10:49 pm: If there are any 'good' things to take away from this game, they are few and far between for the Isles.
Matt Martin threw ten hits tonight. Visnovsky lead the team in shots on net with 5 and Nielsen had 4. Keith Aucoin won the bulk of faceoffs with six wins to one loss.
After that, I really got nothing.
10:02 pm: As if things aren't bad enough, Marty Reasoner gets tossed from the game with 2:10 remaining after Reasoner tripped Jokinen. He got a game misconduct for the scrum that ensued, and Jack Capuano had a few words beginning with 'f' to say about it.
9:35 pm: Final period of game one and the Isles are down 5 - 0. Howie Rose is hanging on every shot making it sound like they are a hair away from getting a goal on Fluery.
James Neal has not returned from a hit he sustained in the first period.
Matt Martin draws a penalty and the Isles go on the Power play.
8:41 pm: Good teams score with the five on three advantage. Great teams take nano seconds to do it. Pens up 3 - 0 early in the second.
Thanks Mark Streit.
Make that 4-0 and Kevin Poulin will make his playoff debut. I think I'm going to puke now.
8:15 pm: A power play gift ofrom a hit on Matt Moulson earned the Isles no goals as the puck kept getting picked off by the Pens.
Puck goes behind the net and Nabby decided to play it and is basically run over by -- Mark Streit. Not good.
And just for good measure, Streit is called for a penalty on Sutter with a little over a minute to go in the first.
Good way to get that new contract Mark.
8:07 pm: Nabokov makes one good save but then the squirmish brings him four feet out of his net leaving it wide open. Dupuis said thank you. It's now 2-0 Pens.
7:44 pm: Obviously the refs are not going to let retalitory checks get missed -- unless they are by the Pens. Isles on the PK only two minutes in.
Nabokov takes a puck off his helmet and we all got scared. Trainer comes out and everyone gets a chance to settle down. He then made an excellent save with 28 seconds left of the Pens power play.
With 10 seconds left of the penalty to Brian Strait, the Pens get a lucky goal and a geometry lesson in a space no bigger than a crack.
7:16 pm: For all of us who were calling for Capuano's head, we should take a step back and look at that head coach press conference they just played. Two ex-Bridgeport assistant coaches are now facing each other in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
I think that's pretty special. I'm pretty sure Jack does too.
Noon: It is official, Sidney Crosby will sit out tonight's Game 1 against the NY Islanders. Of course, that is the least of the Islanders concerns.
Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma is quoted on Twitter as saying 'The lineup is not a discussion point." and would not confirm any other decisions he'll be making for the evening. Staple Tweeted that Orpik and Kennedy should be out as well.
Here is The Mavin's playoff picture for the Isles along with Greg Picker and ITV.
12:23 pm: Staple is insinuating that Marty Reasoner will be in the line-up and Jesse Joensuu will not be. And if you even wondered if Nabokov would get the start, you must have been in a coma the last few months.
At 29-years-old, Matt Moulson is looking forward to playing tonight, but says he's not taking anything for granted. He deserves this. He really does.