Thursday, January 28, 2010
Damian Romano
I don't have to tell you how the game went, more than likely you saw it. And if you didn't see it you're not coming here to see what the score is. If you are, well, I'm perplexed given the advent of technology and you're ability to access the game from every single type of digital media source known to man.
In any event, yeah, we lost. Tough game? Eh. Well, the Pens didn't play all that well, that's for sure. A lot of excitement for us all the moment when Geno scored and made it 1-0. We all thought, here we go again, game time baby. Last time we met the Senators we had 8 goals and Geno had his hat trick. But that wasn't the case. And the odd thing is that we've teetered back and forth with this team all year. One minute we win big, the next they do. Kind of an odd animal. Toward the end of the game Errey was likening the Senators to a team that "had the Penguins number," but ultimately that doesn't make sense. Have a look, it's actually dead even.
OCT 12, 2009 - PIT 4 - OTT 1NOV 19, 2009 - PIT 2 - OTT 6DEC 23, 2009 - OTT 2 - PIT 8JAN 28, 2010 - OTT 4 - PIT 1
And that's it for the season, we split all the way around. We beat them at home and away, they did the same. Whatever Errey, I still love ya. No need to try to make excuses up, we know how our team played.
And how did they play? Sub par. But really Ottawa simply out played the Pens. And that's the odd thing about stats, they don't show the whole game like, say, football. Have a look.
Courtesy of ESPN.com
The Penguins topped nearly every major statistical category yet legitimately lost 4-1. A stat I don't believe is easily accessible is TOP (time of possession). Maybe it is and I'm just too lazy to find it. Otherwise it seemed to me the Pens just lost that battle. They were in their own zone far too much and they didn't seem to create that many scoring attempts legitimate enough to warrant rebounds and whatnot. Don't get me wrong, the Sens did their thing. They had some great speed, forechecked like animals, and defended well. But mainly they kept the puck away from the Penguins and that right there will help you beat the Penguins, or any team for that matter.
It's not like the next few games get any easier. We play Detroit on Sunday who, though slumping, are still a force and will no doubt have eyes full of vengeance for obvious reasons. Likewise Monday we play Buffalo who, also slumping, has played real well this year and in the last game came back from a 3-0 Penguin lead to win 4-3. Can't let that happen again.
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