The Pittsburgh Penguins closed out 2011 with another loss to an Atlantic Division opponent. Ilya Kovalchuk scored on a penalty shot and Marty Brodeur made stopped 29 shots as the Devils are now 7-3 in their last ten games. The Penguins’ struggles continue against divisional opponents as they are now 1-4 against teams not named the Islanders within their division.
It was the last game played in a forgetful year for the Penguins who were only able to have their star center man and captain, Sidney Crosby, for ten games in 2011. While Crosby’s concussion issues reach deeper than the immediate future, the Penguins also had star centers, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal, miss significant time due to injury. With so many players missing time due to injuries over the past full year, the prospect of seeing a fully healthy Penguins team sounds more like a pipe dream.
For the Penguins, 2011 produced few fireworks; much like their final game against New Jersey.
For three quarters of the first period, both teams were locked into a 0-0 stalemate with minimal chances for either club. Then, after a stop by Marc-Andre Fleury, Brooks Orpik allegedly covered the puck in the crease which, by rule, resulted in a penalty shot. The Devils elected to use the highly skilled Ilya Kovalchuk who fired a shot five-hole on Fleury to give the Devils a 1-0 lead.
The Penguins continued their undisciplined play when Arron Asham was called for a double minor after he took a high sticking penalty and then yelled at the referee for missing a boarding call. Shortly thereafter, Jordan Staal took a slashing penalty and the Devils, coming in with the worst powerplay in the league, took advantage. Dan Clarkson cleaned up a loose puck in the crease after Patrick Elias’s shot hit the post and bounced behind Fleury. By the end of the first, the Devils had the advantage in shots, powerplays and goals.
The second period was a different story.
The Penguins controlled most of the play in the second, outshooting the Devils 12-5, but couldn’t score thanks to Marty Brodeur’s spectacular play in net. Jordan Staal had a shorthanded chance in front but Brodeur’s sprawling poke check denied Staal’s chance. Each team exchanged a powerplay but nothing changed on the scoreboard.
In the third, the Penguins continued to control play as Evgeni Malkin started to take over the game. Malkin took the puck at center ice and swooped past Mark Fayne who was forced to take a hooking penalty. The Penguins used their fourth powerplay of the game to score when Chris Kunitz knocked the puck in after it caromed off the back boards. Down 2-1 midway through the third, the Penguins were stifled by New Jersey’s defensive play, failing to get significant time in the offensive zone for several minutes.
Marc-Andre Fleury made an acrobatic save to rob Patrick Elias and keep the game close. Not to be outdone, Marty Brodeur robbed Matt Cooke whose shot bounced off of Brodeur shoulder. The crowd chanted “Marty” in approval while the Penguins were running out of time. Zach Parise took advantage of a Staal turnover and buried an empty net goal to seal the game.
- The Penguins host their next game against the New York Rangers on Friday.
- December marked the first month since January 2004, that the Penguins played more than 5 games in a month and did not have a game go into overtime.
- Evgeni Malkin’s point streak ends at eight.
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