The Daily Bongo

Game Recaps for the 2010-2011 Season




Wednesday, April 27, 2011 -- Evening

You Can't Win If You Can't Score
The Pens were doomed to lose tonight's game because they were basically unable to score, especially on the power play. Tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning got the one goal, and then just let the Pens shoot the puck wide of the net with practically every shot. There were so many opportunities that were for naught. I know that I was asking myself if Matt Cooke would have made a difference, and how much he might have cost the team with his incredibly stupid dirty plays. The Lightning win with a final score of 1-0. They'll play the Washington Capitals in the next round. Good year for the Pens, especially without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. However, the power play was such a huge disappointment.

Seventh Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

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

Monday, April 25, 2011 -- Evening

Pens in Downward Spiral
The Pens are in a definite downward spiral. This evening's game started out well, with Pascal Dupuis getting the first goal. But things when downhill from there. The Tampa Bay Lightning came right back to score, and they quickly took the lead. It looked like Chris Conner was going to tie things up with a penalty shot, but instead, he lost the puck on the way to the net. The Lightning won with a final score of 4-2. The series ends in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. I'm not holding out much hope for the Pens to move on to the next round.

Sixth Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

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

Saturday, April 23, 2011 -- Late Afternoon

Bad Day for Hockey
Today was a bad day for the Pens to play hockey. The bad day started in the last three minutes of the first period when the Lightning got two goal in less than two minutes. Then in the first seven minutes of the second period, they got three more to take a 5-0 lead. Marc-Andre Flery was pulled after goal number four, and Brent Johnson was put in his place. The bleeding continued with the Lightning get a total of 8 points in the game. Fortunately, the Pens foiled Dwayne Roloson's shutout with Mike Rupp and Chris Conner both getting goals. The final score: Lightning 8 - Pens 2. The series goes back to Tampa Bay on Monday.

Fifth Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

Goals
Lightning
Pens 		1st
2
0 		2nd
3
0 		3rd
3
2 		Final
8
2

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Win!
Tyler Kennedy and Aaron Asham scored in the first and second periods of tonight's Pens and Tampa Bay Lightning game. The Pens really seemed to have momentum on their side when the Lightning started to change things around to their side. Little Martin St. Louis started the scoring, and then Sean Bergenheim tied things in the latter part of the third period. In the last minute of the third period, Eric Brewer launched himself, leaving his feet, at Max Talbot's head. Talbot was near the boards, and Talbot's head cracked off the glass and then off the ice. Fortunately, Talbot was able to get off the ice on his own power and head to the locker room. Unfortunately, no penalty was called on Brewer, because basically, the NHL is okay with head shots and concussions. The attitude of the league on head shots is just disgusting. Regulation ended in a tie, and the game went into sudden death overtime. Talbot made it back for the fourth period. The first overtime was scoreless. But 3:38 into the second overtime, James Neal finally earned his keep by scoring the winning goal. The Pens win 3-2 and go up 3-1 in the series. The series comes back to Pittsburgh on Saturday with a noon time game.

Fourth Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

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

Monday, April 18, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Win
The Pens were in Tampa Bay to play game three of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal against the Lightning. The Pens scored first, 5:46 into the first period with a goal by Max Talbot, followed 45 seconds later by a goal from Aaron Asham. Even though the Lightning got two goals from Martin St. Louis, the Pens managed to hold on by getting a goal from Tyler Kennedy to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Final score: Pens 3 - Lightning 2. The series continues on Wednesday.

Third Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

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

Friday, April 15, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Lose
The Tampa Bay Lightning tied things up this evening against the Pens. In fact, the Lightning delivered a royal ass whopping to the Pens. The Lightning scored three unanswered points in the first period. When Craig Adams finally scored for the Pens in the second, it seemed that the Pens might have found their mojo. Things were bound to change, but they didn't. Little Martin St. Louis scored. The final score was Lightning 5 - Pens 1. The next game will be Monday night in Tampa Bay.

Second Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

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

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 -- Evening

Playoffs Start
Opening Face off for game 1 of the Pens' Eastern quarterfinal series against the Tampa Bay LIghtning The playoffs started this evening, and the Pens hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first game of their Eastern quarter final series. The first two periods were scoreless. There were some exciting moments, but mostly Marc-Andre Fleury and Dwayne Roloson kept the puck out of their respective nets. Finally, 6:05 minutes into the third, Alexi Kovalev scored for the Pens. The arena went wild, and then went even wilder when 18 seconds later, Aaron Asham scored another one for the Pens. With 1:40 left in the game, the Lightning pulled Roloson from the net. 41 seconds were left in the game when Chris Kunitz put the puck in the empty net to seal the deal. Fleury was a man with a mission, and he stood on his head to shutout the Lightning. The Pens take game one with a final score of 3-0. Fleury got the number one star in the game for his fifth career playoff shutout.

First Game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal

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

Sunday, April 10, 2011 -- Evening

Summery Day in the 'Burgh
Today was a truly gorgeous day in Pittsburgh. The temperature was close to 80, and there were only a few white clouds in the air. I spent a good portion of the day out and about, enjoying the weather while it lasts. And in Pittsburgh, it won't last for long. Tomorrow, heavy thunderstorms are predicted, and after tomorrow, the temperatures will be at least 20 degrees cooler. But today was a gorgeous day, and I truly enjoyed every second of it!
Pens Win Final Game of the Regular Season
The Pens played their final game of the regular season against the Atlanta Thrashers. The game went the Pens way, with they pulling ahead by three points by the end of the second period. Things were getting a bit rough on the ice with the Thrashers take out some of their frustration on the Pens. But it really didn't matter in the end. The Pens won with a final score of 5-2, and will be meeting up with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.

Eighty Second Game of the Regular Season

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

Friday, April 8, 2011 -- Evening

Home Ice Advantage
The Pens secured home ice advantage for the playoffs, and they moved up into the number two spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pens and the Flyers still have one more game. If the Pens win against the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday, they will have the number two spot in the conference. The Pens were in New York to play the Islanders. There was some concern that this game might have more rough-housing. Even though there were some high-sticks, things were fairly calm. The Pens had a 3-2 lead in the third period when the Islanders scored in the last 35 seconds of regulation. The game went into overtime and then a shootout. Chris Kunitz was the only one to get the puck past a goalie in the shootout to give the Pens a 4-3 win.

Eighty First Game of the Regular Season

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

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 -- Evening

Shirts Off Their Back
Tonight was the Pens last regular season home game. It seems like the season just started, and already, it's almost over. The Pens played the New Jersey Devils. Jordan Staal scored first for the Pens, but the Devils scored one back. Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz scored to give he Pens a 3-2 lead. Then Dupuis scored a short handed goal in the end of the third to give the Pens a clear 4-2 win.

Eightieth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, April 2, 2011 -- Evening

Pens in Florida
The Pens continued their Florida road trip, playing the Panthers. Tyler Kennedy scored first for the Pens, but then the Panthers scored two goals in the first period. Pascal Dupuis stepped it up tie the game. Fortunately, the Pens got some goals from Zbynek Michalek and Craig Adams to win the game with a score of 4-2. Only a few more games are left in the regular season before the playoffs start.

Seventy Ninth Game of the Regular Season

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

Thursday, March 31, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Lose
Now as things are starting to count more, the Pens haven't been winning. On Tuesday, they lost to the Flyers. Tonight, the Pens were in Tampa Bay to play the Lightning. The Lightning scored first, collecting two goals in the first period. Mike Rupp scored a goal for the Pens. Unfortunately, even have a rally at the end of the third period, Dwayne Roloson, kept any more pucks out of the net. Final score: Pens 1 - Lightning 2.

Seventy Eighth Game of the Regular Season

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

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 -- Evening

Pens versus Flyers
The Flyers were in town to play the Pens this evening. This was an important game because the Pens are only two points behind the Flyers for first place in the Eastern conference. The Pens and the Flyers stayed close to each other in the first two periods. However, in the third period, the Pens had a collapse, allowing the Flyers to score two unanswered goals to get a 5-2 win. The Flyers now have four points and one game in hand to the Pens.

Seventy Seventh Game of the Regular Season

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

Sunday, March 27, 2011 -- Late Afternoon

Pens versus Panthers
Marc-Andre Fleury has been earning his award as most valuable player on the Pens with his actions in the game. He has consistently been holding back the goals to allow the Pens to potentially win games with little goal scoring. This afternoon's game was an example. The Panthers scored first with a goal in the second period. A little over two minutes later, Ben Lovejoy tied things up. The rest of regulation was scoreless for both teams. The Panthers pulled Tomas Vokoun to put Scott Clemmensen in goal for the overtime. There was no score in overtime, so we had a shootout. Fleury stopped both Panthers, but Clemmensen let Alexi Kovalev and James Neal score to give the Pens the win. Fleury registered his 34th win of the regular season. The final score: Pens 2 - Panthers 1. The Pens sealed a playoff berth when the Carolina Hurricane lost on Friday. So the Pens are playoff bound, which we all knew for months now.

Seventy Sixth Game of the Regular Season

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

Friday, March 25, 2011 -- Evening

Pens and Devils
The New Jersey Devils were in town to play the Pens this evening. Well, I suppose you can call it "play." There were a total of four shots in the whole of the first period. The Devils had one shot on goal, and the Pens had three. Martin Brodeur and Marc-Andre Fleury kept the game scoreless through overtime, so both get credited with a shutout. The game had to go into a shootout. Fleury was able to stop all three shooters, but Brodeur couldn't stop James Neal, who gets another shootout goal to give the Pens a win. Final score: Pens 1 - Devils 0.

Seventy Fifth Game of the Regular Season

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

Thursday, March 24, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Beat the Flyers
The Pens were in Philadelphia to play the Flyers. Since the Pens are so close to the Flyers in the standings, they wanted to get a win in regulation. But you know what they say: "the best laid schemes of men are often gone astray." Regulation was close with both the Flyers and Pens scoring a goal. The game went into overtime, and then a shootout. Finally, Chris Kunitz scored a goal in the shootout to give the Pens the win and two points. Unfortunately, the Flyers also got a point for the OT loss. Final score: Pens 2 - Flyers 1.

Seventy Fourth Game of the Regular Season

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

Monday, March 21, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Win in a Shootout
The Pens were in Detroit to play the Red Wingstonight. Brent Johnson was in goal for the Pens, and he was a lot less porous than Jimmy Howard in the first two periods. Howard was pulled after the Pens scored four goals on him. Pascal Dupuis scored two goals, Chris Kunitz, one, and Tyler Kennedy, one. After Joey MacDonald replaced Howard in the second period, Henrik Zetterberg scored for Detroit. With the start of the third period, the Red Wings went on a scoring frenzy and tied the game at 4-4. The game went into overtime. No scoring in overtime, so we had a shootout. James Neil scored in the shootout to give the Pens the win. Final score: Pens 5 - Red Wings 4.

Seventy Third Game of the Regular Season

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

Sunday, March 20, 2011 -- Late Afternoon

Cooke Should Get His Goose Cooked
The NY Rangers were in town for an early afternoon game against the Pens. The game was tied 1-1 into the third period, when Matt Cooke brought his goon act onto the ice. Cooke elbowed Ryan McDonagh in the face, getting a 5 minute major and game misconduct. McDonagh was not injured, but that doesn't really matter now does it. After all, it's the action that counts. I am really disturbed and disgusted by this behavior. Since Cooke is a repeat offender, he should get a 10 game suspension. If Mario Lemieux and Ray Shero are not hypocrites, they should publicly speak out against Cooke and maybe even add to the suspension. Do I think that either the 10 game suspension or the Pens' management speaking out will happen? Nope! I hope that I'm pleasantly surprised, but I'm not holding my breath. If I did that, I'd be turning blue as I write this! The Pens lost the game with a final score of 5-2.

Seventy Second Game of the Regular Season

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

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Play
The Pens were in Ottawa this evening to play the Senators. This marked Alexi Kovalev's return to Ottawa. Unfortunately for the Pens, Kovalev has been performing at his usual level, which means crappy. Brent Johnson was in goal for the Pens, and he did a great job with keeping the puck out of the net, letting in only one Senator goal. The Pens, however, were on a scoring jag. Chris Kunitz, Tyler Kennedy, Dustin Jeffrey, Jordan Staal, and Paul Martin all had multiple points and assists. The Pens won with a final score of 5-1.

Seventy First Game of the Regular Season

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

Sunday, March 13, 2011 -- Late Afternoon

Pens Win
The Pens played the Edmonton Oilers in a late afternoon game today. Chris Kunitz scored with only seconds left in the first period to give the Pens an early lead. The surprising thing is that the Pens held the Oilers to only two shots on goal in the first period. I'm sure that Marc-Andre Fleury appreciated the break to allow him to get some playing time under his belt since he was pulled in yesterday's game. Max Talbot and Jordan Staal scored for the Pens in the second period. In the third period, Kris Letang was hit with a brutal hit by Gilbert Brule. Brule was given a charging call after he hit Letang up high. Letang was dazed for a few minutes, and later on the bench, you could see a bruised mark on Letang's cheek where his visor must have whacked him. The unnecessary violence of the NHL again on display. The NHL leadership really has to do something to stop this spiraling decline before someone is even more seriously hurt than Max Pacioretty. Letang did not leave the bench after the hit. Zbynek Michalek got a goal, and Kunitz got his second in the last four minutes of the game. The Pens won with a final score of 5-1 against the worst team in the NHL.

Seventieth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, March 12, 2011 -- Late Afternoon

Pens Play Canadiens
The Pens had an afternoon game against the Montreal Canadiens. By the middle of the second period, the Canadiens had a 3-0 lead, and Dan Bylsma pulled Marc-Andre Fleury. Brent Johnson was able to hold off any more goals, but the Pens weren't able to score. Final score for the game: Pens 0 - Canadiens 3. Alexi Kovalev showed his former team that they are well rid of him.

Sixty Ninth Game of the Regular Season

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

Tuesday, March 8, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Win
The Pens were back in town to play the Boston Bruins. For the first time since rejoining the Pens, Alexi Kovalev was playing for the Pens. There has been plenty of talk, both nationally and locally, about Dan Bylsma getting the Jack Adams award as NHL coach of the year because of the Pens winning without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Well, the Pens beat the Bruins this evening with a final score of 3-1.

Sixty Eighth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, March 5, 2011 -- Evening

Pens in OT for Fourth Straight Game
The Pens made it into yet another OT game tonight, this time against the Boston Bruins. This was the fourth straight game that the Pens couldn't finish in regulation. Zdano Chara scored first for the Bruins. Then Jordan Staal and Dustin Jeffrey got goals for the Pens to give them a lead which held until the final minute of regulation, when the Bruins tied things up. Jeffrey was the hero of the night when he got his second goal of the game in OT to give the Pens a 3-2 lead. Final score: Pens 3 - Bruins 2.

Sixty Seventh Game of the Regular Season

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

Friday, March 4, 2011 -- Evening

Another OT Loss
Brent Johnson was in goal for the Pens 2-1 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils. The Pens have been lucky that the goalies have been keeping them in the games so they can get at least one point for an overtime loss. The Devils, on the other hand, have won nine of their last 10.

Sixty Sixth Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, March 2, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Lose in OT
The Pens were back in Toronto to play the Maple Leafs. Tonight's game followed the same outline as Saturday's game, but had a different outcome, with the Maple Leafs winning. The game ended in regulation with a tie of 2-2. Unfortunately, 42 seconds into overtime, the Maple Leafs scored for the win. Final score: Pens 2 - Maple Leafs 3.

Sixty Fifth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, February 26, 2011 -- Evening

Kovalev Shows Up
Alexi Kovalev showed up this evening for the Pens in their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored the first goal for the Pens this evening, and then scored the shoot out winner. The game, in general, was a goal-fest for both team. The score was tied at 5-5 into the shootout. Final score: Pens 6 - Maple Leafs 5.

Sixty Fourth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Maple Leafs 		1st
1
1 		2nd
2
1 		3rd
2
3 		OT
0
0 		SO
1 (-2)
0 (0-3) 		Final
6
5

Friday, February 25, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Start Road Trip
The Pens started a five game road trip this evening against the Carolina Hurricanes. Unfortunately, Alexi Kovalev didn't add much to the team. Pascal Dupuis scored one goal for the Pens, but the Hurricanes scored four goals. Eric Staal suffered an upper body injury and left the game. Final score: Pens 1 - Hurricanes 4.

Sixty Third Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Lose
James Neal and Matt Niskanen were both on the roster for this evening's Pens match against the San Jose Sharks. The game was a close one. Tyler Kennedy was the star of the game for the Pens, getting both goals. The second goal was great because it tied the game with less than a minute left, taking the game into overtime. Unfortunately, the Sharks got one past Marc-Andre Fleury in the last four seconds of OT. Final score: Pens 2 - Sharks 3.

Sixty Second Game of the Regular Season

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

Monday, February 21, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Play Caps and Trade Gogligoski
The Pens finally got into the trade business today, trading Alex Golgoski to the Dallas Stars for winger James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen. Neal and Niskanen were not in tonight's lineup against the Washington Capitals. The first period of the Caps game didn't have any scores, but in the second period, Alexander Ovechkin got his first goal against the Pens this season with a power play goal. Marc-Andre Fleury kept the Pens in the game by stopping 23 of 24 shots. However, the Pens were unable to capitalize on any of their 39 shots. The Caps win in a shutout with a score of 1-0.

Sixty First Game of the Regular Season

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

Sunday, February 20, 2011 -- Evening

Lame Road Trip
The Pens West Coast trip this week was an extremely lame one. They played in Colorado on Wednesday, and then had a layoff until today, when they were in Chicago to play the Blackhawks. I will give the Pens props. They have been playing well, considering they don't have Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, AND have been decimated with injuries all season. In today's game, the Pens were able to match goal for goal with the Blackhawks and take the game into overtime and then a shootout. Unfortunately, Corey Crawford, the Blackhawks goalie shut down the Pens in the shootout, while Patrick Kane managed to get one behind Marc-Andre Fleury. Final score: Pens 2 - Blackhawks 3.

Sixtieth Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 -- Late Evening

Pens' West Coast Trip
The Pens started their West Coast stint in Colorado with the Avalanche. Surprisingly, the Pens were able to pull off an overtime win. It might help that the Avalanche are struggling this season. Final score: Pens 3 - Avalanche 2.

Fifty Ninth Game of the Regular Season

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

Sunday, February 13, 2011 -- Early Evening

Pens Lose
The Pens were still in New York to play the Rangers in a late afternoon game. The Pens scored first and held a 2-0 lead, but the Rangers tied things up in the first and never looked back. The Rangers got their first win in sic games. Final score: Pens 3 - Rangers 5.

Fifty Eighth Game of the Regular Season

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

Friday, February 11, 2011 -- Evening

Only 7 Pens remain on the ice by the end of the 2/11/2011 game.
Embarrassment to the NHL, Islanders, and Pens
The Pens traveled to New York to play the Islanders. This was the first rematch since the Brent Johnson/Rick DiPietro fight that resulted in DiPietro injuring his knee and having facial fractures. Brent Johnson was back in goal because the Pens didn't want to risk Marc-Andre Fleury being injured. The game was an embarrassment for the Pens and the Islanders. The Islanders had a 4-0 lead at the end of the first period. The Islanders kept scoring, and Johnson was pulled for a portion of the second period, and Fleury was in goal. Starting in the second period, numerous fights broke out between the Pens and the Islanders. By the end of the game, only seven Pens skaters were left in the game with the two goalies, as you can see from the photo to the right. There were seven game misconducts for the Pens and 151 penalty minutes. The NHL should have egg on his face because the Islanders went out of the way to assault the Pens. One instance was when Matt Martin dropped his gloves and attacked Max Talbot from behind, just like Todd Bertuzzi did to Steve Moore. That one was because Talbot had hit Blake Comeau, which resulted in a concussion. Trevor Gillies elbowed Eric Tangradi when he was down. That was a blatant attempt to give Tangradi a concussion and do serious damage. Gillies then stood in the runway to the locker room, taunting Tangradi as he was kneeling on the ice being attended by a trainee. After the game, it was confirmed the Tangradi did have concussion symptoms. The NHL really needs to address the psycho behavior displayed in this game, and NEEDS to hand down some harsh penalties. Final score: Pens 3 - Islanders 9.

Fifty Seventh Game of the Regular Season

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

Thursday, February 10, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Pull Out a Win
The LA Kings were in town to play the Pens this evening. The game was a close one. Brett Sterling, one of the recent call-ups from the Baby Pens to help out with all the injuries, scored first. The Kings tied things at the end of the first. More bad news in the game when Dustin Jeffries suffered a lower body injury that took him out of the game. The game became a goalie match, with both Marc-Andre Fleury and Jonathan Quick stopping the puck left and right. The game went in to overtime, and Jordan Staal stepped up, seconds before OT was over to score for the Pens. Pens win with a final score of 2-1.

Fifty Sixth Game of the Regular Season

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

Tuesday, February 8, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Suffer From Injuries
The Pens have been having a hard time with injuries this season. Not only are Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Mark Letestu out with injuries, but Aaron Asham has an injury, and Chris Kunitz, who skated in the morning, was out with a lower body injury. The Columbus Blue Jackets were in town this evening, and they took a 3-0 lead into the third period. Things were looking dire. Tyler Kennedy got a goal in the third, but it was too little too late. I think the Pens will make the playoffs because the Carolina Hurricanes, who are in 8th place now, are 14 points behind us. Final score: Pens 1 - Blue Jackets 4.

Fifty Fifth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Blue Jackets
Pens 		1st
1
0 		2nd
2
0 		3rd
1
1 		Final
4
1

Sunday, February 6, 2011 -- Late Afternoon

Pens Lose
The Pens had a bad game today against the Washington Capitals this afternoon. The Capitals scored a goal in each period, with the final goal being an empty net in the last minute of the game. In the third period, Tim Wallace (of the Pens) got in a fight with David Steckel. Some were wondering if there would be a retaliation fight against Steckel, since he is the one who put the hit in on Sidney Crosby in the Winter Classic. The Pens lost with a final score of 0-3.

Fifty Fourth Game of the Regular Season

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

Friday, February 4, 2011 -- Evening

Malkin In...Then Out
The Pens were playing the Buffalo Sabres this evening in Pittsburgh. Evgeni Malkin started the game, but unfortunately, he had a bad hit in the Sabres corner. Malkin's right knee looked like it bent the wrong way. Malkin crumbled to the ice, and then limped off the ice. After being off for a few weeks with his left knee and sinus infection, it looks like Malkin will be missing more time with his right knee. The Sabres scored in the first seventeen seconds of the game, then again seven minutes later. Fortunately, the Pens had a comeback in the second period with goals by Dustin Jeffrey, Tyler Kennedy, and Matt Cooke. Pens won with a final score of 3-2.
Johnson Breaks DiPietro's Face
We found out today that Rick DiPietro has a fractured face and injured knee. Obviously, we should be calling DiPietro "Glass Boy." I mean, who would think that one punch would do so much damage.

Fifty Third Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, February 2, 2011 -- Evening

Goalie Fight and a Pens Win
The Pens were back in town to play the New York Islanders this evening. Jordan Staal was back in the lineup. The officials reviewed the game misconduct penalty and said that no additional penalties were needed. From watching the video replay of the incident, Brandon Prust elbowed Staal, who just hit him back in the face. It definitely wasn't a sucker punch. The Pens got two goals in the first period from Tyler Kennedy and Chris Kunitz. Max Talbot finally got a goal after several games worth of tries with an empty net goal in the end of the third period. Talbot got his 50th goal and 100th career point. The best thing that happened was when Rick DiPietro went crazy and interfered with Matt Cooke with 16.3 seconds in the game. There was a crush in the corner, with the cameras focused on it, when we saw the ref fly away from the group. Brent Johnson and DiPietro were dropping the gloves near center ice. Johnson landed one punch, and DiPietro fell to the ice. Both goalies got penalties for leaving the crease, fighting, and game misconduct. Both benches were watching the jumbotron for the goalie fight. I don't know if Marc-Andre Fleury would have challenged DiPietro. It's not often that you see the goalies drop the gloves. Unfortunately, Johnson probably won't get credit for his second shutout of the season because he was tossed from the ice with only 16 seconds left. Final score: Pens 3 - Islanders 0.

Fifty Second Game of the Regular Season

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

Tuesday, February 1, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Play in New York
The Pens were in New York to play the Rangers this evening. Evgeni Malkin was cleared for play, but didn't make it for the Rangers game. Unfortunately, Mark Letestu hurt his leg during practice by hitting a rut in the ice. Aaron Asham suffered an upper body injury in the game. With all the injuries, it would be surprising if the Pens were able to win. In the second period, Jordan Staal got an elbow to the face from Brandon Prust. Staal retaliated by punching Prust in the face. Staal got a 5 minute penalty and a game misconduct for "sucker punching" Prust. It sure didn't look like a sucker punch to me! Regulation ended with the game in a 3-3 tie. There were no goals in the overtime, so it went to a shootout. The shootout went to seven shooters with Dustin Jeffrey finally scoring the winning goal. Final score: Pens 4 - Rangers 3.

Fifty First Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Rangers 		1st
0
1 		2nd
3
2 		3rd
0
0 		OT
0
0 		SO
1 (1-7)
0 (0-7) 		Final
4
3

Tuesday, January 25, 2011


Fiftieth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, January 22, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Win
The Pens were playing the Carolina Hurricanes last night in Pittsburgh, and almost lost the game. Dustin Jeffrey, Mark Letestu, and Pascal Dupuis stepped up for the Pens to get goals. However, in the last five minutes of the game, the Hurricanes got a goal from Sergei Samsonov and Eric Staal (at 19:02) got goals for the Hurricanes. Marc-Andre Fleury was able to hold off the Hurricane from tying the game. Final score: Pens 3 - Hurricanes 2.

Forty Ninth Game of the Regular Season

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

Thursday, January 20, 2011 -- Evening

Brodeur Shuts Out Pens
The Pens are having issues. Sidney Crosby is still out with the concussion, and Evgeni Malkin didn't travel with the Pens to New Jersey to play the Devils. The claim is that Malkin hurt his knee, or at least, hurt his leg. So the team was down to Max Talbot and Jordan Staal. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough. The Devils scored two goals in the first period, and then they just sat on the lead. Even though the Pens tried to storm Martin Brodure, he held on for his 114th career shutout. Final goal: Pens 0 - Devils 2.

Forty Eighth Game of the Regular Season

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

Tuesday, January 18, 2011 -- Evening

Redwings Come to Town
The Detroit Redwings were in town to play the Pens this evening. Sidney Crosby was still not on the ice because he is still suffering from concussion symptoms. The game started out with Jordan Staal getting a goal, and Chris Conner scoring on a penalty shot. Chris Kunitz got a goal in the second, and Matt Cooke got an empty netter to give the Pens a 4-1 win. Marc-Andre Fleury did a great job in goal, and got the number one star of the game.

Forty Seventh Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, January 15, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Beat Bruins
The Pens were in Boston for a rematch against the Bruins this afternoon. Again, as in the last game against the Bruins, the Pens had a lead, 2-0 this time. In the second period, the Bruins scored two goals in 23 seconds to tie things up. Of course, we were all starting to feel deja vu, but Jordan Staal tipped the scale in the favor of the Pens with the winning goal. Pens win with a final score of 3-2.

Forty Sixth Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Beat Canadiens
The Pens were in Montreal to play the Canadiens this evening. The Pens scored first with a goal by Alex Goligoski, but the Canadiens tied things up 18 seconds later. Montreal got another goal in the second, but it was all Pens after that. Tyler Kennedy got a goal, followed by Goligoski's second, Jordan Staal's first of the year, and Kris Letang. The Pens won with a final score of 5-2.

Forty Fifth Game of the Regular Season

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

Monday, January 10, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Choke
It seems that every time the Pens play the Boston Bruins in recent months that the Pens have a multi-point lead that they relinquish in the final minutes of the game. This evening's game was no different. The Pens had a 2-0 lead with less than four minutes left in the game. By game end, the Bruins had won by a score of 4-2. Who knows where the collapse came, but it just seemed that the Pens let the game get away from them with sloppy play. Maybe the team is missing Sidney Crosby, who is still out with the concussion.

Forty Fourth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, January 8, 2011 -- Evening

Wild in Town
The Minnesota Wild were in town to play the Pens. Unfortunately, the Pens were feeling Crosby's absence. The Wild got two goals in the first period, and two more in the third. The Pens, however, were unable to score. Yep, you read that right; the Wild shutout the Pens. The final score was 4-0. Let's hope that Sid doesn't have an extended concussion problem.

Forty Third Game of the Regular Season

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

Thursday, January 6, 2011 -- Evening

Crosby Injured; Pens Lose in a Shootout
The Pens were in Montreal to play the Canadiens. Sidney Crosby wasn't with them though, because he was sent back to Pittsburgh this morning with an upper body injury. It seems that Crosby may have had one too many hits that gave him some sort of injury. He got a bad hit in the Winter Classic, and then was pushed into the boards in yesterday's game. Matt Cooke also missed the game for personal reasons, and he also returned to Pittsburgh. Brent Johnson was in goal for the Pens. Aaron Asham scored in the first two minutes of the game to give the Pens a 1-0 lead. The Canadiens didn't get the tying goal until the second period. No goals were scored in the third period, even though the Canadiens had a 5-3 opportunity. The game went into overtime. The game went to a shootout. Michael Cammalleri went first and did not score. Kris Letang was up next, and Carey Price stopped him. Next was P.K. Subban, who was stopped. Pascal Dupuis was next, and he missed too. Then it was Brian Gionta's turn. He missed too. Then Evgeni Malkin missed, per usual, not even getting it to the net. Then it was Andre Kostitsyn, but he lost the puck. Mark Letestu had a shot, and Price gloved the puck. Next was Benoit Pouliot, and he scored by getting the puck behind Johnson. Pouliot's shot was a gorgeous one. The game rested on Chris Kunitz's shoulders, and Price stopped him. The Canadiens won with a final score of 2-1.

Forty Second Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 -- Evening

Pens Have a Scoring Frenzy
The Tampa Bay Lightning were in town this evening to play the Pens. The Lightning have been having a good season with Steven Stamkos scoring on a regular basis. The team just picked up Dwayne Roloson as goalie, and he had a shutout win last night. Well, the Pens came out with a vengeance to redeem themselves after the Winter Classic. Evgeni Malkin scored in the first seven seconds of the game, one of the fastest goals for the Pens since the 1990s. That started a scoring streak. Four goals (Malkin, Chris Conner, Tyler Kennedy, and Chris Kunitz) were scored in the first eight minutes, leading to Roloson being pulled from goal. Dan Ellis went into goal, and quickly gave up a goal to Kunitz. Roloson came back into the game in the second period. The second period was interesting with Stamkos getting a penalty shot because he was tripped up on a breakaway. Unfortunately for Stamkos, he lost his edge on his skates and fell to the ice, losing the puck. Marc-Andre Fleury quickly skated out to push the puck away because Stamkos could have gotten up and tried it again as long as the puck had forward motion. After that fiasco, Mark Letestu and Kunitz scored goals. Yep, Kunitz had his first hat trick as a Pen, and second of his career. After the second period, the score was 7-0. Ellis was back in goal for the Lightning at the start of the third. Then Lightning got a goal near the start of the period to take away Fleury's chance at a shutout. But then Alex Goligoski got the goal back to keep a 7 point lead. No one else scored after that, and the Pens won with a final score of 8-1.

Forty First Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Lightning
Pens 		1st
0
5 		2nd
0
2 		3rd
1
1 		Final
1
8

Saturday, January 1, 2011 -- Evening

Winter Classic
There has been a good deal of talk about the Winter Classic between the Pens and the Capitals, held in Pittsburgh today. I thought that Pittsburgh was not the right choice for an outdoor hockey game when it was first suggested. After all, you can never guarantee that it will be cold in the city in the beginning of January. Well, even though it has been cold and snowy since November, the temperatures picked up. The Classic was postponed from 1 p.m. this afternoon to 8 p.m. this evening. Unfortunately, the temperatures have remained in the upper 40s and lower 50s into the evening with rainy drizzle. There weren't any goals in the first period, but then the scoring picked up in the second period. Evgeni Malkin got the first goal of the game with assists by Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury. Then the Capitals got a power play goal, and then got a second goal when Fleury misplayed the puck behind the net. The ice was in really bad condition because of the warmth and the rainy conditions. It seems that what Fleury did might have been normal for an inside game, but for crappy ice, it wasn't such a good move. Unfortunately, the Caps scored again in the third period to give the Capitals a 3-1 win. After the game, the Pens waved their sticks to thank the crowd, but there wasn't a handshake line at the end of the game as there were in past classics.
Jordan Staal Plays
Jordan Staal got clearance to play in the Winter Classic. It was very nice to have Staalsy back on the ice.
Steelers at the Winter Classic
Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis dropped the puck with Mario Lemieux and a military guy. In the second intermission, Harris and Bettis had a competition on who could get the most pucks in a net. The Bus got 9 pucks in the net compared to Franco's 7. So The Bus won that. Then they finished off having to throw a football into the goal. The thing that I liked about Jerome "The Bus" Bettis is that he loves to compete, and he really goes all out to win in any sort of physical competition.

Fortieth Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, December 29, 2010 -- Evening

The Streak Ends
Sidney Crosby wasn't able to get a point in tonight's Pens and New York Islanders game. Rick DiPietro was back in goal for the Islanders, and Marc-Andre Fleury for the Pens. The Islanders got a goal, and then played the trap to keep the Pens from scoring. Chris Conner got a goal for the Pens in the second period to tie things up. Unfortunately, those two goals were the only ones to be scored in regulation and overtime. The game went to a shootout. The Islanders got the first shootout shot, but then Kris Letang got one too. Fleury got passed by the second Islander, but Crosby was stopped. Fleury stopped the third Islander, so it came down to Evgeni Malkin to keep it alive. Surprisingly, Malkin scored to keep the shootout going. Unfortunately, Fleury wasn't able to stop the fourth Islander while DiPietro stopped Mark Letestu. Final score: Islanders 2 - Pens 1.

Thirty Ninth Game of the Regular Season

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

Tuesday, December 28, 2010 -- Evening

Another Win and Another Streaky Game
The Pens played the Atlanta Thrashers this evening here in Pittsburgh. The Thrashers came to play, and they scored two goals in the first period. This despite the fact that Marc-Andre Fleury made some really nice saves. Fortunately, we have Sidney Crosby on our team, and he scored two answering goals in the first period to tie things up. Crosby's scoring streak extends to 25 games with the goals. The second Crosby goal was a beauty with Crosby being attacked by two Thrashers as he broke away for the net. But they couldn't stop him from getting it over the glove of goalie, Ondrej Pavelec. Craig Adams, Chris Kunitz, Mark Letestu, and Matt Cooke got goals in the second and third periods to give the Pens a 6-3 win.

Thirty Eighth Game of the Regular Season

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

Sunday, December 26, 2010 -- Evening

Crosby's Streak Continues
Sidney Crosby's scoring streak continued tonight, even though the Pens lost to the Senators this evening. The Senators came to play, and they scored first. It looked like they might hold the Pens to a shutout, but Crosby finally got a goal in the waning minutes of the third period. Final score: Pens 1 - Senators 3.

Thirty Seventh Game of the Regular Season

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

Thursday, December 23, 2010 -- Evening

Precursor to the Winter Classic
In a precursor to the Winter Classic, the Pens were in Washington to play the Capitals. HBO has been showing a documentary leading up to the Winter Classic, and it has been highlighting the winning streak of the Pens and the losing streak of the Caps. The documentary series is very well done and has several entertaining sections. Next week's episode will be about tonight's game, which was very entertaining. It started with a goal by Sidney Crosby, who has scored in 23 straight games. Evgeni Malkin was awarded a penalty shot in the first period, but as we all know, Malkin sucks at penalty and shootout shots. Mike Green scored for the Caps in the second period. The Chris Kunitz scored for the Pens in the third. Unfortunately, the Caps tied things up in the waning minutes of the third to give the Caps a tie. The game went into overtime. There was a review of Mike Green's goal attempt, but Toronto decided that there wasn't any visible evidence that the puck crossed the goal line. There weren't any goals during overtime, so the game went to a shootout. The Capitals went first with Alexander Ovechkin. Marc-Andre Fleury couldn't stop Ovechkin's serpentine move, and Ovechkin scored. Next was Kris Letang for the Pens. Letang scored. Then it was Alexander Semin's turn. He missed the net by a mile. Next was Crosby, but he got stopped. Then it was Niklas Backstrom's turn, but Fleury stopped him with the glove, spinning around afterwards. Malkin was next, and per usual, he sucks at the shootout and miseed. Mike Knuble was next, but Fleury stopped him. Mark Letestu was next, and he was stopped. Next was Brooks Laich. Fleury gloved the shot. Chris Kunitz was next, but he was stopped too. Mathieu Perreault was next for the Caps. Fleury stopped him, although it was tense for a second. Tyler Kennedy had a turn and was stopped. Mike Green was up next, but Fleury stopped him. Next was Pascal Dupuis. He almost lost the puck, but managed to get it back and drive it into the net. The Pens won with a final score of 3-2. Fleury stopped 32 of 34 shots, not counting the shootout, giving a stellar performance.

Thirty Sixth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Capitals 		1st
1
0 		2nd
0
1 		3rd
1
1 		OT
0
0 		SO
1 (2-7)
0 (1-7) 		Final
3
2

Wednesday, December 22, 2010 -- Evening

Another Win for the Pens
The Pens played the Florida Panthers this evening, and it was another Pens win. Sidney Crosby extended his scoring streak to 22 games with a goal. Mark Letestu, Ben Lovejoy (his first NHL goal), and Matt Cooke also got goals to give the Pens a solid lead. Brent Johnson started the same, but he tweaked a muscle in the second period. Marc-Andre Fleury game took Johnson's place in the third. With just minutes left in the game, we found out that it was a lower body injury for Johnson. This, of course, leads to the question of whether a few days of rest would be sufficient for Johnson, or if the Pens would have to call up a goalie from the Baby Pens. Pascal Dupuis finished things up with an empty netter to give the Pens a 5-2 win. Ben Lovejoy left the game in the third period after a puck hit his visor. It looked like the visor cut his cheek, so we hope that Lovejoy is okay.

Thirty Fifth Game of the Regular Season

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

Monday, December 20, 2010 -- Evening

Pens Back in Action
The Pens were finally back in action this evening against the Phoenix Coyotes. The Pens had a two loss streak going on, so it was important for them to get back on the winning track. They did just that with Evgeni Malkin scoring two goals and three assists. Sidney Crosby continued his scoring streak with a goal and two assists. Poor Marc-Andre Fleury lost his shutout when the Coyotes got a goal in the third period. Final score: Pens 6 - Coyotes 1.

Thirty Fourth Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, December 15, 2010 -- Evening

Crosby's Streak Continues
Sidney Crosby's scoring streak now numbers 20 games after he gave an assist to Evgeni Malkin in tonight's Pens/ NY Rangers game. Marc-Andre Fleury got a break from the action, and Brent Johnson was in goal. Unfortunately, the Pens had a breakdown in the third period, allowing the Rangers to score four unanswered goal. It seems that the Pens are starting a new streak; this time a losing streak. Final score: Pens 1 - Rangers 4.

Thirty Third Game of the Regular Season

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

Tuesday, December 14, 2010 -- Evening

Pens Lose
We knew this day would come. No team can win every game in a season; and even stringing together several in a row, must at some point end. That end came today when the Pens played the Flyers. The Flyers scored the first goal. That wasn't a good stat because usually the Pens were the first to score. Evgeni Malkin was back on the ice, and he scored two goals, with assists from Sidney Crosby. But those were the only goals the Pens got, while the Flyers got three goals. Crosby continues his scoring streak, and tomorrow is another game for the Pens to start a new streak. Final score in tonight's game: Pens 2 - Flyers 3.

Thirty Second Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, December 11, 2010 -- Evening

Pens on the Road
The Pens were in Buffalo this evening to play the Sabres. The Sabres haven't been doing well this season, and there has been talk about firing LIndy Ruff. I'm always amazed at how quickly coaches, even coaches with lots of experience and results like Ruff, are quickly put on the chopping block. So far, Ruff has kept his job. The Pens quickly scored two points and went on to win the game. Sidney Crosby didn't get a goal, but he did get an assist to continue his scoring streak. The Pens won with a final score of 5-2, and Marc-Andre Fleury got the number one star.
Thirty First Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 -- Evening

Pens play Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs were in town this evening to play the Pens. Colby Armstrong now plays for the Maple Leafs, and he performed in his usual incompetent way. The only good move that Armstrong made was to draw a penalty off of Sidney Crosby. That was to the detriment of the Leafs, because when Crosby came out of the penalty box, he must have been hot to score. Crosby teamed up with Chris Kunitz to get a goal. This is the 17th game in a row in which Crosby has scored. The Pens had a mini-scoring spurt in the end of the second period, with goals by Pascal Dupuis, Mark Letestu, and Crosby. The Leafs didn't pull goalie, Jonas Gustavsson because Jean-Sebastien Giguere has a strained groin. The Leafs started fighting back with their fists, getting into several fights with the Pens. The Leafs then got two goals in the first half of the third period to make the game closer. With only a few minutes left in the game, Letestu got his second goal of the game. The Pens won their eleventh game in a row with a final score of 5-2.

Thirtieth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Maple Leafs
Pens 		1st
0
1 		2nd
0
3 		3rd
2
1 		Final
2
5

Monday, December 6, 2010 -- Evening

Guerin Retires as a Pen; Pens Win 10 in a Row
The Pens had a busy night. Before the start of tonight's game against the New Jersey Devils, the Pens had a ceremony to honor Billy Guerin. Guerin had the honor of retiring as a Pen, and the organization did a nice job of honoring him, presenting him with a mural painting and a trip to Hawaii for him and his wife. It was a very nice ceremony. The Pens went on to a play a good game with Chris Kunitz and Sidney Crosby scoring goals. Ilya Kovalchuk stunk up the arena, ending the game as a -2. Johann Hedberg did a nice job in goal for the Devils, keeping the Devils in the game, and winding up with the third star in the game. The Pens have won ten in a row, and Crosby has scored in 16 straight games. The Pens are hot! Final score: Pens 2 - Devils 1.

Twenty Ninth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, December 4, 2010 -- Evening

Pens in Columbus
The Pens were in Columbus to play the Blue Jackets. A huge number of Pens fans must have traveled to Columbus because whenever the Pens scored, and boy did they score, the arena would reverberate with cheers for the Pens. The Blue Jackets have been having problems of late, and lost their last five games. In fact, in their game last night against the Buffalo Sabres, the Blue Jackets looked really lackluster. Steve Mason was in goal for the Blue Jackets, and was pulled in the first period after the Pens had scored four goals. Mathieu Garon, former Pen backup goalie, went in and had to face the fire of the Pens' shooting. Paul Martin and Sidney Crosby both got two goals to give the Pens a 7-2 win. Evgeni Malkin did not play in the game today because of an undisclosed injury.

Twenty Eighth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Pens
Blue Jackets 		1st
4
0 		2nd
3
1 		3rd
0
1 		Final
7
2

Thursday, December 2, 2010 -- Evening

Crosby Gets a Natural Hat Trick
The Pens played the Atlanta Thrashers this evening. I missed the game because I was in class, but I did make sure to check out the highlights on the NHL web site. Sidney Crosby got a natural hat trick to give the Pens the win. A natural hat trick is when the player scores three goals in a row. Crosby has really been hot over the past several games, and the team in general has really turned up the heat, winning eight in a row. The final score for tonight's game was Pens 3 - Thrashers 2. In a way, it's a good thing that Crosby got the three goals, or it might have been a shutout for the Thrashers!

Twenty Seventh Game of the Regular Season

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

Monday, November 29, 2010 -- Evening

Pens Continue Winning Ways
The Pens were in New York to play the Rangers this evening. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal, and he was playing well again this evening. Max Talbot got the first goal with an assist by Pascal Dupuis. Kris Letang and Chris Conner added goals to the Pens tally in the second period. Unfortunately, as the second period was ending, Marian Gaborik got a goal for the Rangers. Those were the only goals in the game. The Pens held off an attack from the Rangers late in the third period to win with a final score of 3-1.

Twenty Sixth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, November 27, 2010 -- Afternoon

Pens versus Flames
The Pens game this afternoon was against the Calgary Flames. Marc-Andre Fleury sat out the game, and Brent Johnson was in goal. Sidney Crosby had an unsuccessful penalty shot four minutes after the start of the game. The Pens had 24 shots, unsuccessful shots, on goal in the first period. Mikka Kiprusoff, the Flames' goalie, was on his game. Aaron Asham scored first for the Pens. After that, Sidney Crosby went on a scoring binge, getting a natural hat trick with an open goal for the third goal. The Pens won with a final score of 4-1.

Twenty Fifth Game of the Regular Season

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

Friday, November 26, 2010 -- Evening

Another Win!
The Pens played an early afternoon game against the Ottawa Senators. I was only able to catch bits and pieces of it because I wasn't home for most the day. Marc-Andre Fleury was back in goal, and again, he did a stellar job. The Pens won with a final score of 2-1 with goals by Evgeni Malkin and Alex Goligoski. There's another game tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., and I hope to actually watch that game.

Twenty Fourth Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, November 24, 2010 -- Evening

Fleury Gets a Shutout
The dads got to watch another game for the Pens Dads' Trip. Tonight, the Pens were in Buffalo to play the Sabres. Marc-Andre Fleury was back in goal. Ever since Sidney Crosby came out in defense of playing Fleury, George McFly has played Fleury. And Fleury has not disappointed, making several nice saves each game. Halfway through the first period, Pascal Dupuis scored off a Crosby assist. Fortunately, or unfortunately, that was the only goal of the game. Fortunately, the Pens won, and Fleury got his 17th career shutout and number 1 star of the game; unfortunately, the game was a boring one. Pens win with a score of 1-0.

Twenty Third Game of the Regular Season

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

Monday, November 22, 2010 -- Evening

Dads' Trip
The dads were on hand for tonight's Pens game against the Florida Panthers. Ray Shero has made the Dads' Trip an annual event for the Pens. Basically the fathers get to go along, watch practice, watch the game, and hang out with their sons. There are other activities too, like golfing, and it seems like a fun time is had by all. Marc-Andre Fleury was back in goal because he is the hot goalie now. The Pens got goals from Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby in the first period. The Panthers tied things up in the second period. Fortunately, Chris Conner got the go-ahead goal in the third period to give the Pens the win. Final score: Pens 3 - Panthers 2.

Twenty Second Game of the Regular Season

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

Friday, November 19, 2010 -- Evening

Shootout Win!
The Pens have been busy over the past week and a half. Tonight, they were playing the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes scored first on their first shot. I'm sure that it started people wondering about Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Then Chris Kunitz and Tyler Kennedy got goals for the Pens to get the lead. Unfortunately, the Hurricanes came back to score another in the first to tie things up. Sidney Crosby got into the act with a goal in the second period to give the Pens the lead again. Unfortunately, the Hurricanes tied things up again. In the third period, Kunitz got a goal that had to be reviewed by Toronto. It looks like the puck might have crossed the line, obstructed by the goalie's pads, and the whistle blew. The question was, when did the puck cross and the whistle blew? Bob Errey thought it would not be a goal, but Toronto called it as a goal. With less than a minute left in regulation, the Hurricanes pulled their goalie and scored the tying goal. The game went into overtime. Overtime went by without a score, and so we had a shootout. The Hurricanes wanted the ice cleaned for Jussi Jokinen. Up first was Kris Letang for the Pens. Letang went slow, but pulled some fancy moves, and he scored. Next was Jeff Skinner for the Hurricanes. Skinner missed the net. Next up was Sidney Crosby. Crosby scored! Next was Jokinen. Fleury stopped him, and the Pens won! Final score: Pens 5 - Hurricanes 4.

Twenty First Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Hurricanes
Pens 		1st
2
2 		2nd
1
1 		3rd
1
1 		OT
0
0 		SO
0 (0-2)
1 (2-2) 		Final
4
5
Warm-up at Console Energy Center with Pens and Canucks

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 -- Evening

Pens and Fleury on a Hot Streak
The Vancouver Canucks were in town to play the Pens tonight. Marc-Andre was back in goal, and he played a stellar game. The first goal came when Sidney Crosby came out of the penalty, grabbed the puck, and scored a goal on a breakaway. Max Talbot got a short handed goal and Arron Asham got a goal in the second to give the Pens a 3-0 lead. The Canucks were able to score one goal in the second period, but the Pens held the Canucks scoreless in the third period. Fleury got the number one star in the game and validated Crosby's faith in him. I think that George McFly should be eating crow right now. Final score: Pens 3 - Canucks 1. I went to tonight's game, and I took a few pictures.

Twentieth Game of the Regular Season

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

Monday, November 15, 2010 -- Evening

Another Solid Game from Fleury
The Pens were back in action tonight against the New York Rangers. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal, and he gave a very solid performance. Erik Christensen got a goal in the second period when Fleury was heavily screened. Henrik Lundqvist was also solid in goal, and it wasn't until the last three minutes of the third period that the Pens scored with a goal by Chris Kunitz. Then 38 seconds later, Matt Cooke scored the go-ahead goal for the Pens. Lundqvist broke his stick in frustration by whacking it at the top of the net. Then Lundqvist threw the stick on the ice, which resulted in a penalty. The Rangers were short handed. With 1:26 left, Marc Staal scored a short-handed goal to tie the game. Regulation ended in a 2-2- tie. Unfortunately, the Rangers scored in the overtime period. It was a solid performance by Fleury, and he is showing George McFly that if Fleury gets to play, he will be better. Final score: Pens 2 - Rangers 3.

Nineteenth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, November 13, 2010 -- Evening

Pens Back in Action
The Pens played in a back-to-back game tonight against the Atlanta Thrashers. Marc-Andre Fleury was back in goal for the Pens. The Thrashers scored the only goal in the first period, and that really brought out the anger in Fleury, who whacked his stick against the net. Fortunately, Evgeni Malkin scored in the second period to tie things up. Sidney Crosby got a goal at the start of the third period to give the Pens the lead. Then a bit after a minute later, Malkin got his second goal of the game. Unfortunately, the Thrashers got a goal to pull within one of the Pens. The Thrashers pulled their goalie in the last two minutes of the game, and Malkin got an empty net goal to give Malkin his sixth career hat trick. The Pens won by a final score of 4-2. Fleury had a really solid night in goal. He's obviously back on his game.

Eighteenth Game of the Regular Season

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

Friday, November 12, 2010 -- Evening

Fleury Gets a Win at Console!
The Pens played the Tampa Bay Lightning at Console Energy this evening. The big news was that Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal for the Pens, and right before the National Anthem, the fans started a loud Fleury chant to show their support of the goalie. Fleury made some really good saves in the first period. Kris Letang gave Fleury a pat on the head and a hug afterwards. i think the players might be making a statement that they are supporting Fleury over George McFly (Bylsma). There were no goals in the first period, but Pascal Dupuis and Alex Goligoski both got goals in the second period. The question became whether the Pens would continue to play in the third period. Almost midway through the third period, the Lightning had a 5-3 power play, and Steven Stamkos took advantage to make a goal. Fleury was under attack by the Lightning, but he made some very nice saves. Max Talbot, being the clutch player that he is, scored a goal to give the Pens a two point buffer. Then with only 3:16 left in the game, Sidney Crosby fired a rocket at Mike Smith to give the Pens a 4-1 lead. Then Derrick Engelland scored his fist NHL goal for the Pens. The Pens won with a final score of 5-1. The fans were going wild in the final seconds of the game, chanting Fleury's name. Fleury tapped his stick on the ice to acknowledge the chants. This was Fleury's first regular season win at Console, and his 150th career win. Fleury also got the number one star of the game. Way to go, Marc-Andre! You show George McFly what an idiot he is!

Seventeenth Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 -- Evening

Pens Back Home
The Pens were back in town after their road trip, and they were up against the Boston Bruins. Tim Thomas has been hot in goal this season and was undefeated in seven games. Brent Johnson was in goal for the Pens. The Pens scored first with a goal by Aaron Asham with an assist by Evgeni Malkin. The Bruins got two back in return, the first a power play goal by Mark Recchi. Brooks Orpik tied things up at the end of the first period. Chris Kunitz got a goal towards the end of the second period to give the Pens a 3-2 lead. The lead was lengthened when Sidney Crosby shot the puck at the net, to only have the puck go off the stick of Bruin, Mark Stuart. The puck then went five hole on Thomas', which really ticked Thomas off, causing him to whack his stick off the ice in anger. At the beginning of the third period, the Bruins got two goals in less than a minute to tie things up. Then another two quick, soft goals, gave the Bruins a 6-4 lead. Finally with 1:17 left in the game, the Pens pulled Johnson to give the Pens an extra man advantage. But the Bruins scored an empty net goal to score five goals in the third period. The Pens lose with a final score of 7-4. Mark Recchi, old man that he is, was player of the game.

Sixteenth Game of the Regular Season

Goals
Bruins
Pens 		1st
2
2 		2nd
0
2 		3rd
5
0 		Final
7
4

Saturday, November 6, 2010 -- Evening

Finally a Win
The Pens were up against the Phoenix Coyotes this evening. Both teams played last night, so they were in the same state of tiredness, although the Coyotes had the advantage of being at home. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal again tonight. The Coyotes scored first, and then there was a fluke goal. One of the Coyotes crashed the net, knocking it off its moorings, and a ref called a tripping against the Pens. The refs reviewed the play, and decided that right as the guy crashed the net, the puck crossed the line, so it was called a goal, but it was really not conclusive. Bob Errey said that it was a confusing call because he thought that it should not have been called a goal. The bad thing was that George McFly pulled Fleury and put in Brent Johnson. All I know is that the Pens in general have been playing poorly, and Fleury got the wrong end of the stick by pulling him over this bogus goal. I think that the Pens woes are due to the poor coaching of George McFly. The question is how long will he be allowed to muck up the team? In the second period, both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were able to get goals to tie the game. The Coyotes got another goal in the second period, but in the last minute of the second, Chris Kunitz got a goal for the Pens to tie things up again. The game ended in a tie in regulation and went on to overtime. No goals in overtime, so we had a shootout. For the Pens, it was Crosby, Kris Letang, and Mark Letestu. Jason Labarbera was stopped by Johnson. Then Ilya Bryzgalov stopped Crosby. Wojtek Wolski was stopped by Johnson. Next up was Letang, and he wasn't able to get it past Bryzgalov, even though he tried several fancy moves. Lauri Korpikoski couldn't get it on goal. Letestu then had his chance, and he scored by going through the five hole. The Pens won with a final score of 4-3.

Fifteenth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, November 6, 2010 -- Morning

Pens Lose Again
The Pens played the Anaheim Ducks later last night, and it wasn't a good one. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal, and he did a decent job except for the three goals that he left in within seven minutes of each other in the second period. He did make some good saves in the third period to keep the Pens in the hunt. Sidney Crosby showed up for the game and made two goals. I say that because Crosby hasn't been performing well so far this season. The final score was Ducks 3 - Pens 2. The West Coast trip continues with a match against the Phoenix Coyotes tonight.

Fourteenth Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, November 3, 2010 -- Evening

West Coast Trip
The Pens were in Dallas tonight to play the Stars. Brent Johnson was in goal, and quickly gave up 2 goals in the first eight minutes of the game. It wasn't until the second period when Tyler Kennedy and Max Talbot joined up to give the Pens a goal. But then a few minutes later, the Stars got another to take a 3-1 lead, and then Loui Eriksson got a goal on a penalty shot. By then the second period was half way over. The Pens were frustrated at losing and at the Stars for being rough on Evgeni Malkin. The gloves started to drop in numerous fights. First up was Kris Letang, which was really a stupid move on his part because he has an injured right hand, and shouldn't be hitting anyone with the hand. Then at the drop of the next puck, Sidney Crosby, yes Crosby, dropped the gloves against Matt Niskanen. When the play continued, Chris Kunitz got into some fisticuffs. Brent Johnson let in another goal starting the third period to give the Stars a 5-1 lead. The game was a sad display. Even though Johnson had played well in other games, he was mediocre tonight, and the stars on the Pens also did their usual mediocre jobs. Malkin and Crosby have not been performing up to expectations. At least, that's my opinion. The Pens did get one more goal in the third, but it was four less than then needed. The Stars won with a final score of 5-2.

Thirteenth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, October 30, 2010 -- Evening

Pens Win
Brent Johnson was in goal for the start of the Pens West Coast run with the Carolina Hurricanes. Pascal Dupuis got a goal for the Pens four minutes into the game and a second goal in the third period. Max Talbot got a goal in the second period to give the Pens a 3-0 win. Sidney Crosby had assists on both of Dupuis's goals, but so far this season, he and Evgeni Malkin have been performing below standards. At least the Pens get another two points.

Twelfth Game of the Regular Season

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

Friday, October 29, 2010 -- Evening

Fleury is Jinxed
Poor Marc-Andre Fleury has been having a rough time this season. He was in goal for the Pens in tonight's game against the Flyers, and although he had a good performance in net, the Pens still lost with a final score of 3-2. It seems that Fleury is just having issues with stopping the puck in all situations. Of course, it doesn't help that the offense has not been producing and the penalty killing team has done nothing but give up short handed goals. Also, our power play sucks and couldn't score if a grandmother was in the net. Of course, I think that George McFly sucks, but no one else seems to agree with me. Evgeni Malkin, slouch, might have gotten a boo-boo in the game. I say that because it didn't seem as if he really had an strong hit to hurt him. Personally, I think that he's a lazy, sissy boy.

Eleventh Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 -- Evening

Pens Lose
The Pens finished up their road trip against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Marc-Andre Fleury gave up a goal on the first shot against him, and that wasn't looking too good. However, Mike Smith, the Lightning goalie, was a sieve, and let in three goals in seven shots, two coming on the first three shots. Smith was pulled half way through the first period in favor of Dan Ellis. A highlight came when Fleury stopped Sean Bergenheim on a penalty shot. The score was tied at 3-3 when the game went into the third period. Unfortunately, the Lightning went on to score a goal in the third and an open net goal in the final minute of the game to get a 5-3 win. Poor Fleury probably won't be back in the net in the next game, and I think that the lack of playing is affecting him too.

Tenth Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, October 23, 2010 -- Evening

Blues for the Pens
The Pens and St. Louis Blues game this evening was a goalie battle. Brent Johnson was in goal for the Pens, and Jaroslav Halak for the Blues. Halak was stellar in the outing, making several great saves. I can only imagine what the Montreal Canadiens fans are thinking as the watch Halak's performance this year. Regulation ended in a scoreless tie. Erik Johnson put the puck behind our Brent Johnson 50 seconds into overtime. The Blues win with a final score of 1-0.

Ninth Game of the Regular Season

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

Thursday, October 21, 2010 -- Evening

Fleury Back in the Net
Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal for the Pens game against the Nashville Predators. Things were not looking good for Fleury when the Predators scored on their first shot, 53 seconds into the game. Fleury composed himself and came back to play a decent game. Will George McFly continue to play him? We'll have to see. As for the Pens, Evgeni Malkin scored 54 seconds into the second period. The Pens and Predators traded goals, and they were tied at the end of regulation with a score of 3-3. With only a little over a minute left in overtime, Kris Letang shot a bruiser at Pekka Rinne, the Predators' goalie, and got the win for the Pens. You would have thought that they won a playoff game with the way the team started face washing Letang. Fleury gave Letang several pats on the head to thank him for getting the win. Pens win 4-3, and the next game will be Saturday in St. Louis.

Eighth Game of the Regular Season

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

Monday, October 18, 2010 -- Evening

Another Win
The Pens seem to be on a roll with Brent Johnson, as they welcomed Sergei Gonchar and the Ottawa Senators to Console Energy Center. The Pens got goals from Mark Letestu, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin in the first period. Midway through the second period, Pascal Dupuis and Kris Letang got goals which lead to the exit of the goalie, Brian Elliot. Robin Lehner came into goal for the Senators. After the goalie switch, the Pens' scoring spree was shut down. The Senators got another goal in the third, but the Pens held them off to win with a final score of Pens 5 - Senators 2.

Seventh Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, October 16, 2010 -- Evening

Another Win
The Pens played again this evening, this time against the Philadelphia Flyers. Brent Johnson was back in goal, which doesn't bode well for Marc-Andre Fleury. I don't know how George McFly hopes that Fleury will get better if he doesn't play, but then I never thought much of McFly's coaching ability. For the second night, though, the Pens did get a win. Kris Letang played this evening because the NHL rescinded the major penalty over yesterday's hit over Comeau, because it wasn't a shoulder to head hit. The Flyers scored first in tonight's game, but the Pens didn't let it get to them. Chris Kunitz got a goal in the middle of the first period, and Mark Letestu got a goal in the second period. The big news was Sidney Crosby finally getting his act together and getting two power point goal within 90 seconds of each other in the third period. The Pens won with a final score of 5-1. Both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have to start producing if the Pens are going to win consistently.

Sixth Game of the Regular Season

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

Friday, October 15, 2010 -- Evening

Finally!
The Pens played the New York Islanders this evening at Console Arena. The game seemed to be jinxed from the beginning with the Pens wearing their third jersey, the blue that they usually lose in at home. The first period was disappointing with the Pens getting only eight shots on goal. The fans were so frustrated with the Pens that they started to boo the team, especially when the Pens power play wasn't productive. Things picked up in the second period, when Mike Rupp scored to be followed shortly by an Eric Tangradi goal. Unfortunately, the Pens just as quickly gave up the advantage to let the Islanders tie things up. Kris Letang got an illegal check to the head call. It looked like it might have been shoulder to shoulder, but when you see the helmet whip off of Blake Comeau's head, you have to wonder. When the third period started, Letang got a game misconduct and was out for the rest of the game. Matt Cooke continued to take stupid penalties, including running over Rick DiPietro in the crease. The fans at the game booed DiPietro as if he took a dive, but it was blatantly obvious that Cooke acted the goon per usual and ran into the goalie. I am NOT a Cooke fan. I think the guy takes too many really stupid penalties and tries to intentionally hurt people. The Pens managed to prevent the Islanders from scoring in the third period, and the game went into overtime. The Pens were extremely lucky to get their first win at Console with a goal by Alex Goligoski. Final score: Pens 3 - Islanders 2.

Fifth Game of the Regular Season

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

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 -- Evening

Jinxed?
The Pens were back in town to play the Toronto Maple Leafs. I've started to wonder if there is a jinx on Console Arena. The Pens won in New Jersey on Monday with Brent Johnson, but the need a win in Pittsburgh. Things were looking up when the Pens took a 2-1 lead in the first period with goals by Chris Kunitz and Max Talbot. Unfortunately, the second period was not so good for the Pens. The Maple Leafs scored three points to take a 4-2 lead. Finally in the final minutes of the second period, George McFly put Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the same line. Malkin got a penalty shot out of it. Unfortunately, Malkin sucks at the penalty shot because he goes at the net in slow motion, and gives the goalie plenty of looks at his move. With only 44 seconds in the period, Crosby finally got his first goal of the season to bring the Pens within one of the Maple Leafs. The third period was scoreless for both teams, so it was yet another loss for the Pens. I suppose we shouldn't get too worried about the season, but it does make me wonder what the problem is. So far, Crosby and Malkin have been no-shows, and Fleury cannot seem to stop a puck for the life of him. Final score: Pens 3 - Maple Leafs 4.

Fourth Game of the Regular Season

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

Monday, October 11, 2010 -- Evening

Pens Win
The Pens played a late afternoon game today against the New Jersey Devils. I hate those early games because the majority of us work, even on Columbus Day. I missed most of the game, but having Brent Johnson in goal was a good thing for the Pens because they finally won. The score was Pens 3 - Devils 1. It makes me wonder what the deal is with Marc-Andre Fleury. Obviously, he seems jinxed this year. Brooks Orpik was out with some undisclosed injury or illness today.

Third Game of the Regular Season

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

Saturday, October 9, 2010 -- Evening

Montreal in Town
The Montreal Canadiens were in town this evening to play the Pens. It will be interesting to see how Carey Price does in this game. He got booed in Montreal during the pre-season when he left in his first goal, but that was just sour grapes over the trade of Jaroslav Halak. Unfortunately, the Canadiens were the first to score towards the end of the first period. Evgeni Malkin got his first goal of the year in the second period to tie things up. Mark Letestu got a goal in the third period to give the Pens a one goal lead. Letestu's goal was a pretty one, a five hole on Carey Price. But Montreal made two quick goals in the waning minutes of the third period to get the win. Final score was Montreal 3 - Pens 2.

Second Game of the Regular Season

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

Thursday, October 7, 2010 -- Evening

First Game Results
The first game of the season was against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Pens had a huge ceremony, having the players walk into the arena on a red carpet. Then Mario Lemieux went out on the ice and poured water from melted Mellon Arena ice on the new ice. All very nice, but unfortunately, the Flyers were on top in this game. Starting with two goals in the second period, the Flyers took a lead that they never relinquished. I was disappointed in the Pens' performance, and it makes me wonder if they left some of their game on the ice in the pre-season. We'll have to see how the rest of the season goes.

First Game of the Regular Season

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