HEATHER WAMPLER – OVATHLETICS.COM
The Pens met with the Montreal Canadiens for game three of the second series. I must admit with how their goaltender, Jaroslov Halak, has been playing I was nervous. He’s a great goalie. I’m not sure why I get nervous. When it counts, most times, the Pens pull through. Forward Billy Guerin was out of the line up with an undisclosed injury along with Jordan Staal who still has the lacerated tendon. Good news on the Staal front is he did take the ice for their morning skate for a bit. I didn’t think that would happen for a few weeks. Eric Godard, Chris Conner and Jay McKee were the other Pens scratches. Center Mark Letestu was called up from the baby Pens to replace Guerin.
This was a low scoring game. Very low scoring. The first period didn’t have much action in it at all really. At 3:30 in Habs defenseman P K Subban and left winger Alexei Ponikarovsky mixed it up in front of the benches. No penalties were given. There was a penalty given less than a minute later at 4:22 to Pens defenseman Alex Goligoski for tripping. I must say I was thoroughly impressed with Pens goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. He was amazing in this game. It was a tough game not only for the penalty killers with Staal still out but now the power play unit since Guerin was out. Ponikarovsky was bumped up to his spot. They got their first chance at 12:24 when Habs center Maxim Lapierre was sent off to the box for goaltender interference. Both teams were 0-1 on their power plays. The Pens were outshot 7-3 at the end of the first.
The second was a bit more exciting than the first. Still scoreless though. My nerves were more and more on edge. 5:04 in Habs Halak made two great saves, unfortunately for the Pens. He was able to stop a great shot from defenseman Sergei Gonchar and the rebound shot from left winger Chris Kunitz. The most exciting thing happened at 9:42 when defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron sent an elbow into Pens left winger Matt Cooke’s head. I’m still not sure why Cooke was given a penalty considering when he was thrown into the net he wasn’t able to do much. Lapierre joined in and all three players were given roughing minors. Pens Captain Sidney Crosby had a chance for the first goal of the game, but Halak was able to keep him off the scoreboard. Crosby’s line was able to draw a holding penalty against Habs defenseman Hal Gill at 19:48. After the whistle at the 20:00 mark captain Crosby and center Scott Gomez mixed it up. They were pulled apart but Pens defenseman Kris Letang and Habs defenseman Josh Gorges replace them and are given roughing penalties. It was a nice scrum and I was fired up for the Pens to win. By the end of the second the Pens outshot the Habs 13-3.
The Pens started the third period with a power play, which was what they needed. They were able to open the scoring at 1:16 when Gonchar set up center Evgeni Malkin for a scoring chance. Malkin was able to beat out Halak and slap the puck through his legs. Goligoski received the second assist. I was ecstatic. I was waiting for that goal. Now they just had to hold the Habs back for 18 minutes. I kept my fingers crossed, hoping they could do it. At 9:36 Fleury made a great save on Habs right winger Brian Gionta. I couldn’t believe it. I was going nuts. My neighbors probably think I’m insane. 13:23 was another amazingly great save by Fleury and he was able to help keep the Pens on top. The Habs were keeping our goaltender on his toes. A mere four minutes later he made the save of the night. He got his right pad on a shot as he went down into the splits on a play to Habs center Tomas Plekanec. With less than a minute left in the period Habs head coach Jacques Martin made the decision to pull Halak. His hopes of tying the game up were dashed at 19:45 when Pens left winger Pascal Dupuis snapped the puck into the empty net. Kunitz and defenseman Mark Eaton were given the assists. Habs Lapierre was given the final penalty of the game at 19:51 for slashing. Fortunately for the Habs the Pens were unable to score.
Pens won game 3 and are now 2-1 for the series. They play the Habs on Thursday, May, 6 @ 7:00 p.m. @ the Bell Center.
The Boston Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday 3-2, the Bruins lead the series 2-0; the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Cannucks also played on Monday, the Blackhawks won 4-2, the series is tied 1-1; the San Jose Sharks beat the Detroit Redwings 4-3, the Sharks lead the series 3-0.
