Penguins beaten by Bruins 5-2

Gill, who is just back from a shoulder injury, was on first defensive line. He played very well in his first shift back. Staalsy made a Bruin sorry he was born with a hard hit (I wasn’t able to catch the player’s name or number.) Mark Eaton is called for hooking; Pens play a great penalty kill and the Bruins do not capitalize on their advantage. Geno and Sykie took a shot each, but the Boston defense cleared it. Mad Max stole the puck right off of a Bruin’s stick and passed it to Cookie Monster, who took a shot. MAF made some great saves. Geno is tripped up in the neutral zone but no penalty is called. Sykie shoots one hard right to Thomas’ logo. MAF makes a beauty of a save on a rebound. Sykie is then called for delay of game after he put the puck over the glass. Pens killed the penalty. Sykie jumps out of the penalty box and shoots in a pass from Dustin Jeffery, who registered his first NHL point with this assist. Wheeler slashes Orpik in an attempt to get back at Brooksie for a hit earlier in his shift. Penguins on the power play. Geno made a beautiful steal off Kessel who toppled to the ice, passed to Sid, who passed to Gogo. Thomas made a save on Gogo…barely. Period ends. What a period!

Play starts out with some unimpressive skating from Boston, but then Kessel shoots a rocket right to Flower. Maxie, Cookie Monster and Staalsy played really well in the Bruins zone but no shots are taken. Satan and Dups make a great play but Super Duper’s backhand doesn’t connect. Wallace misses a rebound which came right out front of him. Orpik is called for hooking and Chara promptly scores his seventh of the season to tie up the contest. Jeffery (who is having the game of his life) shoots but Thomas made a save. Play is moving really fast and then MAF makes a great save. Staalsy goes on the breakaway and nearly scores but Thomas makes a pad save. Kessel goes after Maxie and hits him twice and Mad Max retaliates. Both get two for roughing. Savard had grabbed Maxie from behind, but he gets no penalty. 4-on-4 hockey. Geno passes to Sid but Thomas made an impossible save. Geno is called for hooking. Replay shoes that did not even touch the player; Therrien and the fans are fuming. 4-on-3 hockey: Pens play Staalsy, Dups and Scudsie. Savard wastes no time getting a goal over MAF’s shoulder. Maxie Talbot, who has been playing with much more confidence this game, centered one at a sharp angle but no one was there to connect into the net. Tenk, Geno and Sid make shots that are saved by Thomas. Then Thomas makes a fluke save on Dups. Staalsy made every Pens fan smile by absolutely plastering Ryder. Dups promptly slaps a hell of a shot towards the goal and it sizzles past Thomas’ left ear to tie it up at 2. Kessel answers Dups’ goal by putting one in on a pass from Savard. Flower robs both St. Pierre and Ryder. Then Geno is called for interference off the faceoff. The Pens, led by Maxie, who clears it twice, and Flower, who makes some incredible saves, kill the penalty. Time expires with the penalty. What a penalty kill!

This was one of those intermissions where you just hold your breath, or pace. Sid is hooked right off the bat but no penalty is called. Staalsy shoots it wide and then Cookie Monster is called for high-sticking. Gill and Jeffery clear it. Staalsy and Dups go shorthanded and Thomas makes another fluke save. Geno and Sid keep shooting, shooting, shooting, but no goals. Hnidy is called for interfering with Sid. This is the Penguins’ chance! But then St Pierre gets a shorthanded goal. This goal is the turning point. Jeffery tries to stuff it in, but Thomas flops down to save it. Gogo is called for hooking. Sixth power play for the Bruins. Dups cleared it and the penalty is killed. Wideman scores. This is the point where I’d enjoy a hat trick from, say, Maxie. Tim Wallace makes a great hustle on a break away, but he’s shut down by the defense. Sid made a sweet behind-the-back pass to Dups, but Duper is also shut down by the D. Tenk and Whitters shoot and Thomas makes glove saves on both. Sykie is called for something and the Bruins are on the power play again. Shorthanded with Staalsy and Dups but Thomas makes another save. Penalty killed. Wallace vs Lucic! First fight in the NHL…way to pick a huge man for your first. WOW!! Lucic ended up with a cut lip. Highlight of the game. Lucic gets the extra two minutes for roughing. The game ends with nothing else exciting happening.

This lose was not unexpected but it still hurts. The Pens need to win at Boston on Thursday. The Pens did play well tonight but they fell out of it in the third, with no momentum.

Thoughts:
--The WB/S boys played with a vengence tonight. Dustin Jeffery was a force to be reckoned with and Tim Wallace's name was heard more than once and his fight with the MUCH larger Lucic tonight was beyond epic.
--Max Talbot played with so much confidence tonight. If he continues like this, he will be unbeatable in the second half of the year
--Staalsy played fantastically tonight. He skated fast and made lots of things happen.
--Flower was pretty good tonight, but I'd like to see Dany Sabourin in net in Boston on Thursday.
--This game belonged to everyone but Sid and Geno. Good job, boys.

Happy New Years to all! (Here's to the Pens ruining the Bruins new year.)