Photo Credit: Nick Wass/ Associated PressBy Chris Carrano
There are only two teams that the Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t beaten yet this season and that grim fact may have an effect on them come payoff time. In nine games against the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals, the Penguins have compiled an 0-7-2 record, having lost all six regular season meetings to the Devils.
The Penguins, however, have one more meeting against the Capitals in Pittsburgh and according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com, the Pens need to win this game if they want to restore some measure of confidence in themselves. Even though they are the defending Stanley Cup champions, heading into the postseason having lost all ten games to Washington and New Jersey will bear some significant weight on their minds.
The game proved to be another classic battle between the two teams and the NHL’s two superstars. The Penguins had a 2-1 lead after the second period, but Alexander Semin tied the game with what the Associated Press described as “one of the best individual short-handed efforts of the year”. He picked off a pass from Crosby deep in the Capitals' end, skated the length of the ice weaving around and through the Penguins' power-play unit and then unleashed a wrister from the slot that found the upper right-hand corner of the net.
That wasn’t the only lead the Penguins would blow. After Pittsburgh’s Jordan Staal tied the game late in the third period, the two teams battled to an overtime stalemate. The Penguins then went up 2-0 in the shootout on goals by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Caps answered right back with three straight goals from Alexander Ovechkin, Semin and the eventual game winner from Mike Knuble.
Not everyone in Steeltown is worried though. Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the 4-3 loss last night at the Verizon Center just might turn out to be one of the pivotal moments in their season: in a positive way. Molinari writes that the Penguins did a lot of good things on the ice in competing for a full 65-minutes against the NHL’s top point producing team. Despite playing without Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins competed on even or better terms.
At the very least, the point they earned when Jordan Staal tied the score with 3:06 left in regulation boosted them back into first place in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of New Jersey. The Devils, though, have played two fewer games.
But the impact of this kind of performance, accomplished without two guys who contribute a lot of quality minutes, could be felt long after the current standings have been forgotten.
"For a lot of reasons, that's the type of game we expect from our team, and the way we can play," coach Dan Bylsma said. "The way we played, that's the way we need to play to play our game. Getting to our game, we did that for long stretches. And we responded when things didn't go well, stuck with our game."
So mark April 6th on your calendars hockey fans. It’s the last tune-up between these two teams before the playoffs get here. Let’s all hope they meet again in May.
The Penguins, however, have one more meeting against the Capitals in Pittsburgh and according to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com, the Pens need to win this game if they want to restore some measure of confidence in themselves. Even though they are the defending Stanley Cup champions, heading into the postseason having lost all ten games to Washington and New Jersey will bear some significant weight on their minds.
The game proved to be another classic battle between the two teams and the NHL’s two superstars. The Penguins had a 2-1 lead after the second period, but Alexander Semin tied the game with what the Associated Press described as “one of the best individual short-handed efforts of the year”. He picked off a pass from Crosby deep in the Capitals' end, skated the length of the ice weaving around and through the Penguins' power-play unit and then unleashed a wrister from the slot that found the upper right-hand corner of the net.
That wasn’t the only lead the Penguins would blow. After Pittsburgh’s Jordan Staal tied the game late in the third period, the two teams battled to an overtime stalemate. The Penguins then went up 2-0 in the shootout on goals by Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby. The Caps answered right back with three straight goals from Alexander Ovechkin, Semin and the eventual game winner from Mike Knuble.
Not everyone in Steeltown is worried though. Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the 4-3 loss last night at the Verizon Center just might turn out to be one of the pivotal moments in their season: in a positive way. Molinari writes that the Penguins did a lot of good things on the ice in competing for a full 65-minutes against the NHL’s top point producing team. Despite playing without Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins competed on even or better terms.
At the very least, the point they earned when Jordan Staal tied the score with 3:06 left in regulation boosted them back into first place in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of New Jersey. The Devils, though, have played two fewer games.
But the impact of this kind of performance, accomplished without two guys who contribute a lot of quality minutes, could be felt long after the current standings have been forgotten.
"For a lot of reasons, that's the type of game we expect from our team, and the way we can play," coach Dan Bylsma said. "The way we played, that's the way we need to play to play our game. Getting to our game, we did that for long stretches. And we responded when things didn't go well, stuck with our game."
So mark April 6th on your calendars hockey fans. It’s the last tune-up between these two teams before the playoffs get here. Let’s all hope they meet again in May.
OTHER SCORES
NY RANGERS 5, NY Islanders 0
BUFFALO 3, Montreal 2
DETROIT 4, St. Louis 2
COLORADO 4, Los Angeles 3
VANCOUVER 4, Anaheim 3
TONIGHT’S GAMES
Intriguing matchups abound tonight as the playoffs draw near. The Rangers, Thrashers and Bruins all play tonight as each team battles for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. Out West, Phoenix, Chicago and San Jose all take to the ice tonight as they jockey for position in the race for the Western Conference’s number one seed.
Tampa Bay at Boston 7:00 PM
Washington at Carolina 7:00 PM
NY Rangers at New Jersey 7:00 PM
Calgary at NY Islanders 7:00 PM
Minnesota at Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Toronto at Atlanta 7:00 PM
Chicago at Columbus 7:00 PM
Florida at Montreal 7:30 PM
Los Angeles at St. Louis 8:00 PM
Phoenix at Nashville 8:00 PM
Dallas at San Jose 10:30 PM
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