Pens Dominate In Front Of Labyrinth Blogger

Evgeni Malkin and Bill Guerin were two of many offensive stars. As for the defense...

If you didn’t watch the game, it would seem ludicrous that the winning goaltender was the player of the game in an 8-2 demolition.  Such was the case, however, for Marc-Andre Fleury after making 45 saves, including several of the heart-stopping variety, and keeping the Pens close in an underwhelming first period that saw the visiting Senators take control and threaten early on.

Ottawa’s 47 shots were the most against a Dan Bylsma-led Penguin team and their 24 first-period shots was one shy of the most ever by a Pittsburgh opponent in a stanza.

But, you know all this.  You are here to read the first-hand account from someone that watched the Penguins’ five-goal second period 11 rows off the glass, directly on the goal crease.  The angle was exceptional.  My hamstrings were tired after standing so much and so quickly!

I got chills when the crowd was chanting, “Let’s Go Guerin!” Billy G came this-close to notching the home squad’s second hat trick.   As he skated past our section on his way to the face-off circle late in the third, the wily veteran winked at the adoring crowd.  He fired nine shots for the game, at least four when his teammates were trying to set him up for this third goal.

When Geno Malkin powered home his third tally of the night, the black and white Penguin stockings – given to all fans in attendance that night – rained supreme on the Mellon Arena ice.

Speaking of the Arena, it rocked during the goal-barrage and heart-pounding saves.  The fans came to their feet during Mike Rupp’s annihilation of Chris Neal three seconds into the third period.  A second fight, featuring Craig Adams, never took hold.  The crowd thoroughly appreciated the combo hit that knocked Daniel Alfredsson from the game in the first.  I’m sure we all share in hoping he won’t miss much time. (seriously, we aren’t bad people.)

My brother and I saw a Chris Kunitz jersey when waiting in line for the Arena to open.  We exchanged verbal jabs about Kunitz’s contributions on this night.  How did he answer?  Four points in the second period, one goal and three helpers.

Jordan Staal manhandled former Penguin Alexei Kovalev in the defensive zone, carried the puck through the neutral zone and then played give-and-go with Ruslan Fedotenko who slide home Pittsburgh’s third goal of the evening.  It was the hard-working centers typical excellence at both ends of the ice all rolled into one brilliant full-rink sweep.

The GM of the Russian Olympic Team was in the Arena tonight.  When they showed him on the videoboard in the third period he was openly salivating after watching Geno’s hat trick and Sergei Gonchar’s goal and two assists.  The Russian dynamos were a combined +5.

It was hard to know where to start and hard to know how to finish this post.  It was a wonderful way for me to bid adieu to Mellon Arena.  Pictures will come another day as I am experiencing technical difficulties. (forgot my card reader!)