Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Pens 3, Flyers 2; Now THAT'S more like it




"Laser"

That's the first thing that came to mind (yes, with Dr. Evil and Mini-me holding up the quote signs) when Malkin slapped that frozen rope to the top shelf to win the game for the Pens last night.

"That was a frickin' laser !!!"

But last night's win was much more than than just one slapshot. The Pens played a much better overall game. They moved the puck, finished their checks, and mostly kept the loose pucks away from MAF.

And whoa !!! 39 shots on goal ?? You guys feeling alright ??

To be fair, with any kind of luck, this one could have been 6-3 or so. I think we need to call the league office in Toronto, because I believe Ryan Whitney broke the all-time record for most open nets missed in one game. Throw in a couple of shots to the posts, and it could have been a much bigger win, but hey, we'll take a 3-2 win, in regulation.

Speaking of records, the Pens are good for a handful of goals by putting pucks in their own net every year. Am I the only one that only sees that from the Pens ??

Sid has got to be in some pain today after taking that slapper from Gagne in the chest late in the game. Thank goodness that it wasn't in the head, that could have been disastrous.

Good to see Jordan Staal pulling out of his slump. I could have easily used the aforementioned "laser" reference for his one-timer as well, but since Malkin's was for the game-winner, his gets the nod.

Having said that however, I'd like to see Jordan use his size a bit more physically. Now that I think of it, there are a lot of Pens that do not check like they could. Gonchar is another one. Sergei can lay some leather when he wants to, but most of the time he just gives love taps. Throw Whitney and Leclair in that boat as well. I really don't see why the Pens don't throw their weight like they could, especially considering their opponents certainly aren't holding back.

Well, it's 3 days of practices before the Pens fly to Buffalo. This could be one high-flying ballgame. Speed, speed, and more speed. Set your TIVO's boys.

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