosby immediately fired and the puck grazed off of Halak's glove and in as he slid into position to challenge the shot.
1-0 Penguins...
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Moments after friend and colleague Seth Rorobaugh from the Post Gazette's Empty Netters blog commented on the fact that we had gone for quite stretch without a stoppage, Matt Cooke took a penalty. I will take credit for the jinx though, as I commented that this could be the fastest game ever seconds before the penalty.
It wasn't the smartest penalty Cooke has ever taken... cross-checking...
MTL on the PP...
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Could this be the night that Chris Kunitz gets on the board? I say yes...he has been around the puck all night long and his line with Crosby and Guerin is flying. They already scored one goal and came close to getting a second moments ago. Guerin got a nice blast on the net, which caught Halak in the mask. The puck deflected to the far boards, where Guerin got it back and got the puck to Kunitz in the high slot...nothing came of it, but there is a vibe going on with the line tonight.
Pre-Game:
So much for seeing a dance between Big Georges Laraque and Eric Godard this evening... Laraque is a healthy scratch for the Canadiens...
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The Penguins will be on the power play when the second period gets underway. Hal Gill took a delay of game penalty by shooting the puck out of play on a clearing attempt.
The Curse of the Penguins iceTIME In-Game Magazine...
Could there be a curse on the Penguins iceTIME in game magazine?
It is starting to look as if this compact game by game magazine might be able to tell the future, albeit a grim one for those that it effects. This occurred to me tonight as I glanced down to see Tyler Kennedy's face looking back at me from tonight's issue. I immediately found it a strange coincidence that he would be on the issue for the first evening that an injury would hold him out of the line-up.
Stranger still was the realization that Sergei Gonchar appeared on this same magazine on the evening of the Penguins' game against the Florida Panthers -- the first one he missed with his broken wrist.
Who could be on Saturday's issue... could he be the next player to pull up lame with an injury? Could this all just be my attempt to find something FREAKY to talk about for Halloween? You be the judge...
Kennedy Out... Bourque to Skate with Malkin, Fedotenko...
Good afternoon! Just wanted to check in with a couple of quick notes in lieu of a full preview. Crazy busy days will do that to you I guess!
Anyway... Tyler Kennedy will miss tonight's game against the Montreal Canadiens with what is being called... wait for it... an undisclosed injury. Who saw that coming? Obviously, we will monitor this situation and keep you posted on the status of Mr. Kennedy.
Kennedy's misfortune could be a gain for another player... Chris Bourque. Bourque will get the chance to skate with Evgeni Malkin and Ruslan Fedotenko this evening. Which is great news in a way. We have all been wanting to see what he could do in a high profile position and that will finally come tonight.
"It’s awesome to be able to play with a world-class player like that," Bourque told reporters this morning. "This is definitely a great opportunity for me."
Dan Bylsma still seems to have a lot of confidence in the player that the Penguins claimed on waivers back on September 30.
"He is a guy who can complement a top-two line center," Bylsma said. "He has the skill and speed in his game. If you throw out his first game when he was a little nervous with it being his first time in a Penguins’ uniform – he had some jitters in that game – he has been able to show that speed and puck pursuit. At the same time I think he is getting more comfortable shooting the puck and making plays and doing that for our team."
The rest of the line combos shook out like this...
Keep an eye on Pascal Dupuis tonight, as he has been fighting some sort of sickness. He actually missed the past two days of practice, but returned to the ice this morning.
Tonight will mark the first game back in town for Hal Gill, who signed with the Canadiens during this summer's free agency period.
Jaroslav Halak is expected to get the start for the Canadiens this evening, while Marc Andre Fleury will go for the Penguins.
I will be live at Mellon Arena bringing you all of the action...
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