HEATHER WAMPLER – OVATHLETICS.COM<\/p>\n
The Pens met with the Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday night for the 2nd of their six home games. This is the first time since left winger Alexei Ponikarovsky was sent to the Pens in exchange for left winger Luca Caputi. Since coming to the Pens Ponikarovsky has scored two goals and 6 assists in eleven games. This is also forward Max Talbot\u2019s 300th NHL game. Forwards Evgeni Malkin and Eric Godard were scratched from the game. Malkin missed his sixth out of seven games with a foot injury. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar was also scratched again due to illness.<\/p>\n
The Leafs got the scoring started early when center Rickard Wallin got a breakaway chance at 3:23 but was stopped by Pens goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Right winger Colton Orr picked up the rebound and sent it sailing in the net. Defenseman Luke Schenn received the second assist. The Pens didn\u2019t take long to respond to the Leafs goal. After battling for the puck center Mike Rupp sent it to center Tyler Kennedy who was waiting in front of the net and able to score on Leafs goaltender Jean-Sebastian Giguere. The first penalty of the game went to Pens left winger Ruslan Fedotenko for hooking at 12:27. The Pens had to fight a five-on-three penalty kill for less than a minute when defenseman Mark Eaton joined Fedotenko in the box for interference. The Pens finished up the first period outshooting the Leafs 10-9.
\n1:45 into the second period Pens left winger Chris Kuntiz slapped a shot to the goal but it was snagged by Giguere. At 2:02 Fedotenko made his way back to the bench after taking a stick to the eye. No penalty was given. The Leafs were able to get the second period scoring started at 4:54 when center Phil Kessler fired a shot over Fleury\u2019s left shoulder for their second goal of the game. Thankfully the Pens weren\u2019t about to let the Leafs keep the lead for long. Captain Sidney Crosby struck at 7:29 when he picked up defenseman Brooks Orpik\u2019s rebound for his 46th goal of the season. <\/p>\n
Ponikarovsky received the second assist. The Pens quickly turned the game in their favor at 10:43 when Orpik picked up the puck in the far end and quickly passed it to Crosby who scored his second goal of the game and the lead for the first time. Defenseman Kris Letang was the first off to the box for the second period at 11:12 for slashing. They were able to successfully kill off the Leafs third power play of the game. Shortly after their power play, though, the Leafs were able to turn around and tie up the game yet again. At 14:53 defenseman Carl Gunnarsson fired a wrister past Fleury assisted by left winger Fredrick Sjostrom and Wallin. The Pens get another power play opportunity at 15:53 when Leafs center Christian Hanson is sent to the sin bin for delay of game when he sent the puck sailing into the stands. Crosby was aching for a hat trick. He got a breakaway opportunity during the power play and got a beautiful shot off on Giguere but was denied. The power play was killed. With a mere seven seconds left in the second Kennedy was sent off to the box for a cross over penalty for too many men on the ice. The Pens outshot the Leafs 16-10.
\nAn odd penalty is called at 3:48 on someone who rarely gets one, Pens goaltender Fleury is called for interference. It was served by Ponikarovsky. For the first time in 31 power plays the Pens were unsuccessful at killing it. Leafs left winger Nikolai Kulemin was able to poke defenseman Dion Phaneuf\u2019s shot in for the Leafs fourth goal of the game. Center Phil Kessel received the second assist. The Pens receive the final regular time power play when Leafs Sjostrom is sent to the box for hooking. The Pens were unable to score and fought the rest of the period trying desperately to get that one goal. It\u2019s amazing how nerve wracking one goal can be. I was on the edge of my seat yelling at the TV and at them. They must have heard me because at 17:12 Orpik sent a pass to defenseman Jordan Leopold who sent the puck sailing to the net, left winger Matt Cooke was there and able to deflect it in tying up the game in the nick of time. The Pens outshot the Leafs 13-8.<\/p>\n
OT. It\u2019s an amazing time. It only takes one goal to end the game. One goal determines if you get one point or two. I love it and I hate it. The Pens had every opportunity to end the game in OT especially when they received a power play at 3:23 when Leafs defenseman Francois Beauchemin was sent to the box for interference. The five minutes would end scoreless, which lead to the shootout. I love shootouts. They are well worth the five minutes of OT play. Kris Letang was up first for the Pens. He tried to send the puck through Giguere\u2019s legs but was stopped. I always hate when the first shooter is blocked but it\u2019s always a big sigh of relief when Fleury can make the save. Phil Kessler tried to just fire the shot at him and was stopped with the left pad. Captain Crosby was up next for the Pens and sent the puck flying over Giguere\u2019s glove for the first goal of the shootout. Nikolai Kulemin was next up for the Leafs but was denied. Brooks Orpik was the game winner when he sent the puck flying over Giguere\u2019s glove as well. Pens won it 5-4.
\nThe Pens now stand at 44-25-7 and remain at the top of the Eastern Atlantic Division with 95 points still two above the New Jersey Devils who have 93. The Philadelphia Flyers are still pulling in third with 80 points followed by the New York Rangers with 76 and the New York Islanders with 72. The Washington Captials still hold onto the top spot for the Atlantic Conference with 109 points and the Pens are a distant second with 95. The Buffalo Sabres are third with 92 points while the Devils are fourth. After Saturday\u2019s 4-1 win over the Philly Flyers the Pens clinched the playoff spot for the Eastern Atlantic Division. Congrats Pens! Henrik Sedin holds onto the top spot for point\u2019s leader with 101 followed very closely by Alex Ovechkin who has 100. Crosby is holding onto third with 94 while Nicklas Backstrom is falling at fourth with 90. Martin St Louis has pulled into fifth with a mere one point lead with 87 points.<\/p>\n
The Pens take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, March 31 @ 7:30 pm @ the Mellon Arena.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HEATHER WAMPLER – OVATHLETICS.COM The Pens met with the Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday night for the 2nd of their six home games. This is the first time since left winger Alexei Ponikarovsky was sent to the Pens in exchange for left winger Luca Caputi. Since coming to the Pens Ponikarovsky has scored two goals and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-professional"],"yoast_head":"\n