King Henrik Deals Pens Their Second Shut-Out in 5 Games

About a minute in, Maxie goes after Callahan and gets 2 minutes for roughing. Rangers’ Dawes wastes no time scoring a PPG off of Scudsie’s skate. Yet, as the Pens get a full 2 minute 5-on-3 after Orpik gets slashed in the face (4 minute penalty to the moron who did that) and Sid draws another, the boys cannot capitalize. Malkin’s one timer careens off the inside of the post. Staalsy gets called for interference on his brother Marc in front of the net on that play. Mara and Godard exchange words at the Pens bench—Godard looks ready to go to it on his next shift. Cookie soon gets into a shoving match with Dubinsky, both 2 minutes for roughing. Geno failed to connect with a nice setup in front of the net. The penalties to Cookie Monster and Dubinsky expire and Duper shoots one wide of the net. Betts is called for hooking; Pens on the power(less) play. Whitters’ slapshot goes high, Rangers clear it again and again before anything interesting is able to develop. Tanger passes to Sid who hits it to TK, but Lundqvist makes the save. Lundqvist is a fantastic goalie. The Pens cannot win against him with text-book plays...they need speed and surprise. Maxie gets the puck and protects it well back to the point where he gives it to Eaton. The Rangers force a turnover. Sid had a nice 2-on-1 but the defense upended him and he ended up in the net. MAF takes a risk and absolutely robs a Ranger. Voros is called for roughing. NY gets the puck on a breakaway and MAF decides to make it interesting as he rushes almost to the top of the zone and knocks the puck off the opponent’s stick just as time runs out.

There’s a minute and a half left on the PP for the Pens. No surprise that they don’t score on it, though. NY dominates play for awhile. Jordan misses a golden opportunity and, as he heads back to the bench, smacks his stick so hard on the ice that it snaps in two. Sid called for hooking. On the ensuing PP, MAF makes a sick glove save on Dawes and then Sid foils a Ranger’s slapper. Eaton clears the puck 4 or 5 times in a row! Great shift for him! Geno fails on a breakaway…more like Lundqvist saved it with his shoulder. Now Pens dominate play, but no goals. Geno draws a penalty on Rozsival for hooking, but then Sid gets called for interference. 4-on-4 for 1:45ish but neither team capitalizes. Lundqvist robs Duper of a highlight reel goal. Kalinin shoots one off the crossbar and then gets flattened by Cookie Monster. Just then Cookie gets called for interference on Dubinsky in front of the net. Except he didn’t interfere. Bad, bad, BAD call. Mara fires off the draw and buries it. Sid goes in with a backhander but Lundqvist kills it. Drury gets 2 minutes for delay of game and then MAF made a sweet save on Sjostrom.

Thirty seconds left in the Pens PP. Lundqvist denies Whitters and the PP is over. TK is called for tripping Naslund. MAF stops a wrister and freezes the puck. Maxie keeps the puck away from the Rangers by keeping it against the wall by the Pens. TK comes back on the ice and MAF makes a fantastic save, his best of the night. A few minutes of solid play and then the Rangers go on a 2-on-2 but Whitters ends up right in front of MAF and the shot doesn’t get through. Cookie went for a backhand but Lundqvist gloved it. Orpik gives Orr some Free Candy in a big way. Chris Drury scores a crazy goal. Just over 7 minutes to go. Game over. I just might cry. Penguins draw a penalty to Orr for roughing, eighth of the night. Pens pull Flower in favor of an extra attacker with a bit over 3 minutes to go. Worst decision ever? Gomez gets an empty netter. Comfirmed: worst decision ever. Godard and Orr drop the gloves. The Pens can’t even win that fight and Godard goes down. What a joke. Miro gets called for some too-late in the play action (what else is new?)

Gogo was a healthy scratch tonight. Fail? I think so.

HAHAHA! Great joke! Where are you, Ashton Kutcher? Because this had better be an episode of PUNK’D.