Blogger 365 Day 125 - Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Rangers Eastern Conference Semifinal glog

Good evening and welcome to the glog of tonight's hockey game between the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.  For those that are unfamiliar with hockey, tonight marks game 3 in a best of seven series, New York won game #1 3-2 in overtime on Friday, Pittsburgh evened the series up winning 3-0 on Sunday.  Tonight will mark the 4th game the Rangers have played in 6 days, having went the full seven games in dispatching the Philadelphia Flyers 4 games to 3 in the first round of the playoffs.  Pittsburgh got to this point by defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 4 games to 2 in the opening round.

Pittsburgh has been lead this post season by Evgeni Malkin, who has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) in 8 games this post season, New York's leading scorer has been Brad Richards with 7 points (3 G, 4 A) in 9 games played.  In goal for New York is Henrik Lunqvist who has a 5-4 record (2.07 GAA, .926 SV %) and for Pittsburgh it is Marc-Andre Fleury who is 5-3 (2.49 GAA, .914 SV%).

There, that should lay out some of the background info before I get all stupid and comment on things that I know little about.


 Okay, just getting ready to pull the game up on my computer.  I had to first stop by a webpage and get the code for my Pens Points code.  I have been collect the Pen Points for a couple of months now, so far I have gotten a 8"x11" picture and a couple of raffle entries but because I started so late I have no real shot at any of the larger prizes.  The picture if didn't even keep, I gave it away to the girls that work at our bank, figured they could hang it with their other Penguins paraphernalia.

Hats off to the fine people at first row sports, who are providing the feed tonight.  First Row is a sports aggregator, they provide links to sporting event feeds around the world.  If you wasn't to check them out the link is www.firstrows.eu.

Commercial break, face off hasn't happened yet so I am going to fetch me some spaghetti and meatballs.  I haven't been able to pin down where tonight's feed is from, I know it is the NBCSN feed, but not which market.  Last night I was watching the Hockey Night in Canada feed on CBC, so there is no telling where this feed is from.

So much for a 7:30 face off, it is already 7:40 and they are still announcing the starting lineups.

And we are underway.........

Rangers get the first shot of the game, a long range shot that was unobstructed and easily saved by Fleury.  Only took about a minute and a half for that to happen.

I opened a second tab on my computer, Sportsline.com, which I will be using for any stats that I post in this glog this evening.

Penguins finally register their first shot of the game about 4 minutes in.  No real rhythm to this contest so far.  Perhaps the teams are tired having played just 24 hours ago.

First penalty, Marcel Goc 2 minutes for roughing at the Rangers go on the power play.  New York has failed to score on their last 29 opportunities with the man advantage.

Chris Kunitz is denied on a short handed breakaway, Lundqvist making a sprawling save with his foot.

Make that 0 for their last 30 for New York.  Still scoreless.

9:34 gone in the first period, still 0 - 0.  Pittsburgh has a slight advantage in shots, 5 - 3, despite New York have the game's only power play to this point.

A flurry of activity by the Rangers but Marc-Andre Fleury is up to the task and his best saves of the game so far keep the Rangers from taking a first period lead.

The best thing about this game so far has been my spaghetti and meatballs.  Sad but true.

Twelve and a half minutes in, still no score though the Rangers have carried the play for the last few minutes.

It would seem that I have a feed from the United States tonight.  Some times some European networks will simulcast a feed from the states, ESPN America does that a lot but the commercial breaks lead me to believe that this feed is being broadcast here.

Turnover by Robert Bortuzzo leads to another scoring chance for the Rangers but again Fleury makes the save.

Glove save by Fleury denies a 2 on 1 breakaway by the Rangers as New York has been getting the better of play for about six minutes now.  This is almost the reverse of last night, where Henrik Lunqvist almost single handedly kept the Rangers in the game.

James Neal gets a double minor penalty for high sticking and the Rangers are back on the power play.

Rangers hit the post on a shot late in the first period but have yet to score.  After one period of play it is 0-0.  New York has a 10 - 7 lead in shots and when the second period starts Pittsburgh will still be killing off the double minor penalty on James Neal.

Second period is just about underway.  Pittsburgh is short handed here for another two minutes and fifteen seconds.

Pittsburgh killed off the first of the two penalties.  That's now 0 for 31.

Martin St Louis hits the post with a shot, that is two posts they have hit while the Penguins have been short handed.  But again, no goal and the Penguins escape being down a man for 4 minutes with the game still scoreless.  The rangers are now 0 for their last 32 on the power play.

Pittsburgh no more than kills off the penalty than Robert Bortuzzo lines a long stretch pass to Sidney Crosby, who beats Lundqvist and Pittsburgh leads 1-0.

Crosby's goal was his first in his last 14 playoff games.

Roughly 7 minutes gone here in the second period, Pittsburgh has just one shot so far in the second period but it is the only shot to beat either goaltender to this point.

TV timeout with 12:32 remaining in the second period, NY still has the advantage in shots, 15-9 but it is Pittsburgh with a 1-0 lead.  Marc-Andre Fleury has turned away the 37 shots he has faced.  Given his problems the last two post seasons, Fleury is playing far better than anyone would expect.

The Rangers continue to carry the play here, they just hit their third post in the last 10 minutes and still have nothing to show for it.  This time it was Mats Zuccarello hitting the crossbar but the puck did not cross the goal line.

Pittsburgh will get their first power play of the game, Kevin Klein is called for cross checking.

Pittsburgh hasn't been much better on the power play in this series, they are only one for seven in power play chances.

The power play continues to be a problem for both teams, Pittsburgh manages only one shot and the score remains 1-0.

Rangers back on the power play, their fourth of the game.  And they are just peppering Fleury on this power play, four shots so far and they still have half a minute left.

The Penguins kill off another power play and as Jussi Jokinen comes out of the penalty box he picks up the loose puck and scores on a breakaway to make it 2-0 Pittsburgh.

Arguably the Rangers have played better than the Penguins to this point, they have controlled large periods if time, they have a distinct advantage in shots and yet trail by two.

Jussi Jokinen has now scored a point in his last seven games, 4 goals and three assist during that span and if ever there was a time to go on a streak like that, obviously the Stanley Cup playoffs would be a good time.

The Rangers are still controlling most of the action, the puck is in the Penguins end more often than not as the Rangers have pushed their advantage in shots up to 10, 24-14.

The second period comes to a close as Pittsburgh leads 2-0.  For those that are curious, the actual details on both goals are these,

2:34 Sidney Crosby (1)  Assists Bortuzzo, Kunitz
15:20 Jussi Jokinen (5) unassisted

Third period is up next.  I would tell you what you missed during the second intermission but I doubt you are all that curious about my bathroom habits.  Some things are just better left unsaid.

And again we are underway and early on it is again the Rangers dominating play early.  It almost feels like Pittsburgh is just trying to constantly weather the storm and only occasionally building up enough momentum to counterattack.

4 minutes gone in the third period, Pittsburgh has yet to get a shot this period, the Rangers have one so far in the third.

6 minutes gone, the Rangers have not scored in the last 106 minutes if hockey in this series, since tallying the overtime game winner in game #1.  Over that span Marc-Andre Fleury has made 49 saves.

Two more saves by Fleury and seven minutes into the third period Pittsburgh still doesn't have a shot this period.  Pittsburgh is almost playing simply to protect the lead here, any offense being generated is being done so by New York.

I am starting to feel like a broken record, now. 11 minutes into the third period and Pittsburgh has yet to register a shot, the Rangers have a 29-14 advantage in that category.

Okay, my feed crapped out, luckily there were 4 different feeds to choose from.  Not much happened in my absence, the Rangers got more shots but didn't score and Pittsburgh did pretty much nothing save for Marc-Andre Fleury, who continues to impress with his goaltending this evening.

4:20 remaining, Pittsburgh still holding a two goal edge here, though of the two teams you would think the Rangers would be the more tired of the two, playing 5 games in 7 days, instead Pittsburgh has been the far more sluggish of the two teams.  If they hold on and win this it would be the very definition of stealing a game.

2:45 left and the Rangers have pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker.  Given Pittsburgh hasn't been shooting they could have pulled him five minutes ago.

And Paul Martin takes a penalty with less than 2 minutes left, so the Rangers will effectively skate 6 on 4 with the goaltender already out of the net.

1 minute left and the Rangers still haven't scored, despite Brandon Sutter breaking his stick, making it almost a 6 on 3 power play for a moment there.

And it is a final, Pittsburgh wins 2-0 and leads the best of seven series two games to one.   The Rangers have now failed to score on their last 36 power plays with that final effort and have gone 120 minutes since the last time they have scored a goal in this series.  Marc-Andre Fleury finishes the game with 35 saves, as Pittsburgh was outshot 35-15 but managed to get the win nonetheless.

I am off, need to email this to myself and then do the copy and paste thing so for now I will just say good night from Pittsburgh.