Offensive Juggernauts - Pens Win

These are what the playoffs are all about. High powered offensive games where goalies are pulled and more than 10 goals are scored. Gary Bettman lives for these moments, especially when Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are involved. A high scoring physical game filled with scrums, tussles, and battles keeps the viewers watching and the bloggers blogging.

Well this game was just that. Most of the game was spent in the Senators zone but being the scrappy team that they were they weren't taking a loss for an answer. They fought back as often and as hard as they could but came up short. The offensive juggernots commonly called the Two-Headed Monster were way too much for either Brian Elliot or Pascal LeClaire. The Pens looked like a team possessed and likewise obsessed. They played the way they all did last year while fighting their way through the playoffs into the clutches of Lord Stanley. As a result, they now find themselves just one game away from heading to the semi-finals against another Eastern conference foe.

While the score-sheet only shows one goal and a 14-6 shooting advantage, it doesn't show just how much the Penguins dominated the period. I can honestly say I don't think the puck remained in the Pens zone for more than a minute at a time. The teams forecheck and ability to cycle the puck behind the net was simply unparalleled to what we saw all season. And wouldn't you know it was Malkin who got the Pens on board first. Another powerplay goal from the same spot as two games ago, Geno ripped one from the right point past Elliot.

Ending the period I felt pretty good with how the games was going, and you did too. The Pens were in control of the puck, the body, and the game.

Perhaps the best thing we saw all night was this Geno interview on Versus. For those who watched the game on FSN Pittsburgh, you missed out on a doozy. We love the Geno interviews.

Video possibly to follow...

It was here where the onslaught began. In under 7 minutes the Pens were able to fire off 3 goals that came from Sid, then Cooke (yes Cooke), then Sid. Finding themselves down 4 goals the Senators simply had to make a goalie change. As with any team who goes down by a bunch real quick, you simply have to pull the goalie, if only for his confidence. On came Pascal Leclair who hasn't played in a live game in quite some time. Quickly the Sens came back to get on the board as Piss Neil jabbed one past Fleury to make it a 4-1 deficit. Then just three minutes later the man they call "Alfie" cut the lead to two putting all of us recently excited Penguins fans back in our seats.

Then after Jordan Staal headed to the box for hooking the mood became more somber. The Sens just scored two goals real quick and it appeared they weren't going away anytime soon. Just when you thought the game got a little scary it was good old Superstar Max Talbot to the rescue. Chipping in a shorthanded goal from none other than Craig "The Backbone" Adams the Pens regained their lead and we could go back to cheering again.

Epic pic, all the way around...

 (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Fred Chartrand)

Though under a minute later Jay McKee found his way to the sin bin to suffer for his transgression. It was during this time that Matt Cullen decided to join the scoring party and put the Sens back within 2. The tension was there again. Pens fans all over including those I shared emotions with on twitter once again began to have a seed of uncomfortably planted once again. That of course was before Chris Kunitz caught a nice feed from Sid's hard work behind the net to put the Pens up 6-3 heading into the third.

The third period didn't start the way would have all hoped. It was simply a matter composure and the ability to hang on to the lead, but after the inability to capitalize on a powerplay the Pens ended up finding themselves down two men and on the bad side of a 5 on 3. As with most 5 on 3's, a goal was scored. A determined Jason Spezza was not about to let this Penguin team embarrass them on their home ice all the while going down 3-1 in the series.Though to his demise the Pens would once again light the lamp of luxury at the stick of Jordan "Selke Smooth" Staal. It was the proverbial nail in the coffin. The game began to get even more physical after that as players like Neil and Ruutu vented frustration. All for not...

 

• The Pens set a franchise record during the second by scoring 5 goals in one period during a playoff game on the road.
• Tyler Kennedy took a hit in the second period of which he didn't return afterwards. Injury status unknown at this point.
• SUP87MAN had two goals and two assists making him the second player ever to score two points in their first four games of a given playoffs. The first, none other than Paul Coffee.
• 42 shots on goal made all the difference. This was twice as much as game 1. Had the Pens fired off more in game one the series would be over. 
• Geno with just one point on his goal but made a big impact. 
• Superstar Max Talbot always pics the right time to shine, eh?
• Jay McKee, 4 blocked shots. What a human.
• Oprik handed out 5 more bags of Free Candy...how nice of him.
 

Finish them Thursday and keep this in mind...

Posted in: post game analysis,Senators