That was hardly enjoyable.
The game started with a rather slow pace. The teams looked like they were trying to figure each other out, which was odd because they met just two weeks before in Pittsburgh. Play picked up in time though, and the Penguins wreaked the benefits in the early going.
Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke cycled the puck beautifully in the left corner behind Ryan Miller, and Cooke took the puck and hit an opened up Kennedy with a pass on the left post. Kennedy buried it easily.
The Sabres answered shortly after. Max Afinogenov went around the whole Pens defense, wrapped around Curry, and gave Drew Stafford a chance to stuff home a rebound, which he did. It was the first goal against of John Curry's career.
Things went to intermission all even.
Brooks Orpik took an interference minor midway through the second. The Penguins looked to have it killed off until Paul Gaustad potted his first of the season for Buffalo on a freak play. Stafford centered the puck, and Gaustad stopped it with his foot after Curry had slid too far to get back in the play. Gaustad had a gimme to make it 2-1.
Sidney Crosby tied it minutes later when Evgeni Malkin took a wicked slapper that ricocheted off the end boards to the front of the net. Crosby, using inept hand-eye coordination, batted the puck out of the air past Miller to tie it 2-2.
Crosby got another one on a 4 on 4, again from Malkin with 56 seconds left in the period. Malkin moved it ahead to 87 after making a nice steal. Sid puck supported and took the puck in on Miller. He pump faked a slapper before beating Miller five hole, a la the Winter Classic.
A Thomas Vanek tripping minor gave the Pens an extended 5 on 3 that would carry over into the third period.
The Malkin-Crosby-Sykora line is the best in hockey, bar none. Hell, you could put me with those two, and we'd still be the best line in hockey. Wow, just wow. Malkin to Sid and vice versa....it's just magical to watch.
The Pens took a 3-2 edge into the third, and they were flying.
Of course, the 5 on 3 went to waste. No surprise there.
Stafford evened it again for the Sabres shortly after in a 3 on 2. The Pens turned it over in the neutral zone, and that was it. Thomas Vanek made a nice pass to Stafford right in the slot, and Curry never even went down.
After Curry made some sick saves, Gaustad stuffed in a cheapy between Curry's legs. Leave it to this team to give up the first two goals of the season to some shit fourth liner.
The Pens had one final hurrah with Curry pulled late, but an early whistle averted a great chance on a rebound for Max Talbot, who very concievably would have buried the puck.
Bounce back tomorrow, damnit.
Go Pens.
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2 comments:
that early whistle really pissed me off! It would've tied the game for sure! Sid's stick-slap to the goal post made me feel a little bit better tho. :]
LET'S GO PENS!
Haha it would seem Sid's goal scoring touch has returned. It'd be sweet if those guys finished 1-2 in scoring.
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