HEATHER WAMPLER – OVATHLETICS.COM
The Pens met with the Atlanta Thrashers Saturday night for a road game loss. They had to play without winger Alexei Ponikarovsky who was suspended for two games because of the boarding to Bailey when the Pens played the Islanders. Winger Chris Kunitz and defenseman Jay McKee were also scratched. Going into this game the Pens were tied with the New Jersey Devils for the top slot in the Eastern Atlantic Division. The Devils automatically get 1st in a tie though due to sweeping the Pens in the regular season. To correct my last article, Sidney Crosby DID NOT receive his 50th goal. After further review it was given it too Billy Guerin.
1:22 into the first period center Jordan Staal had an amazing opportunity to get the first goal but it hit that awful post. He is so close to his career high of 50 points. 4:27 brought about the first penalty. Thrashers defenseman Artus Kulda was sent off for interference. The Pens weren’t able to make anything happen on their power play. Instigator right winger Eric Godard made sure everyone on the Thrashers team knew he was on the ice. He tried his hardest to get someone to drop gloves with him but nobody seemed interested in a fight. The next to the sin bin was Pens captain Sidney Crosby for cross checking at 9:36. The Pens were back on the power play at 11:05 when Thrashers right winger Bryan Little is called for interference. The power play unit was unable to score again. Almost half way through the first and still goalless. The final attempt at a fight came at 16:07 when Pens Godard and center Mike Rupp tried to go at it with Thrashers left winger Evander Kane. Rupp was sent to the box for misconduct and Godard was off for roughing and Kane was off for roughing. The Thrashers had a man-advantage but fortunately the penalty killers were able to hold them off. The Pens outshot the Thrashers 9-4.
The second brought about the first fight at 1:59. Pens left winger Matt Cooke and Thrashers Kane dropped gloves. It was a good scrap. Unfortunately our tough Cooke isn’t invincible. Kane threw a knockout punch to him causing him to fall to the ice hitting his head hard. After being down for a few minutes and examined by the trainers, he was able to get up on his own and skate to the locker room. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Both players were given five minute fighting majors. The Pens did get a man-advantage at 2:52 when Thrashers defenseman Mark Popovic was sent to the penalty box for tripping. The Pens got a few good shots on Thrashers goaltender Johan Hedberg but were stopped. It might have taken almost 1 ½ periods but Godard finally got his fight. At 7:25 Thrashers left winger Eric Boulton drops stick and gloves with the big enforcer. Despite not playing much Godard hasn’t lost his touch. He was able to deliver quite a few solid hits in a fight that lasted nearly two minutes. An eternity in hockey time. Both players received five minute fighting majors. A mere second after the penalty was up, Pens center Tyler Kennedy took Godard’s spot in the box for slashing. This gave the Thrashers yet another power play which enabled them to open up the scoring with the one and only goal in the entire game. At 9:26 Thrashers Little was able to find a loose puck and when Pens goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury goes down, Little lifts the puck for the game winning goal. He was assisted by left winger Clarke MacArthur and left winger Vyacheslav Koslov. The Pens were given yet another power play opportunity at 12:20 when Thrashers defenseman Ron Hainsey is sent to the penalty box for delay of game when he sent the puck sailing over the glass. But leave it to center Evgeni Malkin to destroy that. I was beginning to wonder when he would be heading off to the box. He did at 13:35 for cross-checking. After a few more rushes by the Pens and being stopped, obviously, they are right back on the power play. Yes, that was all the game was. Penalties. It was rather disappointing. At 16:17 Thrashers center Rich Peverley was sent away for hooking. Finally, the last of the penalties went to Pittsburgh at 18:52. Rupp was in the box for slashing. The Pens outshot the Thrashers 11-9.
The third period was started by Staal again. He rushed the net and had a great chance but Hedberg was able to deny him. 7:43 in center Max Talbot was the next to get a shot off but Hedberg was able to glove it for the whistle. With the way the Pens played on Saturday the Thrashers are lucky they had Hedberg. If it wasn’t for him, the Pens could have won. The first Pens penalty came about at 16:12 when none other than Malkin is off to the penalty box, again, for high-sticking. Thankfully the penalty killers and Fleury showed up for the game. The final penalty of the game went to left winger Ruslan Fedotenko at 19:03 for a delay of game when the puck went into the stands. The Pens outshot the Thrashers 13-9.
The New Jersey Devils now have a two point lead (101 points) on the Pens (99). The Pens will have to play the Ottawa Senators first in the play offs. Alex Ovechkin has reclaimed the top spot for point’s leader with 109. Henrik Sedin falls to second with 108. Captain Crosby remains in third with 104.
The Pens final game will be played on Sunday, March 11 @ 5:00 pm @ the Nassau Coliseum.
