Good to see Sabourin get his 2nd (but according to me first) official start of the season. I'm willing to put that last one completely behind me for two reasons. One, he just wasn't in the zone and two; we pulled away with a win anyways so I can't hold it against him.
Was Sykora hot or what? It's hard to gauge how this guy plays night in and night out. On one hand, he played amazingly with the stints in his nose against Anaheim in the home opener. Now, he's putting up the same numbers with them out. The guys intensity is off the charts.
Crosby really seems to be finding his form, after starting off to a bit of a shaky start. Two more assists, including the one on Sykora's PPG in the second, put him at 6 on the year for 8 points in 6 games. Hall also came up big with his first of the year, after racking up an assist in the loss against NJ.
But let's get to the best part. I bet we could go on for ages on discussing the shootout and whether it is the true way to measure a team's ability to win. A lot of people believe if the better team couldn't pull it out on the ice during regulation and OT, then no one should have the benefit of a win. This is, however, the new NHL and this is what, according to the league, makes things exciting. I'm going to be biased when I say, it's cool - as long as the Pens win.
To say the Pens blew threw the shootout is an understatement. They make Ward look like a fool, especially when Crosby deked him out of his pads. Even still, Ward's record on the season is 4-0-2, as he's still yet to lose a regulation game.
Overall the team looked good, if not better than the Devils game. I have to admit that the scoreless third, especially winding down in to the closing minutes, really had me biting my nails. Thankfully, I didn't spoil the ending for myself by checking a score last night. I'm learning how to become disciplined.
The Pens took less penalties this game, but six still isn't easy to deal with. However, the PK unit was able to hold the Canes to only one goal on five attempts. Likewise, the Hurricanes kept the Penguins' PP in check, allowing only one in seven.
Happy to pull away with the win in this one. The last thing I wanted to see was a 2-3-1 record. With this win, the Pens are back up to .500 on the season at 3-3.
Now, on to tonight, where hopefully we can see a 4-3 record in about 9 hours.
The Penguins take to the road tonight, heading out to DC to faceoff against the Capitals. And you know what comes to mind when you hear that team name - Ovechkin.
Yet, perhaps Ovechkin isn't the biggest concern for the struggling Pens D. I mean, sure, he's no doubt a threat, but this is a game where they can really get their self-esteem. Shutting down Ovi isn't the biggest concern, because as you've seen in the past, double-teaming Crosby only opens up the lanes for other guys. The Caps HAVE those other guys.
Take a look at these names, you'll be seeing them tonight.
Nicklas Backstrom - he has four assists in six games. I wouldn't be surprised if he started shooting more, but I'd prefer it not be tonight.
Chris Clark - Hey, the guy's scoreless in six games, but that doesn't mean he's not a threat. Last season he put up 30 goals and 24 assists in 74 games. He'll click soon.
Donald Brashear - You won't really hear this guy scoring many goals or dishing out assists, but from where the Pens stand this might be their proverbial diamond in the rough. The guy can't stay out of the penalty box. Last year alone he tallied 156 minutes in 77 games. As long as he doesn't draw the penalties himself, he's bound to work to the Penguins' advantage.
And of course, Michael Nylander - the former Ranger who warranted boos from the Garden crowd when the Caps came to town. He was a solid player last year with the Rangers, and is proving to do the same with the Caps so far this year.
So, the keys to success? Time and time again I'll say, stay out of the box. I think I'll just get to a point, I at least hope, where this is simply understood. But maybe I'll digress when the team actually starts heeding that advice.
I think the real key to a win on the night is to eye Ovechkin and Nylander. I know with the constant line pairings and changes Therrien has been throwing out there, it's probably going to be a different defender on Ovi through the course of the night. But if I had to choose one guy to do it, I'd go with Orpik. He's a royal pain to attackers and may even manage to draw a penalty from the highly irritable Ovechkin. I know staying out of the box is a big deal for the Pens, but eliminating their scorers with penalty minutes works just as good.
As for Nylander, he's going to crash the center. He has a really accurate shot and won't have a problem finding the open net on Fleury if left untouched. With that in mind, the D is going to have to jam the center and either eliminate lanes from him, all the while eyeing the puck and avoiding quick drops to a speedy Ovechkin flying down the wing.
It's not going to be an easy game, but it's by far one of the better teams the Penguins will face this year (next to the Senators and perhaps even the Rangers - if they can prove anything other than they have big names). The Pens overcome this one, and that'll give them the push they need heading back to Pittsburgh to meet with the Rangers Tuesday night.
I wonder if Semin gave Ovechkin the pie facial...
