Big Ben was in the house tonight.
The first period was one of the worst of the season, in a season that has seen no shortage of horrific play by the Penguins. The Pens went to work on the PK early in this one, for good measure.
Brooks Orpik unintentionally high-sticked Ryan Malone in the face, and Tampa went to the PP for four minutes. About a minute in or so, Kris Letang unleashed a high line drive of a wrister that flew all the way across the ice and into the seats, but the referees called the puck tipped.
Malone, a former Penguin who could still be here if Ray Shero wasn't such a piss-poor general manager, found the puck in his office (the high slot) and fired one past Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Pens found themselves on a powerplay of their own with seconds left in the first, but they gave it up and allowed little Marty St. Louis a breakaway, though Fleury was able to make the stop.
FSN interviewed Steelers' Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert between periods. Maybe, Colb could talk to Ray Shero about how to properly construct a professional sports team.
The Penguins committed a bad team giveaway in the defensive zone, and Vinny Lecavalier found St. Louis, who beat Fleury with a slapshot.
The Pens were then awarded a 5 on 3 for who knows what reason, and they responded by putting one shot to the net in two minutes, blowing the opportunity in full.
More garbage from a garbage team.
Pittsburgh got another powerplay. No quality shots. Surprise, surprise!
Lecavalier had an empty net to shoot at as Penguins' defenders and forwards alike were sprawled out on the ice, well out of position.
Lecav buries it. 3-0.
Evgeni Malkin scored what looked like a meaningless goal in the third after Pascal Dupuis hit the post. The puck sat in the crease, and Geno went around the net and pickle stabbed it into the twine.
But the Pens didn't stop, suddenly looking like the Penguins of old.
Luca Caputi screened in front, and a Mark Eaton wrist shot hit a Tampa skate and deflected home to make it 2-2. There was finally life in the Mellon Arena.
Then, ex-Penguin Gary Roberts took a pot shot at Matt Cooke, who goaded him into it all the way down the ice. Roberts was called for roughing, and the Pens got a chance that they didn't relinquish.
As the puck was floating around in Tampa's crease, Petr Sykora and Kris Letang hacked away at it, and the biscuit somehow trickled past Mike McKenna. Crosby, Letang, Malkin, and Sykora were jumping for joy, literally.
In the midst of this season, we needed an emotional boost, and oh boy did we get it.
In the overtime, Tampa dominated for the vast majority of the frame, but it would be the Penguins who would get the game winning goal from the likeliest of sources--Malkin.
Jordan Staal outfought the Lightning defense in the corner, and dished to Malkin, who had no trouble ending the game with a seeing-eye shot.
Wow.
This team is playing absolutely horribly right now, but Malkin just took over, and because of that the Pens are one point out of a playoff spot. That man got pissed, put his team on his back, and won the game.
What a human.
GO PENS!
1 comment:
malkin is just sick. in the best way possible. mark eaton was crazy. woo.
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