The Daily Bongo

Game Recaps for the Current Pens Season

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Sunday, April 22, 2012 -- Early Evening

Pens' Season Ends

We all knew that it would be difficult to win four in a row. Not many teams have been down 3-0 in a series and have come back to win it. The Pens this season were no exception. In today's game against the Flyers, the Pens just weren't able to get their act together. The team looked lackluster to me. Only Evgeni Malkin was able to get a goal to answer the four goals that Marc-Andre Fleury let in (and one empty netter). The question becomes what happens to Dan Bylsma after this. I admit that I've never been a fan of his. I can hear you know, telling me that Bylsma won a Stanley Cup with the Pens. Yes, but Michel Therrien was the coach for the majority of that season. When Bylsma is the season's coach, the Pens seem to have a problem getting beyond the first round. Last season, Bylsma had the excuse that he didn't have a healthy team. This year, he has a healthy team, and one that was supposed to be at its best. I guess we should be happy that at least we won two games in the series???? I know that is meaningless to me, and I'm sure it's equally meaningless to other fans, and hopefully to the Pens management.

Sixth Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

Goals

Pens

Flyers

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Friday, April 20, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Are Still Alive!

The Pens were still in desperation mode this evening. Right now, they have to win every game to stay in the series. It's possible that they can do it, at least based on tonight's performance. Marc-Andre Fleury did a pretty good job in goal; he has his confidence back, and he only let in two Flyers goals. Steve Sullivan had a goal in the first period that was bookended by goals from Matt Carle and Scott Hartnell. Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy got goals for the Pens to tie and then take a one point lead. Fleury's confidence was back, and the Pens managed to get the win. Things are looking up with the Pens winning with a final score of 3-2.

Fifth Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

Goals

Flyers

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 -- Evening

Must Win!

Tonight was a must win situation for the Pens. The situation in the Flyers series was dire. James Neal had a one game suspension for the fiasco in Sunday's game, and so did Craig Adams. Arron Asham had a four game suspension. The media was all over Sidney Crosby for his curlish, immature behavior in letting the Flyers get under his skin, and acting like a petulant baby who didn't get his way. Marc-Andre Fleury was exuding a lack of confident and an inability to stop the puck. Evgeni Malkin could hit the broad side of a barn if he was inches from it. Yes, there was a good deal wrong with the Pens in this series. When game four started this evening, things did not look good. Claude Giroux scored 1:14 into the game. The fans were cheering for the Pens blood. The first period was a back and forth shooting fest with the Flyers and then the Pens scoring. Malkin, Crosby, and Jordan Staal all had goals for the Pens to bring them within one of the Flyers. The first period ended with a score of Flyers 4 - Pens 3. When the Pens came back from the locker room for the second period, they went on a scoring streak. They were determined that they would not be denied the win. Fleury was stellar in goal, and held the Flyers to not goals through the last two periods. In the second period, Kris Letang, Steve Sullivan, and Pascal Dupuis got a goal each. Staal got two goals to get a hat trick in the game. Malkin got another goal in the third to give the Pens a double digit score of 10. The Pens got the win, and Fleury got his confidence back. Now, it's just down to playing each game as if it is the only one. Maybe, just maybe, the Pens can come back from a 3-0 deficit to pull out a series win. Final score: Pens 10 - Flyers 3.

Fourth Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

Goals

Pens

Flyers

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Sunday, April 15, 2012 -- Late Afternoon

Farce of a Game

The Pens /Flyers game this afternoon was a farce. The Pens just seem to be unable to play against the Flyers, and the game devolved into a shooting fest, and in the last few minutes of the third period, a fighting fest. James Neal, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Derrick Englland, and Craig Adams were all involved in the fighting. Adams got into trouble because he pulled Scott Hartnell's hair, although I think that Adams was grabbing for jersey and got hair. In the final seconds of the game, the Flyers crowd was chanting, "you can't beat us!" and it does seem to be the case. Marc-Andre Fleury played the first two periods, and was pulled in favor of Brent Johnson when the score was 6-4 at the end of the second period. Final score was Flyers 8 - Pens 4, and the Pens go down 3-0 in the series. Scorers for the Pens: Jordan Staal (2 goals) and James Neal (2 goals). Max Talbot also got two for the Flyers.

Third Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

Goals

Pens

Flyers

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Friday, April 13, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Down 2-0 in the Series

The Pens' had to come out fighting to win tonight's game against the Flyers. Sidney Crosby scored a goal in the first 15 seconds of the game, and that go everyone going in Console Energy Center. Nine minutes later, Chris Kunitz got a power play goal with the help of James Neal and Evgeni Malkin to give them a 2-0 lead. Peter Laviolette called a time out to give the Flyers a breather, and things were looking very good, but we had a similar start with Wednesday's game. Max Talbot, former Pen, scored for the Flyers, and you could have heard a pin drop in the area. It was as if the air was let out of the crowd's spirit. As the period ended, Paul Martin got a goal with an assist by Crosby. The first period ended with a 3-1 Pens lead.

Five minutes into the second period, Claude Giroux scored. Two minutes later, it looked like the Flyers were going to tie the game when Marc-Andre Fleury made a beautiful save to keep the Pens in the lead. The action moved to the other end of the ice where Ilya Bryzgalov made some nice saves for the Flyers. Things started to look like the last game when Giroux got a short handed goal to tie things. The Pens were dead, and Malkin and Kunitz came right back to score an answering goal six seconds later! With 2.8 seconds left in the second period, the Flyers Sean Couturier got a goal to tie things up. The players went to the locker room with a 4-4 tie.

The Pens came out and scored on in the first minute of the third period with a goal by Tyler Kennedy, with assists by Matt Cooke and Jordan Staal, but then Couturier got it back seconds later to keep the game tied at 5 each. The tide turned against the Pens when Jaromir Jagr gave the Flyers their first lead of the game. Then it went from bad to worse. Couturier got his third goal of the game, and Giroux got one in the Pens' empty net. The Flyers win with a final score of 8-5, and it sounds as if a death knell is ringing over the Pens' chances at another Stanley Cup.

Second Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

Goals

Flyers

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Thursday, April 12, 2012 -- Evening

Playoff Stunner

I admit it. I had a migraine last night, and I went to sleep at the start of third period of last night's Pens /Flyers. After all, the Pens were doing well. Sidney Crosby, Tyler Kennedy, and Pascal Dupuis all had goals in the first period to give the Pens a 3-0 lead into the second period. Yeah, so Danny Briere got a goal in the second, but there was no way the Pens wouldn't win the game. I woke up in the morning to learn that the Pens had lost in overtime. Briere got a second goal in the middle of the third, followed minutes later by Brayden Schenn to tie things up. Then 2:23 into the first overtime, the Flyers won with a goal by Jakub Voracek. I'm really starting to worry about the Pens making it through this series. The Flyers take game 1 with a final score of 4-3.

First Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

Goals

Flyers

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

OT 1

Final

Saturday, April 7, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Win Final Regular Season Game

The Pens /Flyers game was not as raucous as we all thought it might be. Pascal Dupuis continued on his scoring streak with a goal, an and Chris Kunitz, Evgeni Malkin, and Sidney Crosby also had goals. Jaromir Jagr also had a goal for the Flyers. Malkin finished the season as the Art Ross Trophy (most points in the season) winner with 107 points. Marc-Andre Fleury started the game and played for 32 minutes. Since the Pens had a 2-1 lead at that point, Dan Byslma pulled Fleury. If the Pens won, he would get the win, and if they lost, it wouldn't count against him. Since the Pens won, Fleury got win number 42 to finish second in wins for the season with Pekka Rinne having 43. Final score of today's game: Pens 4 - Flyers 2.

Eighty Second Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Flyers

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Thursday, April 5, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Beat Rangers

The Pens played and beat the Rangers this evening in the next to the last game of the season. The Rangers had already clinched the first place in the Eastern Conference, and with the win, the Pens clinched the fourth place. The Pens will be meeting the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs. In tonight's game, Evgeni Malkin got goal number 49. Chris Kunitz, Tyler Kennedy, Richard Park, and Kris Letang also got goals in the 5-2 win. There was an incident where Brooks Orpik had a knee on knee with Derek Stepan in the last few minutes of the game. John Tortorella, Rangers coach, went ballistic, calling the Pens "one of the most arrogant organizations in the league. They whine about this stuff all the time, and look what happens. It's ridiculous. But they'll whine about something else over there, won't they? Starting with their two [expletive] stars." Harsh words! From the replay, it looked like Stepan ran into Orpik who was just holding steady in his position, and when Stepan went around Orpik, he ran into Orpik's knee. It definitely wasn't an Alexander Ovechkin type kneeing incident.

Eighty First Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Rangers

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Tuesday, April 3, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Win

Brent Johnson was in goal for the Pens in this evening's game against the Boston Bruins. James Neal got his fortieth goal of the season, and Sidney Crosby got two goals in the game. Arron Ashman got a goal, and Joe Vitale, unfortunately, took a puck to the face. However, the game was a win, and that's all the Pens need in the waning games of the season. Final score: Pens 5 - Bruins 3.

Eightieth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Bruins

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Sunday, April 1, 2012 -- Afternoon

Pens Lose -- No April Fool

Every time the Flyers come to town, you know there's going to be a hard fighting game. This afternoon's Pens / Flyers game was no exception. Tempers are always on a short leash, and before you know it, a fight can break out. This game was particularly emotional because the Pens haven't been playing as well, and the Flyers are battling to take the number four spot away from them, so the Flyers can have the home ice advantage in the playoffs. The first two periods were close, with the Pens and Flyers tied at two goals each. Steve Sullivan and James Neal scored for the Pens in the first, and Claude Giroux and Max Talbot scored for the Flyers. In the third period, things got out of hand. The Flyers scored four goals on Marc-Andre Fleury, and tempers started to flare. In the final minute and a half of the game, the Flyers put out their line, and the Pens put out their fourth line, who then started hard hitting. Fighting broke out on the ice, and then Peter Laviolette started yelling over at the Pens bench. Laviolette even jumped up on the partition to yell. Tony Granato jumped up on the Pens partition to tell Laviolette to step down. Pierre McGuire, who was in the section between the benches said that Granato wasn't saying anything bad, but both coaches were thrown out of the game. Then various players were thrown out of the game. With 32 seconds left in the game, Chris Kunitz scored one, but there wasn't any celebrating. It's not looking good for the Pens to maintain their number 4 position with the Flyers now only one point behind them. Final score: Pens 4 - Flyers 6.

Seventy Ninth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Flyers

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Friday, March 30, 2012 -- Evening

Crosby Gets 600 Points

The Pens were in action tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. This is a rough four days with the Pens playing three of those days. Tonight's game was a good one, much more physical and entertaining. Sidney Crosby had four points on the night, and he got his 600th career point. This was also a notable night because Brent Johnson played his first game in over a month, and although he was shaky at first, he came on to have a very good third period. Goal scorers for the Pens: Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, James Neal, Steve Sullivan, and Jordan Staal. Finals score; Pens 5 - Sabres 3.

Seventy Eighth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Sabres

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Thursday, March 29, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Deja Vu

This evening's Pens / Islanders game was a repeat of Tuesday's game. It was such a case of deja vu that the score was the same. The Islanders just have the Pens' number. Even though the Islanders lose to everyone us, they beat the Pens. This game really sucked because Sidney Crosby was hit in the face with a puck. It banged up his nose. Goal scorers for the Pens: Pascal Dupuis, Jordan Staal, and Evgeni Malkin. Final score: Pens 3 - Islanders 5.

Seventy Seventh Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Islanders

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Tuesday, March 27, 2012 -- Evening

One of Those Games You Want to Forget

Tonight's Pens / Islanders game was one of those you just want to forget. The Islanders took an early two goal lead. Even though the Pens tied things at the start of the second, things just went down hill. The Islanders scored some more goals, and Marc-Andre Fleury took a heavy hit from Paul Martin when Fleury came out of the crease to play the puck. Fleury's helmet flew across the ice, and Fleury acted shaky after that. Brad Thiessen started the third period for the Pens, and we can only hope that Fleury bounces back from the shaky game and hard hit. The Pens lose with a final score of 5-3. The good news was that Evgeni Malkin got two assists on James Neal's goals.

Seventy Sixth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Islanders

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Sunday, March 25, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Win

The Pens were playing for the second night in a row, playing the NJ Devils. The Pens weren't acting tired when they came out to play, with Chris Kunitz scoring a goal off of an Evgeni Malkin assist one minute and four seconds into the game. Unfortunately, the Devils took advantage of Marc-Andre Fleury getting caught behind the net with a wide open goal. Zach Parise took advantage to tie the score. The scary moment in the game came in the first half of the first period when Malkin took a puck to the hand. He was on the bench with ice on his hand for a while before he went back on the ice. In the waning minutes of the first period, Matt Cooke took advantage of a turnover to shoot the puck to Jordan Staal who scored. The period ended with the Pens one up on the Devils. Pascal Dupuis scored in the second period. At the beginning of the third period, Ilya Kovalchuk positioned himself beside Fleury, and was able to get a goal for the Devils. Shortly after that, Sidney Crosby got a breakaway and scored on amazing goal on Martin Brodeur. In the last two minutes of the game, Brodeur left the net to give an extra man on the ice, and Malkin scored an empty net goal. The Pens had yet another five goal game, and won with a final score of 5-2. The Pens have 100 points for the season, and a game in hand over the conference leading Rangers.

Seventy Fifth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Devils

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Saturday, March 24, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Lose to Ottawa

The Pens were in Ottawa to play the Senators this evening, and fortunately, I wasn't home to see the game. I say fortunately because the Pens lost with a score of 8-4. Part of the problem was goaltending; Brad Thiessen was in goal for the Pens. However, you can't have Marc-Andre Fleury playing every game. Fleury already has 40 wins this season, and would probably be a good contender for team MVP. Matt Cooke complained about the the officiating, which seemed to go against the Pens this evening. Cooke has had the best season of his career, and he added two goal to his total tonight. Tyler Kennedy and Sidney Crosby also got goals in the losing effort. Tomorrow, the Pens will be playing the Devils.

Seventy Fourth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Senators

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Thursday, March 22, 2012 -- Evening

Fleury's 40th Win of the Season

The Nashville Predators are in the hunt for the playoffs, and tonight they were in Pittsburgh to play the Pens. Marc-Andre Fleury was back in goal for the Pens, and he got his 40th win of the season tonight. Evgeni Malkin and Pascal Dupuis scored in the first period to give the Pens a 2-0 lead. Then Matt Cooke and Chris Kunitz scored in the second, with Malkin adding his second goal of the night in the third period. James Neal got four assists in tonight's game. The surprises of the team are Cooke and Dupuis, who are on a scoring tear. Final score was Pens 5 - Predators 1. The Pens are really looking like a Stanley Cup contender this season. Everyone has that up, happy look, and are playing like there is no tomorrow.

Seventy Third Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Predators

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 -- Evening

Neal Hat Trick & Malkin's Parents

The Winnipeg Jets were back in town to play the Pens this evening, and the game was pretty much a repeat of the Feb. 11 Jets game. Brad Thiessen was in goal for the Pens. There hasn't been much word on Brent Johnson other than that he is still recuperating from an undisclosed injury. Tyler Kennedy scored first for the Pens, followed by two Jet goals. Then James Neal got the first of his three goals. Tyler Kennedy ended the night with two goals, and Evgeni Malkin gave his parents a show with two goals and two assists. Pascal Dupuis scored a goal, and although Sidney Crosby didn't have any goals, he did get four assists. Final score: Pens 8 - Jets 4. It's a lot of fun to watch Malkin's parents react during the game. Malkin looks like his mom, and both mom and dad are high-fiving and celebrating every score.

Seventy Second Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Jets

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Sunday, March 18, 2012 -- Afternoon

Winning Streak Snapped

It's not often you get to watch hard hitting hockey, but that's what you get with a Pens / Flyers match-up. When these two teams get together, you just know that there will be scrums and fighting, and this game was no exception. Craig Adams got a goal for the Pens in the first period, and Evgeni Malkin got one in the second. Then Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell tied things up in the third. The game went into overtime, and with seconds left before the shootout, the Flyers scored to get the win. There went the Pens winning streak, stopped at 11. Marc-Andre Fleury was playing today, for the second day in a row, and he was quite unhappy at the goal. Final score: Pens 2 - Flyers 3.

Seventy First Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Flyers

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Saturday, March 17, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Have 11 Game Winning Streak

Marc-Andre Fleury and the Pens tend to get hot in March, and this season has been no exception, with the Pens beating the Devils today with a final score of 5-2. The Pens winning streak now extends to 11 games, and Dan Bylsma admitted that the team is going for the conference lead. James Neal, Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke, and Evgeni Malkin all had goals. Cooke got two goals today to bring himself to a career high of 16 goals this season. Just goes to show you that it is possible to clean up your act. Sidney Crosby was a power house, getting three assists and the first star of the game. Poor Martin Brodeur had to face 44 shots in the game while Fleury only had 14. The Devils just weren't up to it today, and the Pens excelled.

Seventieth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Devils

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Thursday, March 15, 2012 -- Evening

Crosby and Letang Return

Both Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang returned to the ice for the Pens in tonight's game against the NY Rangers. I didn't get a chance to watch the game because I was teaching, and it sounds like a missed a good game. The Pens won with a final score of 5-2. Crosby had 16 minutes on the ice while Letang had 24:22. Matt Cooke got two goals, and Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz, and Pascal Dupuis got one. Crosby got an assist on the Kunitz goal and was a +3. Letang was a +5. Not bad at all!

Sixty Ninth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Rangers

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Sunday, March 11, 2012 -- Afternoon

Pens on Nine Game Winning Streak

The Pens are hot and playing like a team obsessed with leading the Eastern Conference. This afternoon, they played the Boston Bruins in an early game at Console Energy Center. Teh Pens came out flying with three goals from Arron Asham, Matt Niskanen, and James Neal in the first period. Neal's goal was a power play goal, and it netted a free McDonald's Big Mac for everyone in attendance. David Krejci bookended a Chris Kunitz goal in the second period, and Pascal Dupuis, on his own hot streak, scored a goal in the third to give the Pens a 5-2 win. This is the ninth straight win for the Pens, and sees them only two points away from the Easter Conference leading NY Rangers . Evgeni Malkin got three assists in the game, netting the number two star and one point behind Steven Stamkos 82 points for the season. Things are really looking good as the Pens near the end of the regular season. Sidney Crosby may be back for Thursday game against the Rangers, and the Pens, in general, are playing well.

Sixty Eighth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Bruins

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Friday, March 9, 2012 -- Evening

Shootout!

The Pens played the Florida Panthers this evening. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal for the Pens. The first period was scoreless, and then the Panthers took a one goal lead in the second. Steve Sullivan got a goal in the third to tie things up. Unfortunately, a Pascal Dupuis goal was called off because the powers that be in Toronto didn't see the puck cross the line. From what I could tell, the Toronto crew got it right. Regulation ended in a tie, so the game went into overtime. Overtime was scoreless too, so it was on to a shootout. First up for the Pens was James Neal, and he scored. Next was Wojtek Wolski, and he missed wide on the net. Then Evgeni Malkin scored with a Kris Letang. Fleury stopped Mikael Samuelsson with a sprawling glove hand. Fleury is the ace when it comes to the shootout. The Pens win their eighth straight with a final score of 2-1.

Sixty Seventh Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Panthers

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

0 (0-2)

1 (2-2)

Final

Wednesday, March 7, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Versus Maple Leafs

The Pens played the Maple Leafs tonight. Brad Thiessen was in goal for tonight's game. No word really on Brent Johnson other than that he was injured in practice. There were no goals in the first period. Then while the NBC Sports guys had Mario Lemieux on during the second period, the Leafs got two goals. Fortunately at the end of the period, Pascal Dupuis scored. At the start of the third, Jordan Staal and then Dupuis both got goals to give the Pens a 3-2 lead. Fortunately, the Pens and Thiessen were to hold off the Leafs to get the win. Thiessen is 2-0 in NHL starts.

Sixty Sixth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Maple Leafs

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Monday, March 5, 2012 -- Evening

Fleury, Fleury, Fleury!

The Pens were back in town this evening, but it felt like the West Coast trip was still on with the Phoenix Coyotes on the other side of the ice. Tyler Kennedy was back for the Pens after missing a month with a high ankle sprain. The Pens got two goals in the first period from Zbynek Michalek and Chris Kunitz. Marc-Andre Fleury making saves that you would now believe. One of the best came midway through the second period when Fleury lost his stick, but still managed to keep the puck out of the net. Matt Cooke wound up in the penalty box after he was tripped and fell into the goalie, Mike Smith, who started to pummel Cooke. Poor Cookie! It was his second straight fall into a goalie. The Pens had the power play because three Phoenix players got roughing penalties (including goalie Smith), and at one point, the Coyotes stole the puck and went at Fleury. Fleury came charging out of the net and stopped the puck. It was just another stellar play on Fleury's part. A hotly contested second period ended with a goal from other team, even though both tried hard with 14 shots from the Coyotes and 10 from the Pens. At the start of the third period, Ray Whitney got one past Fleury. It was a bit of a let down for me. Fleury whacked his stick against the ice afterwards. The Pens didn't score again, but then neither did the Coyotes. Fleury saved 36 of 37 shots in the 2-1 win, giving him the number one star of the game!

Sixty Fifth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Coyotes

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Saturday, March 3, 2012 -- Evening

Pens on 8-2-0 Streak!

The Pens were in Colorado to play the Avalanche this evening. The Avalanche came out shooting, taking 14 shots as opposed to the Pens 8 in the first period. Marc-Andre Fleury did a great job in keeping the puck out of the net, but J. S. Giguere wasn't as good or lucky. Arron Asham and Deryk Engelland got goals in the first period. In the second period, Evgeni Malkin and Richard Park got goals to give the Pens a 4-0 lead. Of course, I started to root for a shutout, but Matt Hunwick spoiled those dreams by getting a goal in the third period. With less than two minutes on the clock, Steve Sullivan got a goal to give the Pens a 5-1 win. Fleury stopped 35 of 36 shots in a great performance. The Pens are now in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Sixty Fourth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Avalanche

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Win in a Shutout

The Pens travelled to Dallas to play the Stars this evening. Dallas scored first in the first period, and Steve Sullivan tied things up near the end of the first period. Unfortunately, Kris Letang took an elbow to the head from Eric Nystrom halfway through the first period. Letang was out on the ice, went to the locker room in obvious pain, and did not return. The Pens said that Letang was out for the rest of the game with an upper body injury. It' really sucks because Letang had a concussion two months ago, and I can only hope that this vicious blow doesn't give Letang a setup. The NHL really needs to do something to stop low blows like this. At the very end of the second period, the Stars took the lead. But that didn't last long once the third period started. Craig Adams and Chris Kunitz got goals to give the Pens a 3-2 lead, and Marc-Andre Fleury made some great saves, especially a huge save on a Stars breakaway. The Pens looked like they had momentum on their side until the Stars tied things up. Regulation ended in a tie, and overtime started with the Stars having a power play. There was no score in OT, so you know what that meant: a shootout! James Neal went first and scored with a five hole shot. Then Loui Eriksson went for the Stars, and he scored to even things up. Evgeni Malkin was up next, and Kari Lehtonen stopped him. Mike Ribeiro got stopped by Fleury. Then Chris Kunitz made a last minute backhand move to score! Jammie Benn was up next, and Fleury needed to stop him, but he wasn't able to. Next was Pascal Dupuis, and he score with a quick shot! Then it was Michael Ryder, and Fleury stopped him. The Pens won with a final score of 4-3.

Sixty Third Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Stars

1st

2nd

3rd

1 (3-4)

0 (2-4)

Final

Sunday, February 26, 2012 -- Afternoon

Pens Win Back-to-Back

Brad Thiessen had his NHL debut this afternoon when he started the Pens versus Columbus Blue Jackets game. Brent Johnson is out for a bit with an injury. Supposedly, Johnson tweaked something during practice on Thursday, but I wonder if the tweak was that Johnson just hasn't been playing well when he goes in for Marc-Andre Fleury. The Blue Jackets scored first with a goal by Rick Nash. The Pens took a while, but Evgeni Malkin got a goal in the last minute of the second period. Pascal Dupuis got a goal in the third to give the Pens a lead, but then two goals were called off by the refs. The crowd got really antsy and vocal with the second goal, on a shot by Kris Letang, called off. The claim was that Chris Kunitz was in the line of vision of the goalie, or interfered with him in some way, but it was actually a Blue Jacket player who was in the way. You rile up the fans and the team, and what do you get? Letang scoring his goal back. The disallowed goal was a joke. The refs were so obviously wrong, but there's nothing anyone can do other than penalize the refs financially after the game. Like that would happen! Joe Vitale got a goal for the Pens, but then seconds later, the Blue Jackets got another one right back because the Pens didn't change their line after the Vitale goal. When the horn blew at the end of the game, Thiessen had his first NHL win. Dupuis got the puck to give to Thiessen, and everyone went over to congratulate him on the win. My favorite part of the win is when the players go over to congratulate the goalie, one by one. It's really cool, and I like to see how all the players interact with each other. Final score: Pens 4 - Blue Jackets 2.

Sixty Second Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Blue Jackets

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Saturday, February 25, 2012 -- Early Evening

Pens Win!

The Tampa Bay Lightning were in town to play the Pens this afternoon. It was a fun game. I thought for sure that the Lightning would pull Dwayne Roloson when the Pens scored three goals in three minutes in the middle of the first period. They didn't, and Roloson continued to be a duck in a shooting contest. By the time it was done, Evgeni Malkin had three goals, Jordan Staal had two goals, and Chris Kunitz, Matt Cooke, and Pascal Dupuis got one each. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 34 of 35 shots in the win and got the third star of the game. Fleury has been doing a great job this season. The final score: Pens 8 - Lightning 1.

Sixty First Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Lightning

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 -- Evening

Fleury Gets a Shutout

Marc-Andre Fleury got a shutout in this evening's Pens game against the Rangers. Evgeni Malkin and Steve Sullivan both got goals in the 2-0 win. Fleury got the first star for his 22nd career shutout, tying the franchise record.

Sixtieth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Rangers

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Sunday, February 19, 2012 -- Afternoon

Hockey in America Game

After a long, boring, hockey segment on NBC, we finally got to the Pens and Buffalo Sabres. We found out that the game was delayed in Buffalo because one of the camera lights exploded on the Sabres side of the ice. It scattered glass all over the Sabres' side of the ice. So the Sabres had to warm up on the Pens side, and then the players had to have their skates sharpened. Brent Johnson was in goal for the Pens, to give Marc-Andre Fleury a rest. 52 seconds into the game, Jason Pominville scored for the Sabres. In a few minutes, the Sabres scored again. As the NBC announcers said, Dan Bylsma has said before the game that they have to give Johnson some time because they can't play the wheels off of Fleury. After Johnson let in another goal at the start of the second period, Bylsma pulled Johnson and put in Fleury. Less than a minute after pulling Johnson, Evgeni Malkin shot the puck to Derek Engelland who put it behind Ryan Miller to get the Pens on the score sheet. In the third period, the Pens got a power play goal from Jordan Staal to pull within one of the Sabres, but then a minute later, Drew Stafford got a short handed goal to give the Sabres another two point lead. That wasn't the end of the scoring for the Sabres; they got two more in the third. A disappointing loss for the Pens with a final score of 6-2.

Fifty Ninth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Sabres

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Saturday, February 18, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Beat Jagr and Flyers

The Pens played their first back-to-back game this weekend in Philly against the Flyers. The game was an early afternoon game, and it was a really exciting game. There were a ton of penalties in the first and second period, and both Jaromir Jagr and Matt Cooke both got two goals (and got the second and first stars, respectively, for the game). Cooke's second goal was a short handed one, and Jordan Staal also got a short handed goal in the second period. The game was tied going into the third period, but the Pens pulled ahead with three goals, from Dustin Jeffrey, Pascal Dupuis, and James Neal. The final score for the game was Pens 6 - Flyers 4. With the win, the Pens tied the Flyers' points for the season. Tomorrow, the Pens will be playing another early afternoon game against the Sabres.

Fifty Eighth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Flyers

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Lose

Bruce Boudreau and the Anaheim Ducks were in town this evening to play the Pens. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal for the Pens. Jordan Staal got a goal in the first period, showing that he is definitely back from his knee injury. Corey Perry tied the game for the Ducks in the final seconds of the second period. Teemu Selanne got the go-ahead goal for the Ducks, and they managed to hold off the Pens at the end. The Pens lose with a final score of Ducks 2 - Pens 1.

Fifty Seventh Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Ducks

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Sunday, February 12, 2012 -- Evening

Malkin-mania!

The Pens were back in action this evening, this time with Brent Johnson between the pipes. The opponent: the Tampa Bay Lightning. Unfortunately, in the middle of the first period, the Lighting got two quick points with goals from Steve Downie, within seconds of each other! Evgeni Malkin showed why he is a points leader with a goal in the final minutes of the first to bring the Pens close. The Malkin-Neal-Kunitz line is amazing, and Chris Kunitz proved it by scoring the tying goal at the start of the second period (0:56). His assists came from Kris Letang and Brent Johnson. Then a few minutes later, Letang scored with an assist by Kunitz. Poor Mathieu Garron, the Lightning goalie and former Pens goalie, was under constant fire in the second period. Midway through the second period, Malkin scored again. He has been hotter than hot. When you see how Alexander Ovechkin performs, you have to wonder how Malkin got picked second! The third period was quite entertaining, even though there weren't any scores. With an empty Lightning goal and 1 second on the clock, Malkin bounced one off the pipes to just miss getting a hat trick. All in all, a very entertaining game! Final score: Pens 4 - Lightning 2.

Fifty Sixth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Lightning

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

view of the Pens vs. Winnipeg Jets from my seat at Console Energy

Saturday, February 11, 2012 -- Evening

Welcome Back Jets!

The Winnipeg Jets returned to Pittsburgh for the first time in 15 years. The game this afternoon not only marked the return of the Jets, but it also marked the return of Jordan Staal to the ice. Staal is supposed to be starting off with no more than 15 minutes. Yeah, right! Good luck with that! Even with a knew brace on, Staal wound up playing a total of 16:14 and a goal to his credit.

I was at today's game, and it was quite a scoring fest! The Jets took an early 2-0 lead, but then Dustin Jeffrey and James Neal both got goals to tie things up. The first period ended with a score of 2-2. Nope, the scoring wasn't over. The second period was more in the Pens favor, with the Pens making 15 shots to the Jets 4. And the Pens made three of those shots goals. Chris Kunitz, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin got the goals. In the third period, the scoring continued. Dustin Byfuglien got a goal for the Jets, but Richard Park, Jordan Staal, and Kris Letang (with goal number two) gave the Pens the lead and the win. Malkin ended the game as the first star with one goal and three assists. Final score: Pens 8 - Jets 5. Obviously, neither Marc-Andre Fleury or Ondrej Pavelec, the Jets goalie, had a stellar game. All that matters in the end is that the Pens got the win, and I got to see the Winnipeg Jets.

Fifty Fifth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Jets

Pens

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Lose in a Shootout

The Pens were in Montreal to play the Canadiens this evening. You could tell that the top line was really suffering the strain of playing hard because Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz, and James Neal seemed to be dragging at time. Fortunately, the team had enough energy for Pascal Dupuis and James Neal to both get goals in the third period to tie the game. The game went into overtime, a situation that happens a lot with the Pens. Of course, the Canadiens might not have gotten the goal from Lars Eller in the third period if Marc-Andre Fleury didn't misplay the puck. He seemed to think that the Canadiens were going to just toss the puck in for a line change, and then they didn't. As the whistle blew at the end of the overtime, Kris Letang tackled Patrick Subban. Subban had been shoving Malkin around, and Letang had had enough of it. Again, the Pens were in a shootout: Fleury against Carey Price. Renee Bourque was up first for the Canadiens, and he scored. Kris Letang was up next. The fans were booing because of his tackle. Unfortunately, Letang was stopped by Price. Max Pacioretty was next, and Fleury stopped him. Next up was Malkin. Malkin did a beautiful spinarama to put the puck behind price. Fleury stopped David Desharnais. It was up to James Neal, but he just didn't have a chance. Eric Cole was next for the Canadiens. Fleury managed to knock it wide of the net. Cal O'Reilly, new Pen, missed. Then Lars Eller was up, and he scored. So it was down to Chris Kunitz. Kunitz faked out Price and went five hole to score. Now it's Louie Leblanc. Fleury knocked the puck away with the stick. Steve Sullivan couldn't score when Price lay down on the ice blocking the net. Then it was Andrei Kostitsyn, who was stopped by Fleury. Pascal Dupuis went with speed, but he was stopped. Tomas Plekanec was up next, and he scored. All the weight was on the shoulders of Pens' Jason Williams, but he couldn't get it past Price. After a great, long shootout, the Canadiens win, with a final score of 3-2.

Fifty Fourth Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Canadiens

1st

2nd

3rd

0 (2-8)

1 (3-8)

Final

Sunday, February 5, 2012 -- Afternoon

Pens Lose to the Devils

The Pens have had issues beating the New Jersey Devils in recent years, and this afternoon's game was no different. Marc Andre Fleury started the game for the Pens, but he was pulled at the start of the second period when he let in his third goal of the game (and a short handed one too, which really put the nail in the coffin). Brent Johnson went in, and the Pens quickly got a power play goal from Matt Niskanen. But then around eight minutes later, the Devils scored again with a goal from Zach Parise. Evgeni Malkin managed to get a goal to bring the Pens within two of the Devils, but it was too much to make up so late in the game. The Devils went on to win with a final score of 5-2.

Fifty Third Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Devils

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Saturday, February 4, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Win With Fleury

The Pens were in Boston to play the Bruins in an early afternoon game. Marc-Andre Fleury was back between the pipes, and surprise of surprises, the Pens won this one. Evgeni Malkin and Matt Cooke got goals to give the Pens a 2-1 win.

Fifty Second Game of the Regular Season

Goals

Pens

Bruins

1st

2nd

3rd

Final

Thursday, February 2, 2012 -- Afternoon

Pens Lose a Close One

Surprises of surprises, Marc-Andre Fleury, after an eight game winning streak, was pulled from the back-to-back home/away series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dan Bylsma decided that Brent Johnson needed a turn between the pipes to spell Fleury. Johnson didn't do a bad job; he only let in one goal. The problem is that James Reimer, the Maple Leafs goalie, had a shut out. The Pens suffered a loss, but let's hope that they pick up their winning ways again. Final score: Pens 0 - Maple Leafs 1. ng right? Then Evgeni Malkin got a goal and things were looking up again. Minutes later, Malkin got a second beautiful goal from his stomach to give the Pens a 5-3 lead. Vinnie Lecavalier got frustrated because of Malkin's play, and tried to pick a fight. It didn't help that Lacavalier tried to sucker punch Malkin as the refs were holding them. As Malkin said afterwards, he didn't want to fight, he wanted to play hockey. Welll, Malkin continued to play hockey by getting an empty net goal from the blue line to get a natural hat trick. Pens won with a final score of 6-3.

Fifty First Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Maple Leafs 1st
0
0 2nd
0
0 3rd
0
1 Final
0
1

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Win
I missed the Pens game because I was teaching class and then came home sick. Well, I didn't miss all of it. I did see the end of the last period. So I saw Joe Vitale and Evgeni Malkin score to tie the game. There was no score in overtime, so it went to a shootout. Marc-Andre Fleury is stellar in the shootout, and he held the Toronto Maple Leafs to no goal. And Evgeni Malkin got the winning shootout goal for the Pens. Great ending to the game.

Fiftieth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Maple Leafs
Pens 1st
0
0 2nd
2
1 3rd
2
3 OT
0
0 SO
0 (0-3)
1 (1-3) Final
4
5

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 -- Evening

Upcoming All-Star Break
The Pens were in Saint Louis to play the Blues for their last game before the All-Star break. The Pens' James Neal and Steve Sullivan got goals for the Pens in the second period. The Blues tied things up with Patrik Berglund scoring a goal in the second period, and then scoring on a penalty shot in third period. There was a weird call against Matt Cooke in the last minute of regulation. Cooke got a boarding penalty, but it didn't look as if Cooke hit Barret Jackman. In fact, Cooke was beside Jackman, but Jackman quickly hit the glass, fell into a ball, and covered his face. It really looked like Jackman threw himself into the glass and did an acting job to draw the penalty. If Cooke did the deed, I would call him on it, but it really looked innocent to me. Regulation ended in a tie, and the game went into overtime. Marc-Andre Fleury made several stellar saves in OT. No score in OT meant a shootout. Kris Letang did not score, but Evgeni Malkin did. Unfortunately, the Blues got a goal by TJ Oshie. James Neal missed, but then Chris Kunitz scored to give the Pens a 3-2 win.

Forty Ninth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Blues 1st
0
0 2nd
2
1 3rd
0
1 OT
0
0 SO
1 (2-4)
0 (1-4) Final
3
2

Sunday, January 22, 2012 -- Evening

Pens/Caps Rivalry
The Pens had an early afternoon game against the Washington Capitals. This matchup used to be a hot rivalry, but with Sidney Crosby out, and Alexander Ovechkin not producing, things have cooled down immensely. Kris Letang showed why he is a valuable member of the team when he scored a goal. A minute later on a face-off by Michal Neuvirth, Evgeni Malkin passed the puck back to James Neal, who shot a rocket at the net to get another goal. Unfortunately, Brooks Laich, Alexander Semin, and Ovechking got goals. James Neal managed to tie things up with his second goal of the game. Regulation ended in a tie. 1:31 into overtime, Neal shot the puck at the net, and Malkin got the rebound behind Neuvirth to win the game for the Pens. Final score: Pens 4 - Caps 3.

Forty Eighth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Capitals
Pens 1st
0
2 2nd
2
0 3rd
1
1 OT
0
1 Final
3
4

Friday, January 20, 2012 -- Evening

Pens and the Canadiens
The Pens played back-to-back with a game this evening against the Montreal Canadiens. Because Kris Letang got a concussion from a hit by Max Pacioretty in the last game between the teams, there was a sense of retribution in this game. Chris Kunitz got in a fight with Pacioretty, and in the power play that followed, Letang got a goal. Unfortunately, all that did was tie the game since the Canadiens had already scored. Then the Canadiens scored again immediately after to get the lead back. The Habs were on fire this evening. They got two more goals in the second period, including one from Pacioretty. Maybe Marc-Andre Fleury wasn't as sharp as he could have been after playing two nights in a row. Dustin Jeffreys got two goals in a row, then with less than three minutes left in the game, Evgeni Malkin tied the game. Regulation ended in a tie! No score in overtime, so we had a shootout! Letang went first and, goalie, Peter Budaj, stopped him. Fleury stopped David Desharnais. Malkin got the puck past Budaj. Fleury was solid against Andrei Kostitsyn. James Neal missed on his chance. It was down to Fleury stopping Scott Gomez, and Fleury did the job. Pens win with a final score of 5-4.

Forty Seventh Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Canadiens
Pens 1st
2
1 2nd
2
1s 3rd
0
2 OT
0
0 SO
0 (0-3)
1 (1-3) Final
4
5

Thursday, January 19, 2012 -- Evening

Pens on a Winning Streak
The Pens traveled to New York to play the hot Rangers. The Rangers are leading the league, and some, like the owner, are claiming that they will win the Stanley Cup. Well, the Pens said something else this evening. With Kris Letang spending 24 minutes on the ice and scoring a point on his first game back after being off for two months with concussion, the Pens went on to a 4-1 win. Chris Kunitz, Richard Park, and Evgeni Malkin all got goals, with Malkin getting two. Malkin now leads the NHL in scoring. Good game. Tomorrow, it's back in Pittsburgh to play the Montreal Canadiens.

Forty Sixth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Rangers 1st
1
0 2nd
0
1 3rd
3
0 Final
4
1

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 -- Afternoon

Pens Win in a Shootout
I had a class last night, so I didn't get to see the Pens and Carolina Hurricanes. Instead, I had to see the late night recap. The Hurricanes scored quickly, and it wasn't until the end of the first period that Evgeni Malkin tied things up. From there, the game was scoreless through regulation. Nothing happened during overtime, so we had a shootout. The Pens won when Evgeni Malkin and James Neal both scored. A boring game, but it was a 2-1 win for the Pens.

Forty Fifth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Hurricanes
Pens 1st
1
1 2nd
0
0 3rd
0
0 OT
0
0 SO
0 (1-3)
1 (2-3) Final
1
2

Sunday, January 15, 2012 -- Late Afternoon

Malkin Plays Hockey
The Tampa Bay Lightning went from playoffs last season to last in the Eastern Conference this year. The problem for the Lightning is goaltending. Dwayne Roloson and Mathieu Garon are basically just okay goalies. So I had a ton of hope that the Pens would pull through on this one. Things were looking good in the first period when James Neal and Richard Park both got goals. Then in the third period, James Neal got his second goal of the game to give the Pens a 3-0 lead. Then within a span of a little under five minutes (4 minutes and 50 seconds), the Lightning got three goals to tie the game. Time to start worrying right? Then Evgeni Malkin got a goal and things were looking up again. Minutes later, Malkin got a second beautiful goal from his stomach to give the Pens a 5-3 lead. Vinnie Lecavalier got frustrated because of Malkin's play, and tried to pick a fight. It didn't help that Lacavalier tried to sucker punch Malkin as the refs were holding them. As Malkin said afterwards, he didn't want to fight, he wanted to play hockey. Welll, Malkin continued to play hockey by getting an empty net goal from the blue line to get a natural hat trick. Pens won with a final score of 6-3.

Forty Fourth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Lightning 1st
2
0 2nd
0
0 3rd
4
3 Final
6
3

Friday, January 13, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Finally Win!
The Pens really needed a win to get them out of their losing doldrums. The first period against the Panthers was scoreless, but less than two minutes into the second, Steve Sullivan scored for the Pens. Then in the last minute of the same period, Evgeni Malkin gave the Pens a 2-0 lead. As soon as the third period started, Tyler Kennedy scored. The Panthers managed to get one past Marc-Andre Fleury. James Neal finally got another goal to give him his 22nd goal of the season. The Pens finally broke their losing streak with the 4-1 win.

Forty Third Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Panthers 1st
0
0 2nd
2
0 3rd
2
1 Final
4
1

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Lose Yet Again
The Pens traveled to Washington to play the Capitals this evening. The Pens performed to their usual standard of late. They had difficulty scoring. In the past few games, the Pens were lucky to get a single point. Tonight's game was a close one. The Capitals got a goal in the first period, and then Marc-Andre Fleury kept the puck out of the Pens' goal. The Pens continued their losing streak, with the final score: Capitals 1 - Pens 0.

Forty Second Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Capitals 1st
0
1 2nd
0
0 3rd
0
0 Final
0
1

Tuesday, January 10, 2012 -- Evening

Neal Plays Against Senators
The Ottawa Senators were in town this evening to play the Pens, and the first shock of the day was when James Neal participated in the morning skate. The Pens claimed that Neal did not break his foot. Supposedly, he just has a bone bruise, and the "break" in the x-rays might have been a past injury. Speaking as someone who has broken a bone in the foot, I really have issues believing the Pens. But at least Neal is back on the ice.

Brent Johnson as in goal for the Pens. At the end of the first period, the Senators got two goals, then Jason Spezza got a goal at the start of the second. After that, it was bye-bye Johnson. The Senators got another goal before Evgeni Malkin finally managed to score one for the Pens. The Pens weren't able to score any more goals though, and they had their fifth loss in a row. Final score: Senators 5 - Pens 1.

Forty First Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Senators
Pens 1st
2
0 2nd
2
1 3rd
1
0 Final
5
1

Saturday, January 7, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Back to Back
The Pens were in action again tonight against the New Jersey Devils. Marc-Andre Fleury was back in goal for the Pens. Evgeni Malkin scored first, giving the Pens a 1-0 lead in the first period. As seems to be usual for the Pens lately, things went downhill from there. In the second period, Fleury thought he had the puck secured, but he didn't, and Adam Henrique tied things up for the Devils. Then Ilya Kovalchuk and Dainius Zubrus both got goals. The Pens lost another one with a final score of 3-1. Unfortunately, Jordan Staal joined the ranks of the injured with the knee injury he suffered in yesterday's game.

Fortieth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Devils
Pens 1st
0
1 2nd
2
0 3rd
1
0 Final
3
1

Friday, January 6, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Lose Another Game
The hot NY Rangers were in town this evening to play the Pens. Since the Pens are in the same division as the Rangers, a win against them was a must. The match started out positively with the Pens scoring first on a Ben Lovejoy goal in the first period. The Pens were really outshooting the Rangers, but then the tempo changed when Brad Richards got a goal towards the end of the first period. In the second period, Brandon Dubinsky got a short-handed goal for the Rangers to give them a 2-1 lead. The Rangers got another goal in the third period, and it was obvious the Pens were struggling. James Neal almost got a goal, but Chris Kunitz had interfered with Henrik Lundqvist, so the goal was called off. The Pens were outshooting the Rangers; they just couldn't get anything behind Lundqvist. Towards the end of the third period, there was a scary moment when Mike Rupp ran into Jordan Staal's left leg. Staal lay on the ice for a while, then was helped off the ice. The Pens lost this one with a final score of 1-3.

Thirty Ninth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Rangers
Pens 1st
1
1 2nd
1
0 3rd
1
0 Final
3
1

Saturday, December 31, 2011 -- Evening

Lackluster Pens
The Pens were in New Jersey to play the Devils this afternoon, and it was a lackluster performance. The Devils took an early 2-0 lead, and even though the Pens started to pick up their play in the third period, it was not enough to bet Martin Brodeur. The Pens lost with a final score of 3-1. The team has been in the doldrums lately, and I think that if it weren't for the injuries, people would be questioning the coaching of Bylsema. I know that I question it because even with the injuries, he still has Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal. I would imagine that as more players come back to the team, there might be more questions if the level of play doesn't pick up. Sidney Crosby is out indefinitely, if he ever does come back since he is suffering concussion symptoms again. Kris Letang also has a more severe concussion than originally thought. The frustrating thing about Letang is that he came back after the hit to play, and score the winning goal.

Thirty Eighth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Devils 1st
0
2 2nd
0
0 3rd
1
1 Final
1
3

Thursday, December 29, 2011 -- Evening

Jagr Back in Pittsburgh
Jaromir Jagr and the Philadelphia Flyers were in town this evening to play the Pens. The crowd turned out to mostly boo Jagr, but I have to admit that I'm conflicted over the whole thing. i appreciate Jagr for the outstanding player that he is. Granted, he is a bit of a drama king, but that makes Jagr all the more interesting. Jagr gave an interview to a group of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia reporters that the Post Gazette published. I have to say that Jagr's comments about the Pens' interest in Tyler Kennedy struck a cord with me. If I were Jagr, and I was was trying to make a deal with the Pens, and the Pens told me that they were waiting to hear what Kennedy was doing, I would wonder what role I would play with the Pens. If a third liner is more important than Jagr, he was right in thinking that he would take a back seat to said third liner. Jagr is a first or second line player. If the Pens weren't interested in that, the Flyers were.

When the game started, the Pens were the first to score with a goal by Jordan Staal, 44 seconds into the game. The Pens then went off of their game, allowing goals from Kimmo Timonen in the first and from Jagr and Matt Read in the second period. The game still had a period to go, and Evgeni Malkin scored a goal to bring the Pens close to tying the game. The Pens pulled Marc-Andre Fleury to tie the game, but instead, Max Talbot got an empty net goal to seal the deal for the Flyers. The Flyers win with a final score of 4-2.

Thirty Seventh Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Flyers
Pens 1st
1
1 2nd
2
0 3rd
1
1 Final
4
2

Tuesday, December 27, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Back from Christmas Break
The Pens were back from the Christmas break with a game at home against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes scored first, with the only goal in the first period. But then James Neal got a goal to tie things up in the second period. The Pens really broke out in the third period, with goals from Steve Sullivan, Pascal Dupuis, and Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes did manage to get another goal in the third, but the Pens went on to win with a final score of 4-2.

Thirty Sixth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Hurricanes
Pens 1st
1
0 2nd
0
1 3rd
1
3 Final
2
4

Friday, December 23, 2011 -- Evening

Pens in Winnipeg
The Pens were in Winnipeg to play the Jets this evening. The first two periods were fairly even in scoring. In the third period, the Pens pulled away, with goals form James Neal, Jordan Staal, and Pascal Dupuis. Pens win with a final score of 4-1.

Thirty Fifth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Jets 1st
1
0 2nd
0
1 3rd
3
0 Final
4
1

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 -- Evening

Blackhawks in Town
The Chicago Blackhawks were in town to play the Pens this evening. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal for the Pens. As usual, Fleury had a good performance. Evgeni Malkin was on fire, making himself a presence in the game, winning faceoffs and assisting on all three Pens' goals. The Blackhawks came on in the third with goals by Jonathan Toews and Viktor Stalberg, but it was too little, too late. The Pens won with a final score of 3-2. Pens goal scorers: Chris Kunitz, James Neal, and Tyler Kennedy.

Thirty Fourth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Blackhawks
Pens 1st
0
1 2nd
0
2 3rd
2
0 Final
2
3

Saturday, December 17, 2011 -- Evening

Back to Back Games
The Buffalo Sabres were in town this evening to play the Pens. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal for the Pens. The Pens came out shooting, scoring three goals in the first 10 minutes, which resulted in Ryan Miller being pulled from goal. Recent call-ups from the AHL, Jason Williams and Simon Despres got their first career NHL goals. Evgeni Malkin scored the third goal. After pulling Miller, Thomas Vanek scored for the Sabres. It was obvious that the Pens were dragging after their 10 minute scoring burst. With 2:30 left in the first period, Malkin got his second goal of the game. Ryan Miller started the second period, and within seconds, James Neal scored off an assist by Malkin. In the third period, the Sabres started to come back with two goals in a minute and half. But then Malkin got his hat trick goal, and Chris Kunitz scored shortly after that. The final score was Pens 8 - Sabres 3. Fleury got his 200th NHL win, and he was congratulated by the team. Fleury is the fourth youngest goalie to reach 200 wins.

Thirty Third Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Sabres
Pens 1st
1
4 2nd
0
2 3rd
2
2 Final
3
8

Saturday, December 17, 2011 -- Afternoon

Pens Lose in Ottawa
I was not feeling well on Friday evening, and I fell asleep before the Pens game. I did miss a whole lot of scoring, which was ultimately a lose for the Pens. The Ottawa Senators went on a scoring rampage with the Pens in the second period, and Brent Johnson was pulled from the net after letting in five goals. The Senators won with a final score of 6-4.

Thirty Second Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Senators 1st
0
0 2nd
3
5 3rd
1
1 Final
4
6

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 -- Evening

Crosby-less Pens
The Pens were at home to play the Red Wings this evening, but they were there without Sidney Crosby in the lineup. Crosby has had a return of concussion-like symptoms, and he will be out for an indefinite period. This is really bad news for Crosby, even though he says that this instance of the symptoms is not as severe as the last. At least Crosby has hope, but it does make me concerned that he might never be able to play like he did in the past. And that is a sad day for all hockey fans.

Unfortunately, the Pens weren't able to beat the Red Wings this evening. Evgeni Malkin got a goal in the first period to give the Pens an early lead, but then the Pavel Datsyuk got a flakey goal in the second, and then Johan Franzen scored one, and Danny Cleary got two to give the Red Wings a 4-1 win.

Thirty First Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Red Wings
Pens 1st
0
1 2nd
1
0 3rd
2
0 Final
4
1

Saturday, December 10, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Beat Islanders
The Pens played the New York Islanders this evening. As is usually with the Islanders/Pens games, it was a high scoring game. The Islanders scored first and took a 2-0 lead in the first period, but then the Pens came back to tie the game up before they went into the second period. The Pens started to pull away once the second period started. After the Islanders had a goal in the second period, but Pens just shut down the Islanders. Goals for the Pens came from Steve Sullivan, James Neal (2), Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke, and Paul Martin. Final score: Pens 6 - Islanders 3.

Thirtieth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Islanders 1st
2
2 2nd
2
1 3rd
2
0 Final
6
3

Thursday, December 8, 2011 -- Evening

Jagr Against the Pens
Jaromir Jagr played the Pens for the first time this season. The Pens were in Philadelphia to play the Flyers without Sidney Crosby. Crosby had knee on knee contact with Chris Kunitz in the Bruins' game on Tuesday. The problem was a knee problem. Crosby wasn't feeling good afterwards, so they tested him to make sure the concussion wasn't back. Crosby didn't travel with the team, and he'll miss the next two games.

The Pens came out with a lackluster display in the first two periods. Marc-Andre Fleury made some nice saves, but the Flyers were up 3-0 by the middle of the second period. James Neal got a goal in the last few minutes of the second, and then Evgeni Malkin got another eight minutes into the third period. Unfortunately, the Pens couldn't get another goal to tie the game. The Flyers win with a final score of 3-2.

Twenty Ninth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Flyers 1st
0
1 2nd
1
2 3rd
1
0 Final
2
3

Tuesday, December 6, 2011 -- Morning

Pens Lose to Bruins
The Pens were in Boston last night to play the Bruins. The Bruins have been a hot team lately, and they are 9-0-1 in the last ten. The Pens weren't able to stand up to them in last night's game. The Bruins had a 3-0 lead in the third period before Matt Cooke was able to score the Pens' only goal. Final score of the game: Bruins 3 - Pens 1.

Twenty Eighth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Bruins 1st
0
0 2nd
2
1 3rd
1
0 Final
3
1

Saturday, December 3, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Battle
The Pens were still on their road trip this evening. Tonight, they played the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes have been slumping lately, mostly because Eric Staal has not been scoring. it seems that the hit that Eric put on his brother Marc Staal almost a year ago, resulted in Marc Staal getting a concussion. Marc hasn't been back on the ice, and folks are figuring that it has had a psychological impact on older brother Eric. Think of it, if you were the older brother, and you did something that had such a negative physiological impact on your brother. Unfortunately, the Hurricanes coach suffered the same fate as Bruce Boudreau, and on the same day. So the Hurricanes also have a new coach.

Brent Johnson was in goal for this game, playing his 300th NHL game. Johnson was hot in the first period. Even though the Pens were playing sluggish hockey, Johnson came them in the game by stopping all the pucks that came his way. Craig Adams got the first goal in the second period, with an assist by Sidney Crosby. The Hurricanes tied things in the second, and the game was tied going into the third period. Arron Asham and Pascal Dupuis got goals for the Pens to give them a 3-1 lead. Jamie McBain got his second goal of the game for the Hurricanes to bring them within one of the Pens. James Neal scored what looked like a goal, but it was called off because Evgeni Malkin fell over Brian Boucher, preventing him from playing the puck. As Bob Errey and Paul Steigerwald said, the Pens have had an issues with interference calls. It sucks because Neal did a great job playing the puck. Poor Jordan Staal got whacked in the face by the puck, and had to be helped off the ice by the trainer and Matt Cooke and a couple of other players. In the last minutes of the game, the Hurricanes started to draw penalties by diving. One of the worst was Eric Staal grabbing Pascal Dupuis' stick and falling down. The Hurricanes had a 5 on 3 advantage. With 17 seconds on the clock, there was a huge scrum on the ice with the puck under Brent Johnson. Brooks Orpik jumped in like Superman lying on the line right in front of the goal. With a flurry of shots against them, the Pens managed to hold things together and keep the Hurricanes from scoring. The Pens won with a final score of 3-2.

Twenty Seventh Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Hurricanes 1st
0
0 2nd
1
1 3rd
2
1 Final
3
2

Thursday, December 1, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Play Caps
The Pens took the train from New York to Washington, DC. I think that they have done that in the past; at least I remember seeing video of the players on the train before. I was interested in this game because I wanted to see how Dale Hunter looked as new coach of the Capitals. Craig Adams got a surprising goal for the Pens in the first period. The Pens had 13 shots on goal to the Capitals 4 in the first period. The Capitals brought their game up a notch in the second period, getting a goal off of 11 shots on goal. Chris Kunitz got a goal in the third period to give the Pens a one goal lead. Fortunately for the Pens, the Capitals suck, and replacing Bruce Boudreau with a junior hockey league coach/former Capitals player, was a stupid idea. The Pens outshot the Caps, with the Pens having 35 shots on goal to the Caps 17. Yep, 17 over three periods. The Pens get the win with a final score of 2-1.

Twenty Sixth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Capitals 1st
1
0 2nd
0
1 3rd
1
0 Final
2
1

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Lose to Rangers
The Pens were in New York to play the Rangers without Kris Letang. Letang was sent back to Pittsburgh with a broken nose. He was also going to get further testing; I suppose to make sure he didn't have a concussion. The Pens scored first with a goal by James Neal. Unfortunately, the Rangers scored four goals in the second period. Evgeni Malkin got a goal at the end of the second, and Pascal Dupuis got one in the third period. That wasn't enough to tie things ups. The Rangers won with a final score of 4-3. On Thursday, the Pens will be in DC to play the Caps, sans coach Bruce Boudrea who was fired yesterday.

Twenty Fifth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Rangers 1st
1
0 2nd
1
4 3rd
1
0 Final
3
4

Saturday, November 26, 2011 -- Evening

Letang Controversy
The Pens played back to back games with a trip to Montreal to play the Canadiens this evening. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal for the Pens, playing in back to back games, probably because it was Montreal. The Pens scored quickly with Evgeni Malkin getting a goal in the first 21 seconds of the game, with an assist from Sidney Crosby. The Canadiens managed to get a 3-1 lead with two goals in the first and another in the third. Pascal Dupuis got a goal in the second, and then Jordan Staal got a goal in the third to tie things up. At the end of the third period, Kris Letang took a shot to the head from Max Pacioretty, which knocked him down and bloodied him. Letang got back into the game for the overtime, and scored the overtime goal. There was controversy over the goal because Carey Price tucked the puck under his pads, but there was no whistle and Pascal Dupuis knocked it free, and Letang knocked it in. The Canadiens thought that it was not a goal, but you play until the whistle. That's what the Pens did, and they won. Final score: Pens 4 - Canadiens 3.

The head shot by Pacioretty was controversial. Pacioretty did not get a penalty from it, even though he blindsided Letang to the head with his shoulder. After the game, some of the Canadien sports guys were asking Crosby how Crosby could elbow Nick Foligno in yesterday's game, but then call out about the hit on Letang. Crosby did a great job of explaining the differences. Pacioretty blindsided Letang when Letang was playing the puck, and Pacioretty put a shot on Letang's head with his shoulder. Foligno had been interfering with Fleury, falling all over Fleury, and in the ensuing scrum, when Crosby was sticking up for his goalie, Crosby elbowed Foligno and caught him in the jaw. As Crosby said, that's what you get when you get into a scrum. Foligno is an agitator, and got what he deserved in a scrum. The Pens aren't like the Buffalo Sabres. The Pens stand up for their goalie and don't let him get abused by the other team. Ryan Miller has been out for over a week with a concussion that he suffered because of a shot by the Boston Bruins' Milan Lucic. Pacioretty should be hanging his head in shame because he wanted to have Zdeno Chara arrested for the hit Chara put on Pacioretty that resulted in Pacioretty's broken neck last year.

Twenty Fourth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Canadiens 1st
1
2 2nd
1
1 3rd
1
9 OT
1
0 Final
4
3

Friday, November 25, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Feast on the Senators
After a lackadaisical game before Thanksgiving, the Pens came out to play tonight. Granted, they were lucky that their opponent was the Ottawa Senators. The Senators are in eleventh place in the Eastern Conference and last in the Northeastern Division. The Senators scored first, but within the first nine minutes of the game, the Pens had four goals, and Senator goalie, Craig Anderson, was pulled in favor of Alex Auld. Sidney Crosby had three assists in the first period and a penalty in the first three minutes of the third period, for throwing an elbow at Nick Foligno for falling all over Marc-Andre Fleury. In the scrum that ensued, Fleury managed to get in a well-concealed punch to Foligno's stomach. Goal scorers for the Pens: Chris Kunitz, Tyler Kennedy, Steve Sullivan, Evgeni Malkin, Pascal Dupuis, and Jordan Staal. Final score: Pens 6 - Senators 3.

Twenty Third Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Senators
Pens 1st
1
4 2nd
1
1 3rd
1
1 Final
3
6

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 -- Evening

Pens' Blues
Sidney Crosby did not suffer any ill effects from Monday's game: only some sore muscles and tiredness. Of course, that is what you would expect after playing a full game for the first time in 320 days. Sid was back on the ice this evening for the Pens and St. Louis Blues game. The Blues got the only goal in the first period. Then there was no more scoring until the third period. Evgeni Malkin was the force in the third period. First he got an assist on Steve Sullivan's goal. Then he assisted on James' Neal goal to tie things at 2-2. The game ended in a tie, so it went on to overtime. Unfortunately, the Blues got one past Marc-Andre Fleury in overtime to give them a 3-2 win.

Twenty Second Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Blues
Pens 1st
1
0 2nd
0
0 3rd
1
2 OT
1
0 Final
3
2

Monday, November 21, 2011 -- Evening

Sid the Kid Returns
Sidney Crosby returned to the ice tonight against the New York Islanders, and the news media had a huge presence at the game. TSN sent a slew of reporters, and the game was added to the Hockey Night in Canada schedule. When Sid took the ice, and the fans all held up their "Welcome Back Sid" signs that the Pens' handed out to fans before the game. Sid started the game, and his line came out flying, which, of course, had everyone screaming. After only 55 seconds on the ice, Sid almost had an assist on a Chris Kunitz shot. at 5:24 into the first period, Sid came charging down the ice, with three Islanders on him, and scored his first goal of the season! The whole arena exploded. Then later in the first, Sid fed the puck to Brooks Orpik who got the goal!

Three minutes into the second period, Sid had an assist on an Evgeni Malkin goal. It was great to see Malkin, Sid, and James Neal on the ice together. Steve Sullivan scored goal number four for the Pens with an assist from Malkin and Neal. In the third period, Sid shot the puck at Anders Nilsson, the Islanders goalie. The puck shot off of Nilsson's chest and into the net. Of course all of the attention on Sid doesn't put the spotlight on Marc-Andre Fleury, who was doing a great job in net, grabbing pucks out of mid-air to keep the Islanders scoreless.

Towards the end of the third period, the Pens started to feed the puck to Sid in the hope that he could get a hat trick. The clock ticked down to 20 seconds. Sid was on the ice, and the Pens were trying to feed it to him, but Sid could not get the hat trick. Fleury did get the shutout! It was the second of shutout for Fleury this season and 21st of his career. Crosby completed the game, looking good and healthy. Crosby was looking for the game puck at the end of the game, not for himself, as he said in his post-game presser, but for Fleury because it was a shutout. That's Sid for you: thinking of his buddies first. Sid's total ice time: 15:54. Sid got the first star of the game, Pascal Dupuis got the second star for his three assists, and Fleury got the third star for the shutout. Final score: Pens 5 - Islanders 0.

Twenty First Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Islanders
Pens 1st
0
2 2nd
0
2 3rd
0
1 Final
0
5

Sunday, November 20, 2011 -- Afternoon

Pens Lose in Florida
The Pens didn't have a good experience on their dads' road trip in Florida this year. Not only did the team loose to the Lightning, but last night, they also lost to the Florida Panthers. There was some sloppy play throughout the game. Chris Kunitz and Jordan Staal got the only goals for the Pens. Final score was Panthers 3 - Pens 2. The dads were probably glad to go home because of the poor game play and lousy weather, with clouds, winds, and rain.

Twentieth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Panthers 1st
1
1 2nd
1
1 3rd
0
1 Final
2
3

Thursday, November 17, 2011 -- Evening

Dads' Trip
The Pens took their dads with them when they went on their Florida trip today. The dads have been spending a weekend with their sons ever since Ray Shero becamse general manager. Tonight's game was against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have developed a reputation for incredibly boring play. The Lightning have implemented the neutral zone trap, and that means that games tend to be low in shots on goal and in goals. The system worked on the Pens. The Lightning were able to keep the Pens from the net, and some sloppy turnovers didn't help either. Tyler Kennedy scored a goal in the third for the Pens, but it was too little too late. The Lightning won with a final score of 4-1.

Nineteenth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Lightning 1st
0
1 2nd
0
1 3rd
1
2 Final
1
4

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Win
The Colorado Avalanche were in town, and they took off in the first period against the Pens. By the end of the first period, the Avalanche were leading 3-1. Fortunately, the Pens were just getting started. Jordan Staal got the goal in the first period, then Pascal Dupuis scored in the second. The Pens were down 3-2 starting the third. Then Brooks Orpik, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, and Kris Letang got goals to give the Pens a 6-3 win. The third period was great fun. I love to see a good scoring game with lots of action.

Eighteenth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Avalanche
Pens 1st
3
1 2nd
0
1 3rd
0
4 Final
3
6

Saturday, November 12, 2011 -- Evening

Pens versus Hurricane
The Pens traveled to Carolina to play the Hurricanes tonight. Brent Johnson was in goal, giving Marc-Andre Fleury a rest. The Hurricanes scored first with a goal by Jeff Skinner. Then Tuomo Ruutu scored two goals in the second period to give the Hurricanes a 3-0 goal lead. The Pens may have been down, but they weren't out. Jordan Staal scored two goals, the second being a short handed goal. Then Chris Kunitz tied the game. Things were starting to look up for the Pens, but then Eric Staal and Chad Larose scored to give the Hurricanes the win with a final score of 5-3.

Seventeenth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Hurricanes 1st
0
1 2nd
0
2 3rd
3
2 Final
3
5

Friday, November 11, 2011 -- Evening

Dallas Stars in Town
The Dallas Stars were in town to plan the Pens this evening. There has been talk for several weeks that Sidney Crosby was going to be back on the ice for the November 11th game. However, yesterday, the news came out that Crosby would not be back this weekend. It seems that he is close, but still not quite ready. The Stars are one of the hottest teams in the NHL this season, winning 11 of their 14 games. Eric Nystrom scored first for the Stars, giving them a 1-0 lead in the first. After getting two power play goals called off by Toronto, James Neal scored to tie things in the first. Then in the third period, the Pens came out to play. Neal got his second goal of the game, a power play goal, and then Matt Cooke got tripped up and was awarded a penalty shot. Cooke did a great job, coming at Kari Lehtonen and lifting it over Lehtonen's leg. The Pens had a 3-1 lead. with seconds left to go in the game, Evgeni Malkin tried to feed the puck to Neal so Neal could get a hat trick. Unfortunately, it didn't work. It shows you the sort of guy Malkin is. He could have gotten an empty net goal, but he wanted to help Neal get the hat trick. Malkin is a decent guy. The Pens won with a final score of 3-1.

Sixteenth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Stars
Pens 1st
1
0 2nd
0
1 3rd
0
2 Final
1
3

Sunday, November 6, 2011 -- Morning

Pens versus Kings
The Pens has another late night game against the LA Kings last night. Steve Sullivan scored a power play goal in the latter part of the first period to give the Pens a 1-0 lead. However, the Kings came back to tie things up in the second period, and Simon Gagne gave the Kings a 2-1 lead in the third. Fortunately, Chris Kunitz scored with less than three minutes in the game to tie things up. As we have seen so many times with the Pens, the game went into overtime and a shoot out. Fortunately, both Kris Letang and Kunitz scored in the shoot out to give the Pens a 3-2 win.

Fifteenth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Kings 1st
1
0 2nd
0
1 3rd
1
1 OT
0
0 SO
1 (2-4)
0 (1-4) Final
3
2

Friday, November 4, 2011 -- Evening

Pens in San Jose
The Pens were in San Jose last night to play the Sharks. The Pens haven't had much luck against the Sharks when they play in San Jose, and haven't won against them there since 1997. The Pens came out strong, getting two goals in the first two minutes of the game. Unfortunately, the Sharks weren't so eager to give up. The game went into overtime, and then a shoot out. The Sharks won with a shoot out goal from Ryane Clowe. Kris Letang was back on the ice, and wound up playing for 30 minutes. But Ben Lovejoy broke his wrist and will probably be out for several weeks. The final score of the game: Pens 3 - Sharks 4.

Fourteenth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Sharks 1st
2
0 2nd
1
1 3rd
0
2 OT
0
0 SO
0 (0-3)
1 (1-3) Final
3
4

Saturday, October 29, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Start Road Trip
The Pens started their second Western road trip of the season in Toronto with a match against the Maple Leafs. Marc-Andre Fleury was given a rest, and Brent Johnson was in goal for the Pens. The Maple Leafs scored first with a power play goal on an Evgeni Malkin penalty, but Matt Cooke tied things up with a goal in the second period. But the Leafs came right back with a second power play goal when Evgeni Malkin was out on a penalty. If there's one thing that Malkin needs to do, it's stop taking stupid penalties, especially since it penalizes us. Fortunately, Chris Kunitz tied things up with an assist from Malkin. Unfortunately, every time the Pens would score, the Leafs would respond. The Leafs won with a final score of 4-3.

Thirteenth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Maple Leafs 1st
0
1 2nd
2
1 3rd
1
2 Final
3
4

Thursday, October 27, 2011 -- Evening

Pens/Islanders Rematch
The Islanders came to town have a rematch with the Pens. Marc-Andre Flery was in goal for the Pens, and he was doing a great job in goal. The Islanders took a 2-0 lead into the third period, but the Pens' Chris Kunitz and James Neal scored to tie the game and take it into overtime. The game was finally decided in a shootout. Fleury stopped all three Islander players, and Evgeni Malkin, playing his second game in a row, scored the winning shootout goal to give the Pens a 3-2 win.

Twelfth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Islanders
Pens 1st
1
0 2nd
0
0 3rd
1
2 OT
0
0 SO
0 (0-3)
1 (1-3) Final
2
3

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 -- Evening

Fleury Gets a Shutout
The Pens were in New York to play the Islanders this evening. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal, and he has been playing stellar hockey in October. Usually, Fleury starts off slow, and finishes with a flourish. Let's hope that his high this month doesn't mean he will suck at the end of the year. Tonight, he got a shutout against the Islanders. Pascal Dupuis, Richard Park, and Jordan Staal got goals to give the Pens a 3-0 win.

Eleventh Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Islanders 1st
1
0 2nd
1
0 3rd
1
0 Final
3
0

Saturday, October 22, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Play the Devils
The Pens played the New Jersey Devils this evening. Martin Brodeur was not in goal for the Devils because of a shoulder injury. Instead, Johann Hedberg, former Pen, was in goal. The first two periods were the usual boring Devil play, with the Pens getting only three shots on goal in the second period. Jordan Staal got a power play goal in the first, and that was the only goal until Patrick Elias scored for the Devils. The goal was controversial because a penalty was called against Elias, and he got his stick on the puck, scoring the goal. That goal really fired up the Pens who took off after that with a goal by Chris Kunitz, Staal, and James Neal. Jordan Staal got his 100th career goal. The Pens won with a final score of 4-1.

Tenth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Devils
Pens 1st
0
1 2nd
0
0 3rd
1
3 Final
1
4

Thursday, October 20, 2011 -- Evening

Orpik Plays
The Montreal Canadiens were in town this evening to play the Pens. Brooks Orpik was back on the ice after recuperating from his hernia surgery. James Neal continued his scoring streak with a goal in the first period. Arron Asham, in his 700th career NHL game, got his first goal of the season in the third period. The Pens got the win with a final score of 4-1.

Ninth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Canadiens
Pens 1st
0
1 2nd
0
1 3rd
1
1 Final
1
3

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Against the Wild
The big news for the Pens was that Kris Letang received a two game suspension for boarding Alexander Burmistrov in last night's game against the Jets. If the NHL wants to crack down on potential brain injuries or situations that may lead to brain injuries, they have to crack down on everyone. The Pens were in Minnesota this evening to play the Wild. After the disappointing loss last night, the Pens came out to play. Chris Kunitz, Jordan Staal, James Neal, and Pascal Dupuis all scored goals giving the Pens a 4-1 win.

Eighth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Wild 1st
0
0 2nd
2
1 3rd
2
1 Final
4
1

Monday, October 17, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Play the Jets
The Pens were in Winnipeg to play the Jets this evening. Tyler Kennedy was not on the ice because he had concussion symptoms after journeying to Winnipeg. Evgeni Malkin also sat out the game, nursing his sore knee. Onto the game! The Jets had not won a game so far this season, and the atmosphere with the home game was like a Stanley Cup final. The Jets got to an early lead with two goals in the first period. Zbynek Michalek got one of the goals back for the Pens in the second. The third period became a hard fought battle between the teams. It was great to watch on TV because the Jets fans were so hungry for hockey and a home team win that they were cheering their hearts out. I could almost hear them here in Pittsburgh, and I don't mean from the TV broadcast. Even though the Pens tried valiantly, they were unable to get the tying goal. The Jets got their first win of the season with a final score of 2-1.

Seventh Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Jets 1st
0
2 2nd
1
0 3rd
0
0 Final
1
2

Saturday, October 15, 2011 -- Evening

Malkin Out Again
The Buffalo Sabres were in town, but Evgeni Malkin wasn't on the ice for the Pens tonight. Malkin is nursing his sore knee again. I think that he can manage a game or two, but then the stress of playing takes its toll. Marc-Andre Fleury was back from his little illness, but he didn't seem as sharp as he was last week. James Neal and Jordan Staal scored for the Pens, but the Sabres won with a score of 3-2. James Neal has been on a a scoring streak, and he leads the NHL with goals.

Sixth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Sabres
Pens 1st
2
0 2nd
0
1 3rd
1
1 Final
3
2

Thursday, October 13, 2011 -- Evening

Pens versus Caps
The rivalry was on at Console Energy Center when the Pens played the Washington Capitals. The pre-game ceremony honored the players from the KLHL team, Lokomotiv, who lost their lives in the plane crash in Russia a few weeks ago. Mario Lemieux dropped the ceremony puck for Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin. The Pens also had stands in the area where the wives, girlfriends, and children of the players were selling Lokomotive remembrance wrist bands. Obviously, Malkin was back from his knee soreness, but Marc-Andre Fleury was out with an illness. Brent Johnson was in goal, and he did a good job.

James Neal was hot in the game. He got a goal in the first period with an assist from Steve Sullivan and Malkin. The Capitals came back with goals in the second period by Mike Knuble and third period by Ovechkin. Drama happened in the third period when Arron Asham got into a fight with Jay Beagle five minutes into the third period, and laid Beagle out with two hits to the jaw. Beagle got both a roughing and a fighting penalty to give the Pens a power play. Neal got a second goal, with an assist by Malkin, to tie things up with less than four minutes left in regulation. The regulation ended in a tie, and the game went into overtime. Unfortunately, the Capitals got their only power play in the game during overtime, and Dennis Wideman scored for them. At least the Pens get a point from the overtime loss. Final score: Pens 2 - Capitals 3.

Fifth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Capitals
Pens 1st
0
1 2nd
1
0 3rd
0
1 OT
1
0 Final
3
2

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 -- Evening

Pens' Home Opener
The Pens opened their season at home this evening. Both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby were out of the game. Crosby with his concussion and Malkin with an undisclosed lower-body injury from the Calgary Flames game on Saturday night. I wonder if the injury is related to the knee surgery from early in the year. Marc-Andre Fleury was back in goal for the Pens. Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke, Richard Park, and James Neal all scored to give the Pens a 4-2 win.

Fourth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Panthers
Pens 1st
0
1 2nd
1
2 3rd
1
1 Final
2
4

Monday, October 10, 2011 -- Early Morning

Pens versus Oilers
Evgeni Malkin was a late scratch against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday evening. Malkin was pulled in the third period of Saturday's game. The cause is a lower body injury. This game is the last of the Western Canada series for the Pens, with the home opener this coming Tuesday. Brent Johnson was in goal for the Pens, giving Marc-Andre Fleury a rest. Kris Letang got a power play goal for the Pens in the first period. The Oilers scored in the final few minutes of the third period to tie up the game. After another scoreless overtime, the game went into a shoot out. Unfortunately, none of the Pens were able to score, and the Oilers got one past Johnson. Final score: Pens 1 - Oilers 2.

Third Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Oilers 1st
1
0 2nd
0
0 3rd
0
1 OT
0
0 SO
0 (0-3)
1 (2-3) Final
1
2

Sunday, October 9, 2011 -- After Midnight

Pens versus Flames
The Pens are still in Canada, and this evening, they played the Calgary Flames. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal for the Pens, but will probably sit out tomorrow's game against the Edmonton Oilers. The Flames had a 1-0 lead going into the second period, when the Pens exploded, scoring four goals off of 16 shots. Most important is that the Pens held the Flames to only five shots on goal. Evgeni Malkin almost got thrown out of the game when he got involved in a roughing and his jersey came over his head. Kris Letang was thrown out of a game last year for the infraction of not tying down his jersey, but Malkin got away with it. Then Matt Cooke was elbowed in the head by Cory Sarich. The team started a scrum over that, and Cooke went off the ice. The new rule is that anyone with a head hit has to go to a quiet room and be evaluated. Cooke made it back to the ice for the third period. The Flames made a mini-comeback in the third period, scoring two goals. Fortunately, the Pens were able to take control of the final minutes, culminating in an empty net goal by Jordan Staal with four seconds left in the game. Final score: Pens 5 - Flames 3.

Second Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Flames 1st
0
1 2nd
4
0 3rd
2
1 Final
3
5

Friday, October 7, 2011 -- After Midnight

Pens Season Opener
The Pens opened their season in Vancouver against the Canucks. The game didn't start until 10 p.m. EDT. That was okay, though, because I was staying up to put in my pre-order for the iPhone 4S with Sprint. The Pens came out with energy. Matt Cooke had said in some pre-season interviews that he was committed to changing his goonish ways. Obviously, he meant it. Cooke scored the first goal of the game, and then scored a short handed goal on an Evgeni Malkin penalty. The Pens had a one point lead going into the third period, but the Canucks tied things up. After a scoreless overtime, it was time for a shootout. Malkin was first up for the Pens, and he scored. Marc-Andre Fleury had more composure this year than last year at this time, and he held off the Canucks. Kris Letang sealed the deal with his shootout goal. All in all, it was a promising start to the season for the Pens. Final score: Pens 4 - Canucks 3.

First Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Canucks 1st
2
1 2nd
1
1 3rd
0
1 OT
0
0 SO
1 (2-2)
0 (0-2) Final
4
3

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Sunday, April 22, 2012 -- Early Evening

Pens' Season Ends

Friday, April 20, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Are Still Alive!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 -- Evening

Must Win!

Sunday, April 15, 2012 -- Late Afternoon

Farce of a Game

Friday, April 13, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Down 2-0 in the Series

Thursday, April 12, 2012 -- Evening

Playoff Stunner

Saturday, April 7, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Win Final Regular Season Game

Thursday, April 5, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Beat Rangers

Tuesday, April 3, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Win

Sunday, April 1, 2012 -- Afternoon

Pens Lose -- No April Fool

Friday, March 30, 2012 -- Evening

Crosby Gets 600 Points

Thursday, March 29, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Deja Vu

Tuesday, March 27, 2012 -- Evening

One of Those Games You Want to Forget

Sunday, March 25, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Win

Saturday, March 24, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Lose to Ottawa

Thursday, March 22, 2012 -- Evening

Fleury's 40th Win of the Season

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 -- Evening

Neal Hat Trick & Malkin's Parents

Sunday, March 18, 2012 -- Afternoon

Winning Streak Snapped

Saturday, March 17, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Have 11 Game Winning Streak

Thursday, March 15, 2012 -- Evening

Crosby and Letang Return

Sunday, March 11, 2012 -- Afternoon

Pens on Nine Game Winning Streak

Friday, March 9, 2012 -- Evening

Shootout!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Versus Maple Leafs

Monday, March 5, 2012 -- Evening

Fleury, Fleury, Fleury!

Saturday, March 3, 2012 -- Evening

Pens on 8-2-0 Streak!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Win in a Shutout

Sunday, February 26, 2012 -- Afternoon

Pens Win Back-to-Back

Saturday, February 25, 2012 -- Early Evening

Pens Win!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 -- Evening

Fleury Gets a Shutout

Sunday, February 19, 2012 -- Afternoon

Hockey in America Game

Saturday, February 18, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Beat Jagr and Flyers

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Lose

Sunday, February 12, 2012 -- Evening

Malkin-mania!

Saturday, February 11, 2012 -- Evening

Welcome Back Jets!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 -- Evening

Pens Lose in a Shootout

Sunday, February 5, 2012 -- Afternoon