Hey, PTF readers. My name is Erika and I’m the new contributor to this awesome blog. I go to the University of Pittsburgh and I’m the resident hockey expert in my dorm. I’m from a small town called Lancaster, and since that’s closer to Philly (unfortunately), I have to put up with a whole family and group of friends who are Flyers fans. I just point out that their team is a joke (example: Scott Hartnell) and they back off. :]
Let’s get this show on the road.
As Sid said in his pre-game interview, this game was all about work ethic. In other words, you can’t win against Buffalo on fancy tricks and mediocre skating. And, boy, did they work!
PERIOD 1:
MAF opens with a nice save, but literally 5 seconds later, lets a shot in. It was a bad bounce off Boucher’s skate. In the first minute. This is not the start we hoped for. Toni Lydman upends Gogo with a hard hit in the Buffalo zone. Nothing but solid skating for awhile until Cookie Monster’s slapshot bounced around for what seemed like an hour before Miller caught it. Satan took a shot too and Miller blocked it. Miller was really on tonight, as he made a save on Eaton who redirected a fantastic pass from Sid and another shot from Sykie. The boys are definitely working hard this game. Satan makes a smooth pass to Sid but it is again blocked by Miller. Maxim Afinogenov breaks down the middle, trying to squeeze between Tanger and Eaton. Eaton clears it and then blocks a shot from Derek Roy with his chest. Then play picks up. A lot. MAF makes some great saves and then Derek Roy gets some Free Candy: Orpik attack! Soon after this beautiful hit, Orpik is called for interference for taking a Sabre down behind the net. MAF and the defense were in good form and Eaton cleared it to Staalsy who advanced to make a great pass to himself between the defenseman’s legs, but Miller got it once again. The penalty is soundly killed. Sykie shoots again, but is denied. More solid skating, Staalsy makes a nice pass to the front of the net, but no one is there to complete the play. Flower makes some more saves. So does Miller. And the period is over.
MAF opens with a nice save, but literally 5 seconds later, lets a shot in. It was a bad bounce off Boucher’s skate. In the first minute. This is not the start we hoped for. Toni Lydman upends Gogo with a hard hit in the Buffalo zone. Nothing but solid skating for awhile until Cookie Monster’s slapshot bounced around for what seemed like an hour before Miller caught it. Satan took a shot too and Miller blocked it. Miller was really on tonight, as he made a save on Eaton who redirected a fantastic pass from Sid and another shot from Sykie. The boys are definitely working hard this game. Satan makes a smooth pass to Sid but it is again blocked by Miller. Maxim Afinogenov breaks down the middle, trying to squeeze between Tanger and Eaton. Eaton clears it and then blocks a shot from Derek Roy with his chest. Then play picks up. A lot. MAF makes some great saves and then Derek Roy gets some Free Candy: Orpik attack! Soon after this beautiful hit, Orpik is called for interference for taking a Sabre down behind the net. MAF and the defense were in good form and Eaton cleared it to Staalsy who advanced to make a great pass to himself between the defenseman’s legs, but Miller got it once again. The penalty is soundly killed. Sykie shoots again, but is denied. More solid skating, Staalsy makes a nice pass to the front of the net, but no one is there to complete the play. Flower makes some more saves. So does Miller. And the period is over.
Hot this period: Eaton and Sykora, with an honorable mention to Staalsy
Malkin seems to have dropped off the face of the earth (????)
PERIOD 2:
A couple seconds in, Satan is called for tripping. I can’t help but think how ticked Therrien will be for giving Buffalo an unnecessary advantage so early in the second. MAF makes a fantastic reflexive save. Also blocks shots from Roy and Vanek. The puck is cleared and the penalty killed. Boucher shoots one wide. Buffalo takes it again. Then Wallace and Godard make a good hustle toward the net, but it’s blocked by Miller then cleared. Geno made a nice pass to Sykie in the neutral zone but nothing becomes of that. Staalsy and his line try to get the puck into Buffalo’s zone. It’s turned over to Kotalik and he scores 6 minutes in. One question: where was the defense?! Soon after, Satan feeds one to Dups who send the puck to the back of the net. Malkin gets called for tripping. During the ensuing power play, MAF denies Vanek twice and Eaton blocks Roy’s shot. Penalty killed AGAIN! :] Miller makes a fluke save on a nice shot from Tanger as he loses his balance and falls over. Sykie and Geno take shots, both are wide. Gogo takes a sweet slapshot. It shoots beneath Miller’s left pad and the game is TIED. MAF makes a stick save on MacArthur. Tanger’s slapper is blocked by traffic. Godard and Peters drop the gloves. Peters takes Godard down; Godard gets an extra 2 minute minor. MacArthur scores on the PP. After a collision at the goaline, Tanger seems to be limping. He is shown on the bench speaking with the medical staff and making gestures to his right leg. MAF makes a sweet glove save to end the period.
Hot this period: Dups and Gogo
Now, Sid seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth (????)
PERIOD 3:
The beginning was all about the hustle. The boys were skating hard and fast. Boucher was sent to the sin bin on a trumped-up hooking call. MAF played an extraordinary power play giving proof to the old adage that patience is a virtue…and creating a new adage: that persistence is also a virtue. The penalty is killed once again. I cannot help but notice that the European line is way out of synch tonight as Malkin misses a nice pass from Sykie. Geno recovers the puck but Miller makes the save. Paille is called for roughing Gogo and the Pens get their first power play of the night. Sid makes a nice pass to Staalsy, whose shot is blocked by the defense. Then, Gogo lets loose a hell of a slapper down the middle and ties it up at 3. Lots of play in the Pens zone. MAF is playing really well. Pens take it down to the other end of the pond and Boucher is called for high-sticking. MAF stops a wicked wrister by Pominville and a blind backhand from Vanek and Stafford. Go, Flower, go! A hand pass halts play and Versus plays a replay of MAF’s sick skills. Malkin tries for a shorthanded backhand but it’s blocked by Miller. Penalty killed. Lydman robs Sid of the puck. Gogo makes a great defensive play on Vanek. Hustle from both teams doesn’t result in any goals. Time expires and we go to overtime.
Hot this period: Gogo and Flower
Letang really has dropped off the face of the earth: he hasn’t returned this period.
OVERTIME:
Sid misses a great chance, but then Geno puts it in! But wait, it’s under review! The ref thinks Sid tapped it in on the arc. The call on the ice stands, Sid’s stick wasn’t above the crossbar. Sid’s first goal in a LONG time.
Hot in overtime: Sid and Geno, what else did you expect?
An exciting game. Great job, boys.
2 comments:
Great first post Erika!
Thanks a lot.
so i'm pretty that I am the resident hockey expert in our dorm!! but you still did an amazing job in your first recap!
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