9:38
The right post preserves the win for the Pens. Jagr fluttered one off the pipe, 5-4 Pens, 1-0 in the series. Excellent job by the Pens to rally from three down, some breakdowns by the Rangers, some bad bounces, and ice that makes the MSG ice during circus week look like a clean sheet in downtown Edmonton in December.
Back with you Sunday for Game 2. Is Crosby still a whiner/diver? Does he get preferential treatment? Wonder if that'll be brought up after this one
9:36
Rangers net is empty, assuming they'll use the timeout here. And apparently the Penguins official scorer left his seeing-eye dog at home, because the goal was given to Crosby. And I'm not quite sure that goal should count, but the rules keep changing on those.
9:33
Hold. The. Phone. Malkin clearly turned his left leg, which is the leg the puck went in off.... But it counts.
9:32
But there it is, a big drive by Crosby with some space, and it hits Malkin in the leg and goes in. Third puck off something other than a stick behind Lundqvist. 1:41 left.
9:31
Did Girardi block that with his face? Sheesh. Another lucky play, with everyone overplaying Crosby.
9:29
There's the PP for the Pens, with Straka getting the interference call after Gomez fanned on the shot from the point. 3:20 left... And what a surprise! Crosby was the one who stumbled to draw the call!
9:26
Rangers cycling all four lines, Pens really only mixing in either their third or fourth line behind the top two... Could make a difference down these final minutes.
9:23
Now it's a matter of who blinks first, system-wise. First breakdown loses it.
9:19
What a save by Lundqvist on Crosby -- how do the Rangers leave him all alone in front? And Tytuin with another beautiful hip check along the boards... Gomez line is having serious problems in its own zone. Michel Therrien wants Crosby out there against Gomez every time.
9:17
And looky looky... Great play by Jagr, and not such a great play by Sid to pick up the trailer, Gomez, with a perfect shot over Fleury. 4-4, 9:56 left. Rangers just do not enjoy trailing in these playoffs.
9:11
Decent shift by the fourth line to press a faceoff in the Pens zone. The ice has got to be absolute slush by now, so it'll be all about forechecking and pinching rather than using speed.
Pens can play some D too.
9:09
Bad mistake by Gomez's line, with the turnover pinning all three forwards deep. Great play in tight by Malkin to Sykora for the slam dunk, and it takes 20 seconds this time for Pittsburgh to take the lead, 4-3. Rangers needed to be patient, and they weren't, right after another bank-shot goal.
They need their own luck to turn this around.
9:07
Hossa had been whiffing on a bunch of chances set up by Crosby, but he ties it by banking a blind shot off either Girardi or Gomez. 15:20 left, all square.
9:02
Crosby creates a ridiculous chance for Dupuis, with both Rangers D going to the corner and Dupuis all alone in front. Looked like he wanted to skate to the side or something. Very bad breakdown for the Rangers in the first 90 seconds of the third.
8:43
Second's over, which has got to be a big relief to the Rangers. They're up by a goal after a couple shaky minutes there in the middle. But the third period has been their time, and the PK has been superb, so there's confidence there when a ref will almost certainly give the Pens a third-period PP.
Time for patience on the visitors' part. Not passivity, just patience and strong own-zone play.
8:40
Not much for the Pens on the PP, but Sykora rips one off the crossbar. Rangers are leaving that slot open; that may have been because Dubinsky was out there as a wing, having exited the penalty box. Maybe didn't know where to be.
8:36
There's the first Crosby call -- Dubinsky for tripping when he didn;t touch Sid at all. Brutal call, but now a chance to tie for the Pens with 4:05 left in the second.
8:31
Good chances for a makeshift, end-of-PP Jagr-Gomez-Avery unit, then Sykora gets stopped by Lundqvist after Crosby gets in with speed. Wide-open will not suit the Rangers and Tom Renney will certainly remind them of that if they escape the second with the lead.
8:29
Fleury settles himself with a tremendous save on Backman there... He's recovered nicely.
8:25
Good transition by the fourth line draws a Rangers PP, with Orpik, I think, going off for slashing Betts. Rangers could quiet things down with a strong PP... Or it could go the other way if they get too fancy.
8:22
That was quick. 14 seconds, to be exact. Great play by Crosby to Dupuis, who is left alone in the slot for a big shot. 3-2, and still lots of time. Rangers need to settle this thing down, fast.
8:20
Puck skips on Marc Staal causing the turnover, and Ruutu banks the puck off Rozsival. 3-1, Pens are alive, with plenty of time.
The ice looks particularly bad.
8:18
Game is going back to the no-flow style the Rangers want... Except they're up three. Pens are going to start gambling soon, and that could either make this a game or send it out of reach.
8:13
Be a bad move for Orr to drop with Laraque here... Pens want to get something started, and I assume the Rangers like the way this is going just fine.
8:11
Great googly moogly... Gonchar pinches nicely, but his shot is blocked and a great play by Avery to corral the pass from Shanahan and rifle the shot past Fleury. 3-0. Fleury may get pulled here.
8:10
Pens go with an energy line now, cuz they need it.
8:09
Wrong again! Big, big goal... Wow. 2-0 Rangers, and the Mellon is ghastly silent.
8:05
Another great deflection by Drury goes down and in, and they'll review, but this is going to be tough to review and decide... Slow-mo replay tells me it's too high. I'm gonna guess no goal, despite the great tip by Drury off the Staal shot.
8:03
That was some move by Sid the Kid, and Lundqvist only stops it because Hossa got nothing on the shot. Pens now 0-for-3 on the PP.
8:01
Goal goes to Straka now, off Gonchar's skate. Second period on tap.
7:45
Rangers leave the ice after one up by a goal, thanks to Brandon (Teen Wolf) Dubinsky. Pens start the second with a PP and they had the bulk of the play, but nothing to show thanks to Lundqvist and some good D in the slot. Crosby got pushed around and a stick inside his chinstrap from Avery, but no calls.
Things going well for the Rangers thus far.
7:42
Tough call on Shanahan, but that's interference. 4 on 4 for the next :54.
7:40
Good rush by Marc Staal draws another Rangers PP, with Sykora going off for hooking... Good chance for Straka is blocked.
7:39
No call for Crosby there, getting roughed up by Backman. Koharski was right on it and let it go.
7:35
Good chance for Crosby on the rush, missed the net off Hossa's pass. Penguins are getting some chances but no success. Wonder if the frustration could set in this early.
7:33
And there it is... Funny, these Vs. announcers were just gabbing about Sergei Gonchar and how good he is in his own zone. He was just standing there like a statue and Straka's pass is jammed in by Dubinsky. 1-0 Rangers, and that building is quiet.
7:32
Bad penalty away from the play by Ryan Whitney, so the Rangers have a chance to seize the momentum with their first PP 13:11 in.
7:30
Great play by Marc Staal to short-circuit a two-on-one for Malkin and Sykora... Bad decision by Rozsvial to pinch there. Pace of the game is getting back to what the Rangers want -- no speed through the neutral zone for the Pens and the Rangers looking for turnovers.
7:25
Superb PK there by the Rangers, and nearly a shorty by Betts. Jagr moving up the left side there on the rush to stay away from Gill, but Rob Scuderi shut it down. LI, representing.
7:22
Horrendous mistake by Backman in his own zone leads to a second Penguins PP. Rangers are shaky with changes and puck moving so far, and another PP this early is a bad sign. Still no shots on goal for the visitors either.
7:20
Pens have the first seven shots, Lundqvist has been solid. Betts' line against Crosby now.
7:18
Rangers' D have pushed up a couple times already. Good kill by the Rangers. No matching lines yet, thanks to the PK, with Gomez's line against Crosby. See what Avery does out there.
7:14
Weak clearing tries by Gomez there, but Rangers blocking shots and keeping the puck to the outside.
7:13
Good jod with the Pens' fans "whiteout." Except that they wear the dark jerseys at home... Still looks cool, though.
7:11
Jagr's line vs. Crosby's line to start... Power vs. power.
And Jagr, of all people, gets a cross-checking call 23 seconds in. Definitely a penalty, and a dangerous PP right off the hop.
6:53
Staple here, with Game 1 a few minutes away... I'm not in Pittsburgh with Zip, so I'll be watching on Vs. along with everyone else. Instead of a pre-game show, we've got some sort of reality-tv-youth hockey show featuring a team whose uniforms look an awful lot like the "Fishsticks" era Isles unis. Oof.
As Zip posted earlier, Rangers are going with Colton Orr instead of Ryan Hollweg, Pens are without Gary Roberts and will go with brief ex-Ranger Adam Hall instead.
Telecast about to start, game in 10 or so...
Comments (25)
needed that goal..deflated the crowd and the pens. keep it goin!!
ok game over, Penguins and their ugliest logo in the NHL suck.
Avery got blood in his eye
How is Ruutu's stick in Rosi's face on the faceoff not a penalty as per the Avery Rule? How about some consistency NHL? You rush to make a rule, ENFORCE IT!
"Slow-mo replay tells me it's too high."
looked ok to me--remember Drury is under 5'10" and he was bent reaching with the stick.
Are we going to see Prucha? We could use his goalscoring ability.
Prucha is too much of a defensive liability and gets knocked off the puck too easy.
Weak call on Straka with 3 min left!
Softie Straka takes a terrible penalty.
EXPOSED!!!!!!!!
And Renney puts Straka right back on the ice after losing the game for Rangers with his idiotic penalty. Where is the accountability?
I hate the rangers more than pretty much anything on earth but Malkin clearly and purposely deflected that puck in with his leg. Oh well, sidney gets whatever he wants. I am thrilled that the rags lost. Suffer.
DID ANYONE ELSE SEE THE RANGERS PLAYOFF HOCKEY TONIGHT!!!?
Hen-ry,
Hen-ry,
Hen-ry
You ain't play the weak ass Devils this time boys...
PENS IN 4
YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!
Potvin sux.
Shanahan absolutlely blows, I can't believe this bum is playing while Prucha is not. What is idiot Renney thinking putting Shanahan on the ice instead of Dubinsky or Dawes with Lundqvist pulled?
Rangers got exposed. pens didn't didn't even play a good game.
I see a sweep coming.
I want to see these lines:
Dawes-Dubinsky-Prucha (remember that line?)
Drury-Gomez-Callahan
Straka-Avery-Jagr
wow that call on straka was the worst call....ever...wait not ever the one one dubinsky?????????????he INTENDED to trip him?????!!!
Straka got game misconduct at the end of the game.
Backman and Shanahan do nothing, are soft, and on top of that take penalties.
Renney blows once again. That trap of his sucks. Again he failed to call a timeout or protest any call. Prucha scratched once again. No accountability. Terrible coach.
Bob, you gotta be on the rag man.....you really don't have a clue....how old are 'ya, 10?...cause you sound like it. Renny and the Rangers coaching staff are excellent, so let's leave it at that!
Bottom line is that the Rangers forgot to play disiplin D hockey....we'll see a much improved team Sunday. As for the call on Straka, let's face it, Bettman gave all Ref. orders..anyone so much as blows on the Kid, and there will be a call...just the NHL being the NHL. We need to own the puck and make the Pens chase us, and we need to stay out of our own crease as teams are now looking to bank rebounds on us...see how much sense this makes BOB!
Really, that was text book first period hockey. Hank stood on his head, he made so many good saves he can't be blamed for anything.
Shanny as soft though? Come on. Shanny is the hardest player on the team. A huge loss for the Pens? Gary Roberts.
Roberts is the same as Shanny at this point, a hard ass who can lead. The problem was the soft defense. Backman needs to go. Dress Malik. I hate Malik, but at this point Backman has to go.
Rozsival is solid, but he's also soft. Nothing you can do at this point, but can a team win with him on the #1 D-Pair?
Strudwick for Backman? What about Hutchinson? I know that's a stretch but Backman can be thrown out there again. He's so soft he might crumble at any moment.
Hey Bob, STFU!! You are beyond a doubt the biggest moron I've seen post on here. DId you even watch the game? It was a terrible call on Straka not a terrible penalty. THERE WAS NO PENALTY just like there was no penalty on Dubinsky in the 1st. The only reason they won't win the series is because of referring like tonight. AND Renny is not an idiot, YOU are an idiot.
Guys....read the rule book. As long as there is no kicking motion you can use your leg to angle in the puck. Even if it was a bad call on Straka at the end of the game(it wasnt). You had a 3 goal lead... a VETERAN Team....The Rags didnt deserve to win, out worked, out shot, out coached, out played.