HEATHER WAMPLER – OVATHLETICS.COM
The Pens met with the Ottawa Senators for game one in the playoffs. Nothing like game one on the road to get Lord Stanley. It’s just too bad the Pens lost. Forwards Matt Cooke and Chris Kunitz as well as defenseman Brooks Orpik returned to the lineup. The scratches were Mike Rupp, Eric Godard and Jay McKee. For being the defending Stanley Cup champs they didn’t really play like it on Wednesday night. Disappointment doesn’t really cover the way I felt at the last buzzer. I’m just hoping that the run for the cup isn’t over in four games.
This was Pens goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s 50th time starting in the post season. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been. This brilliant idea dawned on me as I was screaming “PULL FLEURY” at my T.V. The very beginning of the first period wasn’t horrible. The Pens got on the power play at 2:50 when Sens center Peter Regin was off to the box for hooking Pens center Max Talbot. 3:03 into the first, while still on the power play, Pens captain Sidney Crosby won the faceoff and found defenseman Sergei Gonchar who in return set up center Evgeni Malkin for a one-timer that sailed over the glove of Sens rookie goaltender Brian Elliot. After the whistle at 4:32 Malkin and former Pen left winger Jarkko Ruutu went at it. There were no penalties, surprisingly. It was nice seeing left winger Chris Kunitz back on the ice doing what he does best, drilling guys into the boards. He delivered a perfectly clean, hard hit to Sens defenseman Chris Campoli and I think I might have seen a hint of a smile on Kunitz’s lips. I know there was one on mine. The smile left my face though at 8:45 when Regin slammed home center Jason Spezza’s rebound. Right winger Daniel Alfredsson received the second assist. Talbot managed to draw his second penalty at 9:34 on center Mike Fisher for interference. Unfortunately the power play unit was unable to do anything. The game continued 1-1 for a bit longer. There was one more goal. At 14:08 Sens defenseman Anton Volchenkov shot the puck at Fleury but it went off his left shoulder and straight to right winger Chris Neil who beat out the goaltender for the 2-1 lead. Center Chris Kelly received the second assist. The Pens then gave the Sens a spill over power play at 19:32 when left winger Alexei Ponikarovsky was sent to the box for slashing. The Pens were outshot 11-4.
To keep up with the loosing, the Pens defense and Fleury, which were already a bit on the lacking side, seemed as though they weren’t in the game. Which of all games, the playoffs would be an ideal time to show up. While still on the second periods power play Ottawa was able to get a two goal lead. 1:20 in Kelly picked up a loose puck and threw it into an empty cage for a power-play goal. He was assisted by Campoli and defenseman Erik Karlsson. At this point I was getting a bit discouraged and restless. The thought of screaming “PULL FLEURY” was playing around in my mind but the Sens were only up by two. It was still the beginning of the second. No need to panic just yet. The Pens had yet another power play to kill at 6:41 when defenseman Kris Letang heads off to the box for slashing. I was so happy when the Sens didn’t score. The Pens did finally get their own power play at 10:09 when Regin was in the box for holding. I wasn’t disappointed in the power play unit. They made quite an effort during the game. Malkin took a pass from Gonch at 10:22 and was able to walk right up and bury the puck behind Elliott for a cut in the Sens lead. Captain Crosby received the second assist. But they turned that celebration right back around. It was like a swift smack in the face really. 12:11 had Pens Kunitz heading off to the sin bin for charging. The Sens were really making fools of them. At 13:14 Karlsson was able to wrist a Fisher rebound in over a flailing Fleury. Center Matt Cullen received the second assist. Now I was screaming “PULL FLEURY”. I guess Pens head coach Dan Bylsma didn’t hear me. The Pens did finally get a break at 17:53 when the Sens were called for too many men on the ice which was served by right winger Chris Neil. Unfortunately the power play unit did nothing with the man advantage. The Pens and Sens were even at 8 shots a piece.
A mere 56 seconds into the third and we already have four-on-four play. Pens left winger Matt Cooke and Sens Spezza start to go at it but are stopped by the refs. Both players were sent to the box for roughing. The Pens did seem to show up a bit more for the third period. However, the damage was irreversible. The first goal came about at 5:16 when Pens right winger Craig Adams lifts a backhander in past Elliott’s glove for his first goal of the season. He was assisted by left winger Pascal Dupuis and Talbot. It’s now 4-3 for the Sens. This was where I began to think they could turn the game around. That they could win it but at 9:40 Sens Ruutu put them back up when he took a pass from Neil to, once again, beat out Fleury with a wrister. Kelly received the second assist. Sens Regin was off to the box once more at 13:26 when he was called for tripping Pens Dupuis. The power play unit was back on the ice, accomplishing nothing. If they were going to beat the Sens this power play would have been an enormous help. Alas, no goal. The Pens make a go for it at 17:36 and the puck finds its way home to the back of the net. Crosby was able to get a pass to Gols, who fires a shot over Elliott to get them within a goal of tying. Malkin received the second assist. Bylsma did pull Fleury at the end of the game, but not to replace him. The Pens worked with a man advantage for the last minute of the game. The horn blows, ending the first game of the playoffs. Pens 4- Sens 5.
The Pens and Sens play in game 2 on Friday, March 16 @ 7 pm @ the Mellon.
