Crosby Magical Return dooms Islanders

All eyes were on the game's biggest superstar last night in Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby's long wait was over with the Penguin captain finally returning to the ice for the first time since two concussions last January. Much like his boss Mario Lemieux, who cameback in epic fashion victimizing the Maple Leafs, Sid The Kid emulated Super Mario with a virtuoso performance at a soldout Consol Energy Center- scoring twice and setting up two more goals in a dominant Pens' 5-0 blowout of the Islanders.

Maybe it shouldn't have come as any shock that such a great player would electrify the home crowd at the Isles' expense. On his opening shift, he nearly assisted on a goal but linemate Chris Kunitz hit the post. It didn't take long for Crosby to put on a show, flying past two Islanders including defenseman Andrew MacDonald before roofing the game's best backhand top shelf on poor Swedish rookie Anders Nilsson, who shouldn't have started his first NHL game in the first place.

“I saw for a few seconds they were a little flat-footed,” Crosby said. “I was able to get some good speed built up when I got it. I knew I had a chance to go wide.”

How do you throw a green 21-year old kid into that building off a 6-0 humiliation versus Boston where they honored Jiggs McDonald and Ed Westfall? Even more mindless is why Nino Neiderreiter didn't play. With vets like Brian Rolston underperforming, wouldn't it make sense to give the ex-Devil a night off and keep their '10 first rounder in for energy? The Islanders are still in a rebuild. If Jack Capuano can scratch Kyle Okposo or Blake Comeau, he can also make an example of a leader who's not getting it done.

Nilsson was in for all five Pittsburgh goals, including a nifty Crosby pass that allowed immortal Brooks Orpik to beat the '09 third round pick clean, banking one in off the post. Cleared for his first game, Sidney certainly took some contact with second-year Isles' defenseman Travis Hamonic knocking him down with a clean check against the glass, which he got right up from and continued. The best news of all for the Pens and for the NHL that's made him the face of hockey. Funny enough, he wasn't screaming 'Oh yeah' when he scored his first of the season, which was bleeped out. If you were gone so long with doubts as to whether you'd even comeback, you'd probably feel the same emotion. Nobody can deny Sid's impact. At 24, he has already won a Cup, Hart, Art Ross, Rocket Richard and Olympic gold with one of the greatest goals in international history. A Canadian hero who has done it all. That he is finally back where he belongs is very exciting for the league and the fans, who hopefully get to see No.87 for a long time.

"It's significant when any League's top player returns to action," Toronto GM Brian Burke said via Twitter. "Welcome back Sid. Good luck as you get underway.

"'Yup, this leagues still a joke for me.' - Sidney Crosby 4 minutes into first game back," in a TSN piece today.

The great players make it look easy. Exactly what Crosby did to the struggling Islanders, who fell for the sixth time in their last seven (1-5-1). Capuano's club has been outscored 11-0 the past two contests. They're 2-6-1 in November with the Flyers tomorrow, a back-to-back with the Devils post-Thanksgiving and a visit to Buffalo to conclude the month. There's still time for them to get back on track. But at 5-10-3, the Islanders sit dead last in the East with 13 points- trailing eighth Washington by 10. The good news is the gap isn't that large between fifth Buffalo (24 Pts) and them. Time is ticking.

"We have to take a good look at ourselves. We didn't compete the way we needed to. We're a better team than we showed tonight. We have to be held accountable for our play," veteran Steve Staios lamented after getting victimized by Crosby for a seeing eye backhand that somehow found twine for his second of the night.

For Nilsson, he was under siege predictably against a high powered Pens' attack that features Evgeni Malkin, who finished off his sixth on the power play and later made an incredible feed to Steve Sullivan that increased their lead to 4-zip in the second. Just over two minutes into the third, Crosby showed off his strength by skating away from the bigger Staios along the wall before throwing a backhand that deflected past a helpless Nilsson.

"Of course the tempo and speed is a lot quicker up here, almost like night and day compared to the AHL," Nilsson admitted after making 31 saves in his second appearance. We apologize for stating that it was his NHL debut in yesterday's preview. "It's going to take some adjustment before I am used to everything up here."

The Islanders have no choice with Evgeni Nabokov sidelined for a month with a groin injury while backup Al Montoya was also put on the IR with a hamstring problem. Amazingly, incumbent starter Rick DiPietro is healthy and probably should've gotten the call under such a chaotic situation. Sure. A costly mistake led to a Nathan Horton tally Saturday but come on. Perhaps DP could've bounced back and kept it competitive. Kyle Okposo returned from a three-game hiatus. The once promising power wing was again held off the score sheet and remains stuck with a goose egg in goals. The organization also recalled David Ullstrom from Bridgeport for his first NHL action with the former '08 fourth rounder delivering four hits in over 13 minutes, while finishing minus-two.

John Tavares had a great night in the faceoff circle winning 15-of-23 but none of his six shots beat Marc-Andre Fleury, who recorded his 21st career shutout. Fleury matched his jersey number with 29 stops. Afterwards, the player everyone came to see still handed him the game puck for the milestone. Pretty cool.

“I thought we had a decent start, it’s just I think [Crosby’s] goal gave them a big lift and they had some momentum from the power plays and they took it to us early in the second and we couldn’t come out of that,” Tavares pointed out.

Notes: The news wasn't good for NYI D Mark Eaton, who left the game with a sprained left MCL. ... Malkin had a goal and assist while Crosby linemate Pascal Dupuis added three helpers. ... Crosby took 21 shifts, tallying his first four points (2-2-4) in less than 16 minutes. He also dominated on draws going 14 and 7. ... Tavares and captain Mark Streit combined for 10 of the Isles' 29 shots.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Marc-Andre Fleury, Pit (29 saves for 2nd shutout of season-21st career)
2nd Star-Evgeni Malkin, Pit (PPG-sixth of season, assist in 17:45)
1st Star-Sidney Crosby, Pit (2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points, +3 in season debut)

Game Preview: Islanders and Pens renew rivalry tonight

The bell will sound at 7 ET tonight in Long Island. Bring out Michael Buffer. "Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!!!!" Cue classic 2Unlimited "Get Ready For This."

Alright. So, maybe we're going a bit overboard about Round One of Pens/Isles at Nassau Coliseum with the rematch Thursday in Pittsburgh. It's well documented what transpired during the last two meetings of '10-11, stemming from a Brent Johnson KO of Rick DiPietro that concussed the unlucky Islander franchise netminder. The Islanders didn't take too kindly to laughter on the Pen bench, earning revenge on the scoreboard and everywhere else by routing them 9-3 and literally beating their old Patrick division rival up. When it was over, 15 fights, 10 game misconducts, 20 misconducts and a combined 346 penalty minutes that would make Reggie Dunlap and The Hansons proud resulted in suspensions for Trevor Gillies and Matt Martin, along with a $100,000 fine.

In retrospect, the Islanders overreacted. Jack Capuano should've called the dogs off in the third because the message was sent loud and clear. Instead, E-Z target Max Talbot got what was coming along with any other Pen they went after. It was ugly. Even if you enjoy Slap Shot, it went overboard, which had to have Gary Bettman shaking.

“For me, it’s not even a rivalry, it’s just another game because obviously the last two games we didn’t play a full 60 minutes, so it doesn’t matter who we are playing right now,” Capuano told NYIslanders.com.

His club must focus on getting back on track after dropping two in a row. Consecutive losses to Tampa (4-1) and Florida (4-2) have the Islanders back at .500 (3-3-0) entering a home-and-home against a team they haven't historically done well against. The Pens own a 19-4-2 record over the last 25 meetings. John Tavares, Al Montoya, Mark Streit and Co. will be looking to change that trend in a year they're expected to compete for the playoffs. The Isles have plenty of weapons but a few aren't chipping in. More is needed from Kyle Okposo, Blake Comeau and Josh Bailey, who have yet to score a goal with only an assist coming off the stick of Okposo, who's expected to break out. It's time.

The Pens amaze under last year's Jack Adams winner Dan Bylsma, who has his team in first with a 6-2-2 mark. Sure. They've played more than anyone else but it's very impressive minus Sidney Crosby and game-time decision Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh continues to be hampered by injuries with key defenseman Zbynek Michalek out four to six weeks with a broken finger. A look at the Pen injured list reminds of what's plagued the Isles over past seasons. Tyler Kennedy is also out with a concussion along with four other Pens joining Michalek and Sid The Kid, who continues to get ready.

It will still be a stiff challenge with Jordan Staal (5-3-8) leading the way along with James Neal (8 goals), Kris Letang (7 assists) and Marc-Andre Fleury (5-2-2, 2.13 GAA, .930 Save Pct). Keep an eye on Matt Cooke, who's stuck to offense instead of thuggery. Plus Matt Niskanen and Chris Kunitz can't be overlooked. In other words, the Pens are more than just their stars. On another team, Staal would be one.

Will the teams stick to hockey or will it have the same edge we had last year? Steve MacIntyre is as tough as they come if Gillies needs a partner. Arron Asham is always game if Matt Martin wants to go. Fasten your seatbelts!

Fleury outplays Lundqvist in shootout loss to Crosby/Geno less Pens

Sometimes, the game of hockey is quite simple. In the playoffs, it usually comes down to goaltending. In Tuesday's case between a pair of All-Stars, Marc-Andre Fleury was better than Henrik Lundqvist. The Cup winner bested the gold medalist with Fleury making 26 saves and going seven-of-seven in the Pens' 4-3 shootout win over the Rangers.

Alright. Say this a few times. The Blueshirts have won 12 of 26 games at Madison Square Garden. Save us the Bettman substandard record of 12-11-3. Our team is really two games under .500 at home which simply is unacceptable. I get that this team gives it all they got every night. I also realize that for whatever reason, they're far more comfortable winning on the road where they've gone 17-10 (17-9-1), translating to Road Warriors. Ah. I do love using the name of arguably the greatest tag team in wrestling. God bless Hawk. It's fine that John Tortorella's club wins more away from MSG. But at the same time, at some point they better turn The Garden into a home ice advantage instead of home ice disadvantage. There's still 16 games left on 33rd and Seventh including tomorrow's grudge match against the revamped Devils. They better get it together soon.

So, how in a game where six combined goals was Fleury the difference? If you saw the goals our team scored compared to the softies Lundqvist let in, it was obvious. For some reason, he just wasn't sharp fumbling rebounds even in the first where our team led thanks to a Brandon Prust tap-in set up by Brian Boyle and Wojtek Wolski. Our team built a two-goal lead early in frame two when Artem Anisimov did something- batting the puck out of mid-air to notch his 11th from Brandon Dubinsky and Marian Gaborik. With Dubi back along with third goalscorer Ryan Callahan, our lineup looked decent considering it was their first games. I really liked how Dubinsky meshed with Anisimov and Gaborik. Hopefully, Tort will keep them together. Callahan played with Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello, who took turns with an effective Wolski.

The fourth line was anchored by Chris Drury who worked with recently demoted Kris Newbury and Sean Avery. I thought they played well forechecking effectively. Newbury may have racked up 32 penalty minutes in his time here but he played with energy and mixed it up. Sure. A few of his penalties were undisciplined and probably explains why he's been an AHLer. But he worked hard and fit in. Kudos to Ken Gernander and the rest of the Connecticut Whale staff. As for Drury who most figure could be the odd man out when or if Vinny Prospal returns, the captain acquitted himself well putting together a couple of inspired penalty killing shifts. For a guy who gets killed due to his hefty salary, Dru always gives effort. It's a shame that his body has broken down and he's likely done after this year regardless of the contract having another year remaining. I've seen tweeps ask for him to be stripped of the 'C.' But that would be detrimental to the team. I don't think outsiders realize his importance in the locker room. Intangibles can never be underestimated. It would've been nice if Dru had beaten Fleury with a great try that the Pitt netminder gloved for one of his best saves.

As for Boyle and Prust, Batman and Robin did their thing combining on a goal while playing solid all around hockey that we've come to expect. I guess Wolski will stick with them as I feel MZA is a better fit with D-Step and Cally. Aside from Callahan's tying tally with 12 ticks left in the second, the power play stunk. Michael Del Zotto was again shaky despite setting up Cally's redirect. He also failed to take Ranger killer Mike Rupp on the Pens' second goal- an awful rebound by Lundqvist on a routine Max Talbot shot. Honestly, he could've had all three, including rookie Dustin Jeffrey's unscreened one-timer for a Pens' power play goal that gave them life. In a word, deflating. No wonder the Pens soon tied it and then surged ahead on a similar play off a faceoff after Tortorella burned a timeout. Yes. Chris Kunitz tipped home Zbynek Michalek's blast but there again seemed to be enough time for our two-time All-Star to stop it.

Predictably, Lundqvist took no heat afterwards in a game we should've come out with two points in. What do these media people do during games? Yawn when Henrik allows clunkers similar to Martin St. Louis' in the All-Star Game?!?! Lundqvist has had a great season and I'm not trying to take away from it which includes seven shutouts. However, there are instances where he lets in goals that mystify. For a man praised for consistency, you expect him to make those saves. Especially in a game where Jordan Staal punched Prust following an elbow, earning a major late in the second ending his night. For how Tort felt about his team's game being good for the first game back, it sure seemed like the Pens were hungrier to the puck. They won most of the battles. In effect, they out-Rangered us without Crosby and Malkin.

Yes, our team dominated the third and overtime outshooting Pittsburgh 13-4 but Fleury wouldn't have any of it. Aside from Zuccarello trying to go five-hole which nearly worked, it was little shock that Fleury didn't allow one shot in the seven round skill comp to beat him. He wasn't losing it. When Lundqvist made the first move against unlikely hero Jeffrey who went five-hole in Round Seven, it was over. Especially when Gaborik was sent out. He simply isn't good at shootouts. So, Fleury easily padded away his feeble attempt and the Pens had the deserved extra point on a night their goalie was better.

Cookeing Up A Storm: Before I close the book on the other day, one thought on the Pens. Particularly Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke. These two constantly swing their sticks, which is potentially dangerous. While I'll give the benefit of the doubt to Kennedy who at least attempts to play an honest game most of the time, there's no love lost over Cooke. A man who continually gets away with garbage and never has to pay the price. At the opening faceoff of the second, he tried to goad Prust into a penalty simply because he chickened out of a fight. A low move typifying what this guy is about. Then, there was a shift where he chased Gaborik around looking to go low on him with the puck nowhere in the vicinity. To top it off, there he was running his mouth looking to instigate stuff at the end of the period with Boyle having none of it. This guy is a flat out embarrassment to the game of hockey and makes Avery look like a Lady Byng candidate. Yeah. I know Sean's no angel but he'll never look to hit someone cheap or take it to the level Cooke does. Isn't it about time someone puts this guy through the glass? The day can't come fast enough.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Brandon Prust, NYR (8th of season, fight vs Deryk Engelland-draw)
2nd Star-Marc-Andre Fleury, Pit (26 saves incl.7/7 in shootout)
1st Star-Dustin Jeffrey, Pit (PPG, shootout winner in Rd.7)

Penguins doom Rangers

In what amounted to a tough night during their 3-1 loss to the Pens, Ranger forward Brandon Prust played with plenty of spark.

Simply put, it wasn't their night. Our heroes were outplayed by the Sidney Crosby Penguins who did most of their damage in a dominant second, posting a 3-1 win in Gotham. Perhaps we should have seen it coming. Henrik Lundqvist masked our recent struggles to complete a 2-1 road trip.

Did the schedule finally catch up? There's no question the Rangers have been very busy taking part in their 26th game over 48 days. Especially recently with the Thanksgiving trip and then playing the Pens tonight before facing a well rested Islander team for a classic home-and-home series starting Thursday. At least they'll have two days to prep. In between, John Tortorella's staff needs to work on getting back to basics. Our team turned over the puck too much and gave up a ton of scoring chances and odd-man rushes. Very un-Ranger like. They just weren't mentally sharp. It showed in how Pitt got their three goals.

1.Ruslan Fedotenko foolishly carries puck into no-man's land colliding with Marc Staal, allowing opportunistic Max Talbot to surprise from short range.

2.Unable to get off the ice during a dominant shift from Crosby, Staal misreads a play at the blueline taking himself out, allowing Sid's touch-pass to Pascal Dupuis back to The Kid for an awesome set up for a Kris Letang rocket.

3.Turnover leads to pesky Chris Conner getting to a Tyler Kennedy rebound off a skate and firing low through Mike Del Zotto, who again had a rough go. More on that later.

When you're running on fumes, lazy habits start to creep in. Tonight, our D was caught flatfooted a lot and our forwards were careless on the forecheck, leading to dangerous opportunities for Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. If not for Henrik, who stoned Geno on a two-on-one and denied other Pens, this one could've been ugly. None of the goals were his fault. He was a victim of uneven play. The middle stanza in particular where the Pens had the puck virtually the entire 20, tallying twice in a 75-second span while outshooting the Blueshirts 14-6. Puck possession was theirs. Even on a night in which faceoffs were close with our club actually winning 26-of-54, the road club from Pennsylvania was simply better, constantly using quick touch passes to get behind the defense.

Tortorella also changed lines a bunch, trying to find the right combos for Marian Gaborik, who ended a six-game drought with a quick wrister from the left circle courtesy of a great Michal Rozsival pass. Despite being tightly checked by four different Pen blueliners (Orpik-Letang, Martin-Michalek), Gabby was going. But credit Pittsburgh for not giving him much time and space. That along with Tort running out Erik Christensen, Fedotenko, Derek Stepan, Sean Avery, Brian Boyle, Alex "MIA" Frolov and even Brandon Prust resulted in little continuity. While I get the need to get the Big Ticket going, it was too much chaos, throwing our lines out of whack. Despite plenty of try, both Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan had rare off nights. Dubi was more noticeable while Cally only stood out for an absolute horrible call involving who else but the Chosen One. Kudos to the former for yet again calling out Sidney during a first intermission interview with MSG's Al Rotwig Trautwig. Thanks to cathybytes for providing the video.


Much has already been made of Crosby getting away with slew footing Callahan, who blind mice Brad Watson (what a shock) and Steve Kozari (who) amazingly called for interference. Yep. It was his fault that No.87 kicked the feet out making our future captain hold onto the gutless Pen captain while falling down. Clearly. Not to beat a broken record to death. Sidney Crosby is the best player in the game, extending his point streak to 13 (12-14-26). I can live with that. But the amount of cheap plays the league's leading scorer gets away with is mind boggling. He again slashed Dan Girardi following a whistle to no avail. How can someone so gifted be so dirty? Sure. They finally caught him for taking down Avery in the third but of course Prust also went to the box for elbowing. At that point, it didn't matter anyway. Our team simply wasn't good enough. That doesn't excuse the game's best from bending the law. Something teammate Matt Cooke often does right under Colin Campbell's nose.

The officiating wasn't bad. Even if they missed a few more infractions from the Pens, we only got that one phantom call on Cally. And you know there were probably others they just missed. Usually, the Rangers are effective at even-strength. Not tonight. The Pens were quicker and better in all three zones. Even if outside of that dreadful second, our guys fought tooth and nail with a hot club that's now won seven in a row. It just wasn't their night.

Outside of Gaborik and Rozsival, there wasn't enough oomph. When Prust and Boyle are more visible than Cally and Dubi, it's not a good sign. Prust again did all he could battling much bigger man Mike Rupp to a draw. Avery also dropped 'em with Tyler Kennedy getting a take down that briefly sparked the club. Afterwards, Rozy sprung Gabby and he notched his sixth with a lethal wrister past Marc-Andre Fleury, who wasn't tested. Sure. He stayed hot making 25 saves but never had to stand on his head. Kudos to the Pitt D.

Our powerless play struck again when during a stronger third, earning legit calls the first half, nothing got done. The Pens are ranked No.1 in penalty killing and eclipsed 30 straight after being perfect in three. Outside of the early PP spanning the first and second, it was dismal. The aforementioned Del Zotto stunk. I've said it numerous times but he's going through a sophomore slump. His decision making isn't fluid, allowing defenders to close. He logged more minutes than anyone (25:01) but didn't register one shot with a few getting blocked while others, including a nice Boyle set up with Lundqvist pulled, the kid flat out missed. DZ wasn't the only guilty party but five of 15 missed shots were from No.4. It's no secret he's shaky in his end but made one outstanding play, diving across to break up a two-on-one, blocking Crosby's pass to Malkin. If he's going to continue to be run out there, he must be better.

I'm at the point where I'd like to see Matt Gilroy given another look. Say what you want about him but Hobey was more active when Rozy was out, joining the play and taking shots. Gilroy has three assists in 18 games in a lot less time compared to Del Zotto's eight points (2-6-8). For whatever reason, Tort hates him. As Twitter PR spokesperson (sarcasm folks) Leahockey would say, "Give him a chance." At the moment, Rozsival is our best at getting involved. He was one of the few bright spots.

Now, it's time for them to get ready for the Islanders. A team that loves beating us. This back-to-back starting Thursday at The Coliseum and concluding at The Garden Friday are essential. No excuses.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Brandon Prust, NYR (fight vs Rupp, four hits, 7 PIM, energy all 17 shifts-13:43)
2nd Star-Brooks Orpik, Pit (six hits, three blocked shots, plus-one in 23:07)
1st Star-Chris Kunitz, Pit (2 takeaways, hit plus-one, solid all around play in 18:13)

Rangers overcome refs to beat Pens

Ryan Callahan is mobbed by excited teammates after scoring the winner in a wild finish.

In every sense of the word, the Rangers are a T-E-A-M. Never was that more evident than in tonight's feel good 3-2 overtime win over the Pens. Our old Patrick rival is easy to loathe. Especially because Sidney Crosby does whatever he wishes on Bettman's sheet of ice. It's not enough that he's arguably the best. Perhaps the rumors about Colin Campbell's emails are true. Maybe he ordered refs Kyle Rehman and Dan O'Halloran to invent as many calls as possible to get a hard fought game tied.

Be that as it may, what a great character win for John Tortorella's resilient club that could've folded after Matt Cooke's go-ahead marker that looked offside- touching off a Cup-like celebration by the Pens who stunned Henrik Lundqvist with two straight in 38 seconds to suddenly lead 2-1 with 86 seconds to spare. While an irate Lundqvist slammed his stick leading to an unsportsmanlike conduct after they handed Pittsburgh every power play to tie it (even if technically our PK didn't allow Chris Kunitz' tying marker until six seconds expired), I couldn't take anymore shutting the TV. I had had ENOUGH of seeing the blind mice wreck a competitive game that saw our goalie at his best, making remarkable save after save leaving Crosby and Co. shaking their heads. Like they couldn't show any leeway after one of the worst officiated periods in history.

A funny thing happened after I went upstairs to my room and vented my frustration to cool Pens' tweep Bekah via text while lashing out on Twitter. I mean, when they handed Pitt their sixth man-advantage without one for our team with 93 seconds left, it felt over. I'd seen this script before but the games were in nightmarish Mellon Arena, which never treated our heroes kindly. The last thing I wanted to see was the Pens toy with us holding the puck before Tort pulled Lundqvist and they finish us off and laugh some more as if it were a sick, twisted plot arranged by the NHL version of Dumb and Dumber. :P As I noted in my final tweet on the nonsense, I don't normally lash out at reffing. Granted. It's been brutal. Devils-Bruins wasn't much better. We'll let Hasan divulge what went wrong in Beantown.

Anyway, as I was tweeting away and reading plenty of furious #NYR bloggers/fans who were just as incensed, suddenly Justin screamed at the top of his lungs through the wall: "Yeah!!!!!!!!!" At first, I didn't believe it. But then, I asked, 'They tied it?,' which he and the rest of the Twitterverse confirmed. Even Bekah texted me but I was still irked, fearing the worst. I didn't even see Marc Staal's shorty which was wonderfully set up by an attacking Brandon Dubinsky, who dropped the puck for No.18's high shortside shot which alluded Marc-Andre Fleury. That it came some 27 seconds later told the story. As I've noted, this is a T-E-A-M. Even if Sean Avery again ignited a brawl, there were plenty of teammates sans Erik Christensen who had his back. These guys fight for every inch as Al Pacino's Coach D'Amato said in Any Given Sunday. Quit is not in their vocabulary. Finally, a Ranger team we can get behind!

Henrik Lundqvist was splendid all night finishing with 37 saves in the Rangers' 3-2 overtime win over the Penguins.

I've never been prouder of a team. The heart they showed bouncing back from what would've been a bitter loss. Especially when King Henrik was easily the best player even if Evgeni Malkin flew all game until he and Crosby set up Kunitz' equalizer. When our guys couldn't get shots on Fleury with at one point the Pens holding a 20-7 edge, Lundqvist was there to deny the home team time and time again. If not for the 37 saves of which many were clutch, there's nothing to talk about. They'd have been down two or three after a first which the Pens controlled. I've criticized our goalie at times in this space but he has really risen to the challenge. For him to be that sharp after missing two games is a credit to Henrik. If not for a weak call on OT hero Ryan Callahan, it's likely his third shutout in the last six. Instead, we were left wondering if they'd even get a point after Cooke beat him shortside.

"I’ve got to stay cooler, obviously, but it felt like they got another chance after chance to get back in the game," he pointedly said while adding: “I’m still angry—even though we scored. ... I felt like it wasn’t fair, but the game is over and you just have to deal with it."

Pretty much sums up the frustration. At least they didn't lose, instead saying a how do you do to what's become the standard in this dysfunctional league. When my brother yelled out another, "Yeah!!!!!!!!!!," I still had to ask if they won. It was like I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. But it didn't! Dubinsky again made a great play dancing around Paul Martin (can Hasan smile here) before feeding an open Callahan for what he termed, "easiest goal in the NHL."

There are games which define you. Some are more important than others. Case in point being the giant step up in competition after destroying Edmonton. In the first, you could see the difference in talent with only Lundqvist saving us. However, our team came to play and won the second game of a back-to-back against a division rival. They did it by playing an exciting brand of hockey, trading chances with the scarier Pens. That meant plenty of work for Lundqvist, who robbed Malkin two or three times while stoning Kunitz. It meant plenty of Staal, Dan Girardi and revelation Steve Eminger in Crosby's face, flustering him to the point where he bumped our goalie and then took down a player with of course nothing detected. Matt Gilroy pinched well and was rewarded with a helper on Christensen's third halfway through regulation which held up all the way until Kunitz stayed with a Malkin rebound, finally solving Lundqvist with 2:31 remaining. Mike Sauer continued to show poise in important situations. Only Mike Del Zotto struggled on the back end but he still blocked three of the team's 20 shots.

You Want To Go? Ryan Callahan and Mike Comrie talk before the draw before going. Callahan's Gordie Howe hat trick included the OT winner.

That kind of yeoman EFFORT is what we're used to. These guys care. They want to win for each other. I still can't get over Cally dropping the gloves with Mr. Hilary Duff (Mike Comrie). At that point, they were being badly outplayed. Maybe it was just a wake up call. They did talk before the faceoff and then you had an unlikely duo paired up. There's so much to admire about the future Ranger captain who never takes a shift off. No wonder it was fitting he got the winner, completing the Gordie Howe hat trick (G, A, fight). His dramatic fifth goal at 3:38 in the extra session was his first of the month, snapping a six-game drought. It couldn't happen to a better guy.

It didn't matter that Crosby got away with two infractions on the same shift. It didn't matter that the Pens led in power plays 6-0. It didn't matter that that punk Cooke swung his stick wildly after Lundqvist robbed Kris Letang with a quick glove through traffic. It didn't even matter that Sid won as many draws (25-7) as our entire roster (25-43). Something that continues to be a problem, which at least didn't hurt us thanks to Dubi (6-16) winning a couple of key ones late. What most mattered is that the guys wearing the home white, red and blue jerseys responded to adversity by getting the 'W.'

They'll go for their fourth straight against those Bruins tomorrow at home.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Evgeni Malkin, Pit (assist, game high 7 SOG in 27:28)
2nd Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (OT winner at 3:38, assist, fight-Gordie Howe hat trick, 6 hits, 2 blocked shots, +1 in 20:14)
1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (37 saves incl. 24/24 first 40 mins) 

Devs chase Fleury again

There's no stopping the Devils. Luck of the Irish not required to hand a beat down of what's looking more and more like defending chumps. Patrik Elias made it 3-1 when he stole a Jordan Leopold blind backhand pass and then beat Marc-Andre Fleury for a shorthanded goal. Another Pens' turnover that may as well have been from a bakery. Funny but moments earlier Fleury flat out robbed Travis Zajac with a sprawling glove save that even Chico Resch had to admit was great. Oh wait. He thinks every save is great. :P

The Elias shorty seemed to unnerve the Pens, who looked rattled. Turnover after turnover proceeded until Zach Parise netted team-leading No.33 by being allowed to swat in a rebound while Mark Eaton stood and watched. Not shockingly, it chased a furious Fleury, who MSG-Plus' cameras caught breaking slamming his goal stick against the wall.

Since when did Pittsburgh morph into the Rangers? Apparently, the sight of the Devils turns them into pumpkins. If this were a prize fight, it would've been stopped in Round Two. The play of the Penguins in this one is flat out embarrassing. It's like they've never played the game before. Pretty sad for a Sidney Crosby led team that's got an impressive resume, including two consecutive trips to the Finals, winning the franchise's third championship (first since '92) by dethroning Detroit.

Much of the credit goes to the Devils, who just look very focused with Paul Martin back on the blueline. He really has looked great and that bodes extremely well for Jacques Lemaire's club. The Devs are clicking on all cylinders, playing air tight D while pouncing on Pittsburgh mistakes. The score could very well be 8-1 after two periods. That's how dominant they've been. Brent Johnson came in and had to make two great stops from in tight, including a sparkling glove on Ilya Kovalchuk to keep the deficit at three. The Devs' fourth line continues to play well with Rod Pelley doing solid work. Remember when NJ fans were all over Rob Niedermayer? He's looked real good since key ingredient David Clarkson returned.

There's not one Devil you could say anything negative about. Thus far, it's like Manny Pacquiao's performance versus Joshua Clottey. While Marty's done the job again turning aside 15 of 16 (5-5 in 2nd), Fleury's ugly line which really wasn't his fault was four allowed on 13 shots. He's permitted three-or-more in all five starts with tonight's four raising his GAA to 4.52 and a dismal .838 save percentage. Yikes. In case you're wondering, Johnson made his only start on 12/30/09 acquitting himself well by stopping 31 of 32 in a 2-0 shutout loss. He also relieved Fleury in an ugly 12/21 4-0 loss, turning aside all 14 shots. Counting the two he stopped so far, that's quite a difference.

The big question becomes if Dan Bylsma's team sees the Devils in the second or third round, would he consider going with Johnson? It seems illogical. But based on how poorly the Pens have played in front of Fleury, it actually might be something he considers.

1st Period Thoughts: Pens-NJD

Well, if it wasn't obvious already, it should be. The Devils are in the Penguins' heads. After trailing on an early Chris Kunitz goal, the more traditional red and green guys honoring the past on St. Patty's Day responded like good teams do, getting the next two.

Both off identical sloppy turnovers forced by Jacques Lemaire's trap which has given Pitt fits. The first came off a poor change, allowing Patrik Elias to force Kris Letang and then make a smart soft backhand feed which sprung Dainius Zubrus for a clean break, which he converted with a sweet power forehand deke to draw even. The second came was a potential momentum shifter with less than two minutes left when another Pens' misplay led to returning Devil hero Paul Martin breaking in and firing far side past Marc-Andre Fleury. A very good shot but another one the Pens' netminder should've had. In four starts versus the defending champs' kryptonite, he doesn't play well.

Meanwhile, Martin Brodeur made a few strong stops when called upon. He has 10 saves to Marc-Andre's seven. You have to wonder if the Pens minus Evgeni Malkin, can respond. All we saw from Sidney Crosby were some dirty stick whacks at Mike Mottau that drew Devil fans' ire. The same kind of stuff he gets away with versus us. It would be a refreshing change to see the Golden Boy treated like other players. For one of the game's best, he sure gets away with a lot. But as evidenced during last night's Ranger clunker, refs just aren't paying enough attention to stick swings like the one Brian Gionta got away with after a whistle. He ain't Mr. Hacks for nothing.

Time for the second. Be back after.

55-16 SOG: Exposed

When you get outshot 55-16 on home ice, I don't care who you are. You deserve to lose! That was the sad lesson a poorly constructed Ranger roster learned tonight in actually blowing a 4-2 lead to the Crosby Pens for a crushing 5-4 overtime loss.

There are no silver linings. Not any Kenny Albert! You're our radio broadcaster but don't undermine a frustrated fanbase by accentuating positives. "Well, they beat Ottawa and got a big point against Pittsburgh." You gotta be joking. Nobody wants to hear that Jazzy Jim nonsense. Loser mentality. That's why we'll never win as long as that clown is involved. That goes for the other laughingstock as well. Have fun chasing the LeBron tooth fairy after you got pissed on literally.

Truth be told, it wasn't a bad game. Not when our guys got in Crosby's face flustering him the first two periods. That early shift where Brandon Dubinsky got in his face along with Henrik Lundqvist was great stuff. Heck. He even took an undisciplined penalty that led to Dubinsky's career best 15th on the power play, steering the Rangers in front by a pair. At one point, the MSG hosts went from 2-1 down to scoring three straight, giving the building life. Partially due to Marc-Andre Fleury being a sieve. He allowed four goals on 12 shots, giving up a couple of softies to Artem Anisimov (left circle) and the Dubinsky right circle blast which caromed off the post and the discheveled Pens' netminder. Even Michal Rozsival's go-ahead tally off a beautifully executed three-on-two with Vinny Prospal and Olli Jokinen was from a tough angle. Though it was a halitzer that popped the water bottle. Not bad for a guy who never hits the net. Both his goals have come versus his ex-team 38 games apart.

It was finally Dubi's which ended Fleury's night. A wise decision by Dan Bylsma that sparked his team. It's not like they were playing poorly. They had outshot the Rangers like 29 or 30-12 but trailed by two because the hosts were opportunistic without leading scorer Marian Gaborik. Anisimov's 10th came only 2:17 in off a simple wrist shot. But two consecutive penalties got them in trouble with the Pens finally cashing in at the end of a 5-on-3 when Chris Kunitz rebounded home a Sergei Gonchar shot that deflected off Jordan Staal right to him. Staal got another bounce when his backhand went in off a Ranger skate for a 2-1 lead. The goal was made possible by an absolutely brutal Sean Avery turnover. Instead of shooting, he overpassed allowing Staal to come the other way. .

Before you knew it, shots were 13-3. Despite the territorial edge, they couldn't widen the gap. Instead, a Brooks Orpik trip put the Blueshirts on the power play. Right after a break in which an announcement on the scoreboard congratulated all the Olympians with plenty of boos for Crosby, Chris Drury appropriately scored a Drury-type goal from in front. With his back to Fleury, he got to a Mike Del Zotto rebound and backhanded his 11th in from his knees. Jokinen added the first of two helpers. For Drury, who's struggled all season to find the touch, it was nice to see because he played his butt off- helping Team USA earn silver along with Ryan Callahan. Hopefully, we'll see more from the captain down the stretch.

The feistiness continued with Callahan taking exception to a Evgeni Malkin late shot as the buzzer sounded, leading to another get together with a childish slash from Geno while Cally went back at him. Each received matching minors. The second started with wide open four-on-four which figured to favor the more skilled guests. But after Lundqvist denied a couple of pointblank chances including a sharp kickout of a low Crosby shot, the Rangers came the other way and scored thanks to splendid passing from Jokinen and Prospal to a cutting Rozsival, who went upstairs on Fleury 2:03 in for a 3-2 lead. Momentum continued when a frustrated Sid The Kid took a bad high sticking penalty. Following a couple of close calls shorthanded by Staal, the Rangers connected when Dubinsky took a Rozsival pass and fired his 15th which caromed off the post and Fleury, finally chasing him.

So, how did the Rangers treat Brent Johnson? Well, after he looked awfully shaky on a long high shot that went over his net, they barely tested him, registering only four shots the rest of the way. That included OT! Embarrassing. A journeyman goalie best known for a playoff record three straight shutouts with the Blues was treated with more respect than Martin Brodeur. This was brutal. Johnson may as well have been on vacation in a rocking chair with bikini-clad women bringing him drinks. Unbelievable. Instead, they decided to get cute. One of this team's problems has been overpassing. It reared its ugly head again when Prospal opted to try a low percentage centering feed which caromed off the boards, allowing the Pens to rush the other way and score. Why not a simple sharp angle tester? Maybe Johnson lets out a rebound. Well, they got what they deserved with Crosby setting up Ranger killer Mike Rupp on a two-on-one. One Lundqvist admittedly wished he had. What is it about that slug? He had a hat trick on us too. Disgusting.

Predictably, the big goal allowed the Pens to stay within one and then absolutely humiliate the Rangers in an uncompetitive third in which SOG were 19-1!!!!! How is that possible? I know the Pens are in a different league than us. But hell-o! On your own home ice. To get that thoroughly outplayed is path---et---ic!   

Lundqvist- who finished with a career high 50 saves- did everything possible to try to steal it. He made unreal saves including an amazing glove off a Malkin laser labeled. The stuff you dream of. Sadly, his teammates couldn't take the pressure off. Oh. They tried but just couldn't clear the zone to save their life. A Ranger trademark. And when they did reach center ice, nobody was good enough to get the puck deep and make the Pens come 200 feet. Eventually, the much more talented team got it tied when another bad break went against Lundqvist. This time, an Alex Goligoski pass from a far left angle went off a Ranger and in. Crosby was in the vicinity but never touched it. It didn't matter. The game was over. As soon as that clown Larry danced with five and a half left, I picked up and headed down. He's such a jinx. They get scored on or lose so much whenever they show him. That's the Rangers. Anything but WINNING.

The game went to OT and in it, came a gift of a call when they deemed Wade Redden's hook in the neutral zone enough to hand the Pens the game. An absolutely horrific call by programmed refs who probably wanted to help Pitt win. I don't take any satisfaction in saying that but that's how it felt. Tried as they did and oh. Drury or Callahan, Staal and either Rozsival or Dan Girardi gave it everything. It wasn't enough because eventually a seeing eye Malkin shot was redirected home by Staal for the predictable winner with 78 seconds left.

Final Score: Pittsburgh 5 Rangers 4 SOG: 55-16 including 40-8 final 43:42...but they got a point...Exposed.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Chris Drury, NYR (11th of season-PPG)
2nd Star-Jordan Staal, Pit (2 goals incl.OT winner plus assist)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (career high 50 saves incl.37 of last 40)

Statement Made: Sabres overcome 3-goal deficit versus Pens

Sometimes, there are those games which define you. For this year's Sabres, that came tonight versus the defending champs at HSBC. They fell behind three with the skilled Pens chasing probable USA starter Ryan Miller. However, it didn't matter thanks to Drew Stafford and Patrick Lalime, who sparked a great emotional comeback for a 4-3 win, finishing off the 2009 with a bang.

This was quite a statement by Lindy Ruff's club, who rebounded from a miserable first that saw them outshot 10-4, falling behind by two thanks to goals from Jordan Staal and Bill Guerin. Early in the second, it didn't get any better when Chris Kunitz scored his sixth from Sidney Crosby and Pascal Dupuis only 88 seconds in putting Buffalo in a three-goal hole. At that point, Miller's night was done. He permitted three on 11 shots as Lalime replaced him. Following an AHL stint, the veteran who once took the Sens within a game of the Cup Final has been better since, winning two of three starts while nearly backstopping the Sabres past the same Penguins 10 days ago in a 2-1 gimmick loss. Here was a chance for redemption but he needed some support and got it from Stafford.

A healthy scratch at St. Louis, the third-year winger responded by ending a 15-game goal drought, tallying twice in a 2:09 span to get Buffalo back in it. The first came via a momentum shifting penalty shot, which was delayed in itself, due to a lengthy Toronto review on whether he scored previously on Marc-Andre Fleury. While they took time deciding the puck wasn't in, Stafford skated back and forth like a figure skater as comically described by legendary tandem Rick Jeanneret and Harry Neale. When the big moment finally came, he didn't waste any time, quickly beating Fleury five-hole to put the Sabres on the board at 12:46. Apparently, teammate Chris Butler knew where he was going and informed bench reporter Rob Ray, who was only too pleased to tell the audience after the big goal.

Suddenly alive, the Sabres took the play to the Pens, drawing even closer when Stafford got his second consecutive goal from Clarke MacArthur and Tim Kennedy, cutting it to 3-2 with 5:05 left in the stanza. While Stafford was taking care of the offense, Lalime was keeping the Pens at bay turning aside all 18 shots in a more active second that saw the clubs combine for 34 shots (Pit-19, Buf-15).

Down just one, Buffalo came all the way back thanks to a great rush by Stafford which resulted in a goal. Taking a pass from MacArthur, he flew down the right wing skating around Pen defenders before wisely flipping a feed across which Paul Gaustad buried with a backhand, tying the score with 12:32 remaining. Following a couple of key Lalime saves, Craig Adams got nabbed for boarding in the offensive zone, handing the hosts a power play. It took only 50 seconds for them to capitalize when Jason Pominville came out into the slot and wired a shot top shelf for his 10th. Tim Connolly and rookie Tyler Myers netted assists.

Now ahead, the Sabres played tactically against a dangerous opponent who tried to turn it on. The Pens buzzed on one shift with two and a half left but couldn't beat Lalime despite great pressure from Crosby and Co. Despite outshooting Buffalo 9-5 (38-24 overall), they didn't get anymore glorious opportunities with perhaps the best a Kris Letang shot which sailed wide with over two minutes to go. With Fleury pulled for an extra and both Sid The Kid and Evgeny Malkin out searching for the equalizer, the Sabres stood up to them with Gaustad taking Staal off the ice for matching slashes with 26 ticks left. No play further illustrated this than Myers clean takeout of Geno during a puck battle behind his own net with over 10 secs remaining. The kind of physical play that garners attention. One of our good buddies over at Twitter BanginPanger agreed.:

BanginPanger

  

@BattleOfNewYork I've been critical of the fellatio of Myers, buttttttttt tonight, that was as good a game a Sabres d-man has played in ever

Pretty accurate assessment from a Panger fan. Who doesn't love Pang? We even kinda worked with him back at Bristol when ESPN actually still cared. I was one of those stat researchers for Remote Production. Fun days! The real Panger is also on there and can be followed as well.

As for the game's conclusion, one more Sabre clear off a faceoff was enough to finish off the best win of the season. When the buzzer sounded, a bunch of happy Sabres mobbed Lalime even kinda dancing and laughing. It meant plenty. I know the Pens have lost all three to the Devils in Pitt and try again in Newark tomorrow but this was a great victory for Buffalo because it shows that they mean business. Something even our Buffalo contingent can't ignore. ;-) Statement made!

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Jordan Staal, Pit (goal, 4 SOG, 8-9 draws, 4 PIM, +2 in 17:17)
2nd Star-Patrick Lalime, Buf (27 saves incl.18/18 in 2nd in relief)
1st Star-Drew Stafford, Buf (2 goals incl.PS snapping 15-gm goal drought, assist, team high 5 SOG, +2 in 15:05)