Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Islanders 25/01/11

Penguins 1, Islanders 0 - Final

  And they just keep rolling.  Second win in a row for the Pens, without the two-headed monster that is Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.  Both Sid and Geno have now officially pulled out of the All-Star Game, puck drop 7.30pm on Sunday, and have been replaced.  So now we're down to two Pens on the All-Star Roster; but, if this game is anything to go by, then we have still got two strong players representing us.

  Marc-Andre Fleury, who is predicted to be one of the first tenders to be drafted by the All-Star Captains on Friday night, stopped an incredible 29 shots from 29, earning himself the 1st star, and, some might say, more importantly his 18th career shutout!  Let's go Flower!  Down at the other end of the ice, the Islanders' goalie, Poulin, managed to get himself the 2nd star, with 30 saves from 31 shots.  Poulin was lucky to be playing at all; he would have been back in the minors, had it not been for Nabokov getting suspended for failing to report to the Islanders, after being claimed on waivers.

  Although the first period was scoreless, it was definitely exciting.  Within the first thirty seconds, we had seen our first fight of the night.  Tyler Kennedy, not someone who we usually see dropping the gloves, got into a little rough 'n' tumble with the Islanders' No. 36, Travis Harmonic.  Everyone knew it was going to be a physical game, but who could have predicted that the guys would start throwing their weight around so quickly?  But that wasn't the only fight of the period.  At 1.53 - only one minutes, twenty-six seconds after Kennedy got down and dirty - Arron Asham was going at it with Zenon Konopha.  What has gotten into these guys???

  With more scratches, although we did have Ben Lovejoy back, it is amazing we are playing so well; but what do you expect from the Pens.  This game was the fifth win in six games, all without Crosby, who has missed nine games altogether now.  But then again, the Islanders haven't won in Pittsburgh since the December of 2007.  So we kinda had the advantage...

  And we put that advantage into full effect, in the third.  After a relatively dull second period (especially after the first two minutes of the first), Penguins came out in the third, ready to win.  And win they did.  At 8.35, nearly half way through the third, Asham shot the puck at the net, only to have Poulin get a pad to it.  Unfortunately for the Islanders, Poulin wasn't as lucky with the rebound.  The puck had presented itself at the stick of Craig Adams, after rebounding off Poulin's pad; the Pens No. 27 didn't waste the opportunity.  With an open net, Adams had an easy slot, giving Pittsburgh the lead. 

  The rest of the game past without incident, earning the Black and Gold team the two points.  We're still behind the Cryers but we won't be for long.  So Pens, rest up over the All-Star Break, cheer on Flower and Letang, and come back refreshed and ready to win!