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)

Crosby 24/7

The Rangers and Flyers are being followed around by HBO cameras for the award winning series 24/7, which was such a success in its debut leading up to last year's Winter Classic. Based on one week, it appears Sidney Crosby is getting the star treatment literally.

It's understandable why the game's brightest star would be front and center due to post concussion symptoms that have kept the Penguin captain sidelined since early January. Crosby is a ratings bonanza. So, we get to see every little update on the 24-year old center's condition. Even if status quo as he continues to practice, there's Versus NBC and NHL Network TSN giving a day to day synopsis of Sid The Kid's plight. A few nights ago, there was wonderful new anchor Kathryn Tappen interviewing Mr. Crosby about how this experience has changed him. Granted. It was a good piece. It's just that the continued Sidney stuff is already wavering on insanity.

We get the importance of the former Hart winner. When some of my colleagues in the blogosphere echoed that the game would survive without Crosby, I disagreed from the standpoint that the game couldn't afford to lose a superstar so young. We need him around. Not to become another Kariya or Lindros. Assuming the worst case scenario, of course hockey would go on with or without Sid. But it still would be a crushing blow. Fortunately, over time Crosby's condition has improved to where he's getting close to finally returning. However, you'd think everything stopped the way it's being covered.

Games are being played. In case TSN/NBC haven't noticed, Crosby's teammates are doing just fine without him and banged up Evgeni Malkin. They're being led by Matt Cooke, who at least so far has decided to play hockey instead of cause chaos which forced the NHL to change Rule 48. Cooke, Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury and the rest of the Pens are unbeaten in four games. With Sidney finally cleared for full contact earlier today, the news is encouraging for our preseason pick to come out of the East.

If only the media would chill a bit on every second of Sid's life. Pretty soon, they'll be reporting on what flavor ice cream he had at rival coach Bruce Boudreau's favorite dessert shop, Haagen Dazs. Just imagine.

 

BREAKING NEWS: Crosby chooses banana walnut fudge on a waffle cone! Cue cheesy music with Kathryn Tappen doing a voice over. "Another busy day with 20 teams in action including the Caps and Pens renewing pleasantries minus Sidney Crosby. Speaking of which, we have an exclusive! A surprise in store for Pens fans. If you like ice cream, you're in for a treat! ..."

I like ice cream as much as anyone but it was never funnier than when Boudreau wanted to get his day started right with a Mall visit cracking, "It's never too early for ice cream." Hopefully, the real 24/7 gives us some of those WTF moments two months from now.

My feeling on Crosby's recovery is that I'll be genuinely excited when he finally declares himself ready to make his season debut. It'll be great for the game regardless of your opinion on Sid. Besides, our games against the Pens wouldn't be the same. Every fan needs a target even if nobody wants to see his career ruined. I liken it to that friend you playfully clown around with. As someone who's usually been the victim, I chuckle.

I know I'm not alone in my opinion here. Crosby 24/7 can get a bit tedious. Even if you love him, when does it become about our teams? I applaud Jeremy Roenick for sounding off recently on NBC/Versus. I half wonder if Sid likes seeing himself on TV so much. Leave the kid alone and let him get ready. A little space never hurt.

We don't want our media morphing into ESPN. Yes. I went there. Do we? Toss as many expletives as you like.

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)

New Year's Resolutions

As I sit here in this Huguenot Library, thoughts of the Islanders ending Sid The Kid's 25-game point streak are still fresh. Who'd have thought when I mentioned that the other day that it would be the once proud franchise which Sidney Crosby has victimized over and over that would finally put a halt to the streak and silence all the discussion prior to tomorrow's superhyped Winter Classic showdown versus Ovi's Caps?!?!?!?!?! Well, you know Mats Sundin is happy.

In all seriousness, it was a great run by the game's best player, propelling his Pens to the top of the league despite no games from Jordan Staal, who just might debut tomorrow in a unique setting at Heinz Field. Considering that the forecast calls for sub-50 temps with rain, there's still some doubt to whether it gets played. Does NBC shift it to tomorrow night or possibly Sunday? Per Twitter pal ScottyWazz, that's the window the network has for getting the 4th Annual Classic played. While Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have been front and center in the greatest rivalry known to mankind, not one iota about the 2nd Hockey Heritage Game to be played in Alberta with Calgary hosting Vancouver. It doesn't seem right. Especially how little respect our Canadian franchises get despite overwhelming support.

We get the importance of the Classic, becoming a larger than life signature event where the NHL gets to showcase its best in a unique setting, the way hockey was meant to be played. I also understand why NBC would want the two biggest stars going head-to-head for a ratings bonanza when they're going up against college bowl games. Canadian eccentric DanoSpun has been up in arms over the shocking development that the game again features teams in American markets. But if you're NBC as Battle originator Steve Lepore has mentioned, you must do what's best ratings wise. Though for such a marquee event, I do believe that an All Original 6 between the Rangers and either the Canadiens or Maple Leafs would work due to the classic rivalry along with the game's popularity. It's gonna draw. Whether the Rangers, Devils or Islanders get the game is another story. Especially in light of the dismal response to a blizzard that dumped over two feet of the white stuff.

With both the Devils and Islanders having early New Year's Eve games to close out 2010, what are your New Year's resolutions? Let's take a look at our list:

1.Martin Brodeur-a time machine
2.Henrik Lundqvist-a punching bag
3.Rick DiPietro-esurance
4.Jacques Lemaire-Big League Chew
5.John Tortorella-his own HBO show "Fonz The Hockey Coach"
6.Jack Capuano-a healthy roster
7.Charles Wang-a new arena
8.Ilya Kovalchuk-a DVD of his Thrasher highlights along with a new stick
9.Marian Gaborik-goals
10.John Tavares-a healthy Kyle Okposo
11.Garth Snow-a guide to good PR
12.Glen Sather-a Cuban for not screwing up yet and an Al Montoya bobblehead
13.Lou Lamoriello-a lifetime supply of Smuckers
14.Sean Avery-relevancy
15.David Clarkson-a DVD of highlights from last year and Anti-Avery Anxiety Med
16.Chris Drury-spiked Kool Aid
17.Patrik Elias-DVD from '06 1st round
18.Ryan Callahan-a Superman cape
19.Zach Parise-a much healthier 2011 and a raise
20.Brian Boyle/Brandon Prust-co-stars in the real life hockey version of Twins
21.Mike Del Zotto-DVD of rookie year and Bobby Orr DVDs
22.Travis Zajac-Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner (ZZ Popps)
23.Mark Streit-make his season debut
24.Michal Grabner-more goals and a shout out to the Canucks for letting him go
25.Marc Staal/Dan Girardi-1st All-Star selections
26.Brandon Dubinsky-the creation of his own Dubi Dubi Doo line
27.Jason Arnott-Game 6 '00 SCF at Dallas
28.Kyle Okposo-some luck so he can finally breakout
29.Derek Stepan-the Calder Trophy
30.Mattias Tedenby-a center who can get him the puck
31.Michal Rozsival-Game 3 '07 Conf Semis vs Sabres along with shot tutor
32.Alex Frolov-a pep talk from Alexei Yashin and Valeri Kamensky
33.Derek Boogaard-a new chin and pair of pom poms
34.Dainius Zubrus-some hands to go with his heart
35.Islander fans-new owner who cares about on-ice product
36.Devil fans-'95, '00 and '03 DVDs along with Adam Larsson
37.Ranger fans-a free game for blizzard and a run to the Conference Finals
38.Gary Bettman-a voice therapist
39.Colin Campbell-Tom Cruise's Lt. Daniel Kaffee to grill him with Joe Pesci watching intently
40.Pierre McGuire-an iron trap sent from Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice character
41.NHL-HBO to cover a team entire season further illustrating why hockey is the best sport
42.WJC-for more people in The States to care about one of the greatest tournaments
43.Darren Pang-a photo op with Scott Hamilton and a chance to call the Stanley Cup
44.Kevin Weekes-a job with NBC
45.Jack Edwards-a bottle of Jack Daniels
46.Sam Rosen-Versus games during playoffs
47.Doc Emrick-a new book entitled, "Doc-Isms" featuring the unique terms he uses to describe our game
48.Howie Rose-a winning team and a press agent
49.Joe Micheletti-a full mirror
50.Chico Resch-a buffet along with role in hockey version of "Back To School"

Sid The Kid sees no evil

Following Monday's missed slew foot on Ryan Callahan in a win over the Rangers, Pens' star Sidney Crosby's character has come into question.

He's the premiere player in the game. At age 23, Sidney Crosby already owns a Cup, Olympic Gold, a Hart, a Pearson, an Art Ross and a share of the Rocket Richard. After putting up a career high 51 goals tying Steven Stamkos last season, he continues to score at a rapid rate with his 18 markers tied for second with Alex Semin, trailing Stamkos by three. With an assist in the Pens' 3-1 win over the Rangers on Broadway, Sid The Kid extended his season best point streak to 13- ripping the league apart with 12 goals and 14 assists to climb atop Stamkos (21-19-40) for the scoring lead with 41 points (18-23-41). Two-time MVP Alex Ovechkin is third with 32 and Stamkos tag partner Martin St. Louis is right behind with 31.

The 2005 No.1 overall pick has lived up to lofty expectations, recently eclipsing 200 goals. In 397 career games, Crosby already has 201 markers along with 346 assists totaling 547 points, making it almost a certainty he'll hit 600 by the end of Year Six. He still trails Ovechkin by 14 including 78 goals with the Great 8 registering 279 goals and 282 assists for 561 points. Sidney also trails his Russian nemesis in MVPs but boasts bragging rights having led the Penguins past Ovi's Caps in the Eastern Conference Semifinals en route to the franchise's third Cup. There's not much he hasn't accomplished but you wouldn't know it by the way he competes each night, never taking a shift off. He'll go into the trenches to score and always come back hard on the backcheck. Great characteristics that are easy to respect.

While he continues to launch an all out assault on the league, it's hard to ignore how the Pittsburgh captain plays between the lines. Crosby will do whatever it takes to win, even if it means bending the rules. Mix it up with him and expect hacks and whacks after whistles leading to scrums. Just ask rival Brandon Dubinsky, who during a heated game last year was swung at repeatedly after play. Ranger teammate Dan Girardi has been on the receiving end this year, all illegal. Somewhat predictably, nothing was detected by the referees. Like most superstars, Sid The Kid gets away with more which leads to hatred from opposing fans who see how he constantly works the stripes, leading to boos and chants of "Crosby sucks, Crosby sucks."

Of course, he doesn't suck. However, it's the way he acts on the ice which makes him loathed unless you're a Pens fan or live in Canada. In Monday's game at Madison Square Garden, fans were already waiting for the other shoe to drop after how Crosby's team got six power plays to their team's zero in a first meeting won by the Rangers in overtime at the Pens' brand new arena. So, when during an intense first period battle with Ranger favorite Ryan Callahan Crosby kicked the future captain's leg out tripping him to the ice, it set the wheels in motion. Ref tandem Brad Watson and Steve Kozari ignored Sid's slew foot, instead calling Callahan for interference. The honest player who represented Team USA mildly protested. Callahan isn't someone who's on the refs 24/7. You knew something was wrong. The Rangers killed ironically the only penalty on them. Trailing by a goal, Dubinsky again sounded off on his favorite target with MSG's Al Trautwig:

"That's a dirty play. He's a guy who tries to get away with a lot of that stuff. He complains a lot." Even Hall Of Fame defenseman Brian Leetch chimed in, adding:

"It's a play that the NHL has tried to get rid of. It's a dirty play."

Granted. It's our side of things. Callahan didn't say a whole lot, just indicating that it was a slew foot. It's not his style to create controversy a la Dubinsky, who despises Crosby. Is he dirty? Let's just say that the play in question was. Sid's very sneaky especially after play stoppages. You better protect yourself. Just ask Atlanta defenseman Boris Valabik, who was the victim of blatant cheap shots from behind. Remarkably, there was no suspension. Why would there be? He's the Chosen One or Golden Boy. This league has no backbone. Did they even review what he did to Cally or just ignore it? No wonder Crosby sees no evil in a Puck Daddy column which accurately depicted what happened despite skewed Pitt fans ripping Greg Wyshynski because he dared to report facts of the incident:

"How many penalty minutes do I have this year, if I'm that dirty?," said Crosby, who has 15 penalty minutes this season. "I mean, please. Show me all those dirty plays. It's a battle and he falls. I think Dubi has done his fair share of things out there that are questionable. I guess he's talking again. But I'm not surprised.

"It's a battle (with Callahan)," Crosby added. "He's holding me going up ice and I'm trying to push him off. Is it that calculated? I'm trying to get to the net. I'm not worried about that kind of thing. If I tripped him, I tripped him. Am I dirty hockey player? C'mon. I think Dubi is smarter than that."

Even if he's right about not being dirty, Sidney overlooks what happened using his 15 PIM as an alibi. Newsflash: If you were just another player, you'd likely have double the minutes. He acts exactly like a spoiled kid would. Simply because he hasn't been caught, it's okay to get away with a dangerous play which can seriously injure one of his peers. Did Mario ever teach him about respect? Speaking of which, No.66 was one of the biggest whiners in the NHL. For as special as he was, Lemieux acted very similarly, working officials for calls. The only difference is he wasn't as cheap. Crosby battles after whistles, sometimes illegally but rarely gets called.

Whose fault is it? Pin it on a league which has a double standard. Had it been Sean Avery, you know he'd have been tossed. Though this blogger does find it ironic that one of the dirtiest players in the game Matt Cooke plays on Crosby's side and can get away with the kind of despicable blindside hit that concussed Marc Savard, who finally is ready to return. It just makes you roll your eyes.

Sid The Kid doesn't need to bend the law. He's only tarnishing his reputation by disrespecting his peers. If he continues to play this way, one day he could get his. And that would be a black eye for hockey regardless if you hate him. Will he have to learn the lesson the hard way?

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)

This team's got H-E-A-R-T

Ryan Callahan battles Shane O'Brien. The alternate captain came through again, tying a game up the Rangers rallied to win over Nashville 2-1 in a shootout.

Busiest schedule in the game. Check. Twenty-five games in 47 days. It doesn't matter. No matter how much this league tries to screw us (save me the NY bs-that's why we played tonight and get the Pens Monday while Islanders get five days off), these guys just don't quit. My Dad said it:

'They had no business winning this game.'

True. But you know what. The same could be said for the Devils who thanks to Johan Hedberg's heroics, beat the East's best team. Forget the Caps. They're soft. Sometimes, you don't have it. For our team, it'd have been easy to mail it in after Dan Girardi missed a bouncing puck that led to Colin Wilson's goal in the first. Not this team. They fight. Even when they're running on fumes which ironically enough I am as well, they battle to the end. So, when they still were being shutout late in the second, I figured they wouldn't solve Pekka Rinne. Here's what's great about Twitter. You can vent and sometimes, it works. My actual tweet before Ryan Callahan tied it up:

all game our guys have not gotten inside and even tested Rinne ho hum

To jubilation when Cally scored for a second straight night off a Mike Del Zotto rebound with an assist from a gritty Brandon Dubinsky:

yes! and just as i say that, finally a gritty goal yeah Cally!!!!!!!!!!!

Sometimes, it works. Tonight, they proved me wrong. And you know what? I've never been happier to eat crow. Serve it up charcoal barbecued. No Gaborik. No problem. Another back-to-back. Who cares?!?!?!?!?! As Kevin Laws of NYRangers365 alludes:

#NYR are now 6-0 in the 2nd game of back-to-back's... That's solid!! #NHL #NYR

It's not always about style points. Sometimes, it just comes down to old fashioned grit and determination. Our guys want it. They're not the most talented or prettiest. But that's how they must play to win. A night after blanking the Panthers with 40 saves, Henrik Lundqvist was stellar, shutting down the Preds following Wilson's early goal to give our boys a chance. Even if unlikely shootout hero Erik Christensen drove ya nuts not putting away a sweet Cally dish across, they were only in that position because the goalie remembered who he was. As one-time Ranger Christopher Higgins noted last night in Sunrise, he's one of the top three netminders. So, every stop he made down one was critical. And best of all as we again got abused in the faceoff circle (25-35), he left no rebounds, including all seven of Shea Weber's blasts when Callahan wasn't laying out. The same Henrik who was falling apart with 10 three-or-more games has now turned aside 69 of 70, doing his part to spark the club which must find its second wind before Monday's tilt against the best player in the game, Sid The Kid.

The last time we saw the whiny Pens, they got help from the refs to avoid a shutout, nearly breaking our backs when the evil Matt Cooke of all people put them ahead. But Marc Staal scored shorthanded with Lundqvist pulled and then Callahan buried the winner from Dubinsky calling it the "easiest goal I've scored." It'll take that yeoman effort to make it two-for-two against the league darlings. Also, a healthy Gaborik would help. One that can light the lamp.

There's a lot also to be said for how our team stands up for each other. Another game in which Boogey couldn't go and a rejuvenated Sean Avery took the brunt of it against tough SOB Jordin Tootoo after they came out of the box. Then Brandon Prust stood up to Shane O'Brien getting some revenge. That's the passion this team has exhibited and why they're back to four over (14-10-1) hanging around behind the two Pennsylvania rivals in the Patrick. So, Pitt brings a six-game win streak in along with Crosby fresh off his sixth career hat trick, having a 12-game point streak (12-13-25). So what! Staal, Girardi and Eminger will be ready. And Rozy will too after returning (22:22). Mike Sauer continues to grow and DZ is learning. Before I wrap this up, some food for thought:

31 A. Frolov 2 SOG in 15:50 2 PIM

97 M. Gilroy 3 SOG in 5:14

Bench Frolov and play Hobey!

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Jordin Tootoo, Nsh (decision over Avery, 9 PIM along with lots of energy)
2nd Star-Ryan Callahan, NYR (tying goal w/6:56 left in regulation-2 cons. games with goal along with usual grit)
1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (29 saves incl. at least final 25, 69 of 70 stopped last 2 games)

Sid is just a Kid

All-Star. Hart Trophy. Stanley Cup. Gold Medal Olympic Hero. Golden Boy. Nobody can deny the special talent of Sidney Crosby. At 22 years of age, the Penguin leader has accomplished plenty already, silencing cynics like us that can't stomach him along with co-bloggers Hasan and Brian.

While the ever popular "Crosby Sucks" spreads to every arena outside Mellon Arena who hear no evil see no evil from their hockey God, frustration mounts at what he's allowed to get away with daily. In between all the goals, assists and points, Sid The Kid shows off his bad side getting underneath opponents' skin, which usually involves using his stick illegally. Most would agree that's putting putting it mildly. It doesn't seem to matter who he faces. The league co-leading finisher loves to chop opponents while programmed referees turn their backs. Fans in the metro area who rarely get along can at least agree one this sore subject. Crosby sucks. The missed slashes and repeated hacks that are just as reckless and disrespectful as an Ovechkin shove from behind are ignored.

Nobody will ever accuse Sidney of being a dirty player. However, such antics like he childishly displayed at the conclusion of tonight's nationally televised Versus game in a Cup rematch at Detroit show a different side than the lovey dovey character we get shoved down our throats. While it's true his success benefits the NHL and NBC which most feel stands for Nothing But Crosby, would it kill the powers to be to take a closer look at the wonder boy following another stick incident? His team lost 3-1 to Henrik Zetterberg, who flat out dominated finishing with two goals and an assist while shutting down Sid. It's easy to talk Crosby-Ovie 24/7, but it's this writer's opinion that Zetterberg and Red Wing teammate Pavel Datsyuk are better overall players. This isn't a knock on the super-hyped rivalry. Just an objective take that the guys who wear the Winged Wheel along with ageless wonder Nicklas Lidstrom don't take a back seat.

Apparently, Sid vehemently disagrees. How else to explain the latest cheap shot, repeatedly shoving his stick into a furious Zetterberg as the buzzer sounded at The Joe, signaling the latest big win for a Detroit outfit who refuse to go away. Perhaps their inspired play which saw a heroic Zett backhand rifled past Roberto Luongo with 0.3 left to spare in Vancouver has intimidated San Jose and Chicago, who've eerily lost enough allowing the miracle Coyotes to catch up. As for the Pens' captain, maybe he was just taking out his frustration following a no point, minus-two game against one of the best two-way players we've ever seen. After being stifled by Calder front runner Jimmy Howard seconds earlier, his latest tantrum didn't sit well with the rookie netminder who defended his teammate by challenging Crosby, who typically backed off.

"I knew it was him without turning around,” Zetterberg pointed out while Sid retorted, “I don’t think that’s where he [Howard] should be. “I don’t know what he was doing over there.” The same thing even Henrik Lundqvist did following your continued lack of respect for your peers.

Pittsburgh	roughing - 2 min	20:00, S. Crosby
Detroit	roughing - 2 min	20:00, J. Howard
Detroit	roughing - 2 min	20:00, H. Zetterberg

So, what do you think happened? All ref tandem Tim Peel and Brian Pochmara saw fit to do was handout matching roughs to Zetterberg and the guilty party who got away with crosschecks while also giving Howard two as well. You guessed it. Somehow, the Red Wings wound up with two extra minutes. Even if it was only a matter of book keeping, it summed up the serious double standard that few have the gall to write about. When will Gary Bettman and Colin Campbell finally take action against their guy? Is it going to take one of those unnecessary whacks which finally injures another to penalize the face of the league?

Between you, me and the lamppost, that day probably will never come. In a game that's pushing radical changes to prevent head shots like the one Crosby's teammate Matt Cooke delivered and got away with on poor Marc Savard, they refuse to notice what Sid does after whistles. No discipline. Not even a warning. Makes plenty of sense given how it's run.

If you didn't know any better, you'd swear Bettman and Campbell are the real life version of Lloyd and Harry. Who knew? Dumb & Dumber truly do exist. No wonder their kid runs a muck.

Ten Thousand

Proving that I have no life, we've reached 10,000 tweets. Though this really isn't noteworthy compared to all the other stuff Hasan, myself and Brian do, just wanted to say it's been a lot of fun getting to know other bloggers/fans who are as passionate as it gets when it comes to our beloved sport. Whether it's fun banter, intense debates or just getting support from caring people, I have a huge appreciation for our hockey community. We may not always see eye to eye on our teams, players (Crosby/Ovechkin), etc. but that's what makes us such a tight knit group. When things go badly for someone, we all pull together.

I said it once and I'll echo it again. This place wouldn't be possible without Steve Lepore. He was the mastermind behind it. So, big ups to you and continued success with PuckTheMedia.

To those Tweeps who've given us extra love tonight, I will never have enough kind words. It means plenty! Thank you so much :). As far as what was said, I don't like to get into that stuff. Greg Wyshynski is a friend/colleague who does an outstanding job with Puck Daddy. He has a lot more on his plate than we do here. Though I would like to expand. But we're small potatoes.

I still haven't gotten around to posting video from Mike Zippo's Fire Sather Rally Sunday. I'm going to give a view later. Decided to wait because we were there and shook the man's hand giving him his due even if the turnout wasn't earth shattering. We've read pretty much every take thus far with Blueshirt Banter's Joe Fortunato the best. If you haven't already, go read it. Hopefully, I'll give a respectful account that's well thought out so our audience who didn't attend has a better idea of the scene directly across from Madison Square Garden.

If anyone's interested, we really could use an Islander blogger. I feel guilty because I've kinda lagged on the archrival which certainly isn't intentional. They've been going through a tough time. With the playoffs looking more and more like a pipe dream, it'll be interesting to see if John Tavares can get untracked again. The future of the franchise is minus a goal in 17 straight. It'd be nice to see JT91 finish strong. Look what it did for super soph Steven Stamkos, whose 40 markers have the Lightning finisher trailing only Sid and Ovie, who are tied for the league lead with 44 thanks to the Great Eight's deuce in a 4-3 shootout loss to Dallas yesterday. Amazing when you consider how poorly he started his rookie year. Now, the recently turned 20 year-old Tampa '08 No.1 overall pick's got a shot at 50. Love to be a fly on Barry Melrose's wall these days.

Well, this at least makes this post about hockey. Until next time.

Miller Time indeed as USA stuns Canada

Nearly thirty years to the day of the greatest hockey game ever played in our country, another batch of determined, gritty Americans gave a memorable performance of their own. With Miracle On Ice heroes Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig and Mark Johnson looking on in a hostile yet chaotic environment over in Vancouver, Team USA outworked tournament favorite Canada- pulling off a 5-3 upset in the final tuneup before the medal round. The stunning win allowed Ron Wilson's club to finish a perfect 3-0 winning Group A to advance automatically to the quarterfinals.

Though it was a preliminary match that pales in comparison to the remarkable American upset of world power Russia en route to winning Olympic gold over Finland, this was a huge victory for USA Hockey. Especially in a tournament few gave them a chance to medal. Maybe one thing overlooked was the kind of character architect Brian Burke opted for on a North American rink. Unlike wider rinks, the more traditional NHL sized ice is better suited to physical play. Thus far, it's been grinders Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Ryan Kesler, Dustin Brown, David Backes and skilled yet imposing Cherry Hill native Bobby Ryan who've made significant contributions. Facing one of the most talented rosters, they were instrumental last night. Especially down the stretch when a desperate Canada pressed for the equalizer, even holding the puck in for seemingly ever as our boys were out on their feet.

Thanks to heroic netminding from Ryan Miller, who was absolutely amazing- along with tremendous will from Callahan who atoned for a giveaway by reaching out with his right glove extended to block a shot before the puck was finally cleared after roughly 100 seconds, the hungrier Americans prevailed. Enough cannot be said about the Buffalo goalie who didn't wear trademark No.30 instead donning No.39 in special tribute to Dominik Hasek??? Something Sabres contributor Brian noted. Whatever the reason, in his third Olympic start, he emulated the Dominator with some def defying saves on his way to 42 saves, including a two-save sequence in the frantic final two minutes that featured a Hasek-esque twisting stick save followed by a glove committing highway robbery which shocked Canadian Hockey Place.

One of the front runners for the Vezina left little doubt that he was the better goalie, outplaying Martin Brodeur who was culpable on at least half the output- permitting four goals on 22 shots. His more talented team which featured the all-Shark line of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and goalscorer Dany Heatley plus finisher Sid The Kid, Rick Nash, Jarome Iginla, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and goalscorer Eric Staal helped outshoot Team USA 45-23. Canada's blueline also boasted vet tandem Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer, who jumped up in the rush generating chances as did younger tandem Duncan Keith and Drew Doughty late. Despite an edge that included Dan Boyle and Shea Weber, the Canadian D struggled defensively against the Americans' feisty forwards who pounced on their opportunities.

One of the keys to the great win was Brian Rafalski, who had a tremendous night tallying twice and assisting on team captain Jamie Langenbrunner's third period power play decider with less than 13 minutes left. The former Devil defenseman was brilliant scoring 41 seconds into the contest, setting the tone. It was vital for Team USA to get out quickly against such a lethal opponent who still had the majority of the support even if there were plenty of Americans cheering on their heroes. Rafalski one-timed a Ryan Suter pass off Sidney Crosby past Brodeur. It would be a hint of things to come with Crosby finishing minus-three in spite of his late power play goal that made the ending more dramatic. That both Zach Parise and Langenbrunner, who was a beast, would be out celebrating a goal from their ex-teammate was pretty cool.

Canada responded when Staal neatly deflected home a Brent Seabrook point shot tying it 8:12 later. But before the pumped up crowd could get back in their seats, Rafalski did it again scoring his fourth consecutive goal for Team USA. This from a guy who had the same amount in 57 games with Detroit this season. He got a little help from Brodeur, who apparently must've thought Raf was still on his side. MB30 made a careless blunder aggressively paddling a loose puck right to the former Wisconsin standout whose fanned shot snuck through only 22 seconds later.

Afterwards, the Americans couldn't muster much else as the ice tilted with the hosts pushing the pedal to the mettle, outshooting the red, white and blue 19-6. Trouble was they couldn't squeeze another by Miller, who by this point was demonstrating the 2009-10 form that carried Buffalo near the top of the conference before a late slump had them a point behind Ottawa. Nothing seemed to distract him. Still, Canada came back to tie a second time early in the second when Heatley banged home a Jonathan Toews rebound off a mad scramble. Toews- who faced Blackhawk teammate Patrick Kane- was easily one of their best players. His great skating and playmaking was on display.

Every time you waited for Canada to surge ahead, Miller stood in the path as did gritty 'mates who sacrificed by finishing checks, diving to block shots and winning battles in the trenches. The intensity of Team USA was apparent. They desperately wanted this game. In the words of hometown Canuck Ryan Kesler who wisecracked that he hated Canada even guaranteeing victory, their willingness to get dirty was a noticeable difference along with Miller's clutch play in net. With the game still knotted and the crowd enjoying the physical firewagon hockey that always is associated when these rivals play, the hitting picked up. Nash had a ferocious hit. Even if it didn't compare to Alex Ovechkin's highlight reel clean shoulder that took Jaromir Jagr off the puck, leading to the Russian winner in a 4-2 triumph over Czech Republic to win their group. To quote pal John who we were over in Old Bridge:

"He sent him back to the 80's."

That game was an enjoyable appetizer that included Evgeni Malkin's sweet finish on that huge turning point. Even if Jagr came back playing an inspired third, drawing three bodies to him on Petr Cajanek's goal that made it interesting before Pavel Datsyuk sealed it. Ironically, hated one-time Blueshirt Dmitri Kalinin saved Russia's bacon with a great defensive play might've resulted in the tying goal. But hey. It was a good day for Rangers with Henrik Lundqvist pitching another shutout (3-zip) this time over nemesis Finland to win Group C. Plus Drury, who scored a money go-ahead off a wild sequence that saw Brodeur flopping around with Backes and Ryan each getting whacks before the revived Ranger captain finished off his second at 16:46. Did we mention how good the controversial Burke selection was in his usual checking role alongside PK partner Callahan? Both were standouts, making key blocks late to preserve victory.

Remarkably, it was Team USA that took over late in the second and continued to push the action initially in the final stanza. Using a relentless forecheck to finally challenge Canada's D, they drew three consecutive penalties. After Canada killed off the first two including an undisciplined Crosby hi-stick in the offensive zone, they couldn't make it three-for-three. With Perry in the box for a slash, the former Devil combo went to work again with Rafalski sending another one-timer from the left wing towards the net which went off Langenbrunner's skate past Brodeur. While Parise celebrated by jumping up and down, the insurance that Suter also netted his second helper on gave the U.S. just enough margin.

From there, it was Miller Time. On a day where the team in front of him were very disciplined, they handed the Canadians two straight power plays. After killing off the first thanks to timely stops from their meal ticket along with splendid PK work, Erik Johnson was nabbed for a questionable trip. They nearly had it back to even strength when Crosby went to the net and nicely deflected home a Nash feed, sneaking it just through Miller's waffle, slicing to 4-3 with 3:09 left. Keith added a helper.

That's when it got hectic. Chaos ensued on the next shift as Canada threw the kitchen sink at Miller, trying to get it tied. For what felt like an eternity, they had Team USA pinned deep. Eventually, they got tired and Canada moved the puck quickly for pointblank chances. Somehow, Miller made the saves which ranged from a tough glove save with traffic that he turned routine to a one-timer in the slot that he got a toe on. Eventually, the puck came to a wide open Weber, who fired but Miller said no.With his dead team unable to get the puck out following a Callahan clear which was gloved down, the hardest working Ranger made up for it by making a sprawling block of a one-timer. Eventually, they cleared the zone finally getting a change.

The play-by-play from Doc Emrick was as good as it got, describing the furious action as only he can. It still wasn't over with Team Canada pulling Brodeur for an extra attacker with over a minute left. However, the American's fire won out, eventually with Parise wisely pushing the puck out off the boards to avoid icing. Then, the amazing happened as Kesler outraced Perry somehow getting his stick on it for the empty netter that sealed it with 45 ticks remaining. But down two, the Canadians still came forcing Miller to make one more save before it ended.

It's amazing to think that this was a preliminary round game. The way it was so highly contested spoke volumes about how much the players cared. It was exactly the kind of hockey which is why they must commit to 2014 in Moscow. Regardless what Gary Bettman says, this game was a homerun. Even if it wasn't on NBC. MSNBC still did a phenomenal job not screwing anything up and making it a must watch. These games matter. I don't care who you are. That was truly special.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Chris Drury, USA (2nd of Olympics for go-ahead tally)
2nd Star-Brian Rafalski, USA (2 goals and assist-leads all Americans with 5 Pts)
1st Star-Ryan Miller, USA (42 saves incl.13/14 in 3rd)

Olympic Hockey Sunday Preview

If you've been waiting for some big games, then today's terrific trio over in Vancouver should do the trick. Plenty is on the line in each.

First up at 3, Russia and the Czechs do battle with Group B hanging in the balance. A Czech Republic OT win clinches first as they'd be a perfect 3-for-3 in preliminary action. Russia needs it badly due to their shootout loss to Slovakia, who finished with wins in regulation and OT plus a loss to the Czechs for five points. If Russia loses, they finish third in the group and would be in a difficult position. They'll have Malkin reunited with Ovechkin in an attempt to boost offense against sizzling duo Jaromir Jagr and Cze captain Patrik Elias. We'll see if they can slow them down.

At 7:40 tonight, the main event takes place when Team USA takes on host Canada. It's the Americans and not Canada who's in the driver's seat. Ron Wilson's squad looks to make it a perfect 3-for-3 when they step up in competition against Crosby, Iginla, Shark trio Marleau, Jumbo Joe and Heatley, Niedermayer/Pronger and MB30 in net. Thus far, the favorites haven't looked sharp struggling mightily on the power play. Their overpassing almost cost them again against the pesky Swiss, who edged Norway yesterday 5-4 to finish third. If reunited Devil duo Parise and Langenbrunner can spark the offense, USA can win the group outright. However, if they earn only a point, it could come down to goal differential. It should be a thriller with Ryan Miller going face to face against Marty. We'll see if shifting Kane to Ryan Kesler's line gets him going in what will be an unreal atmosphere.

In the finale tonight at 9, a rivalry is renewed when Finland faces nemesis Sweden with Group C up for grabs. Both enter 2-0. So, something has to give. The Finns have been sharper with Teemu Selanne recording an assist for a new Olympic record 37 points (20-17-37). The Finnish Flash has participated in five Winter Games. Congrats to one of the classiest and best finishers the sport's had. Hope you keep playing. It should be great to see him and Saku Koivu team up against The Sedins, Lidstrom, Zetterberg, The Mule and Backstrom. Plus Foppa even if we feel he took Mikael Samuelsson's spot. The Finns will need good performances out of Olli Jokinen, both Ruutus, Joni Pitkanen and Jere Lehtinen. Plus there's the great match-up in net between Miikka Kiprusoff and Henrik Lundqvist.

Is Henrik playing hurt this year? If you go by this article back home, he might still be nursing a bad groin. How does one play 54 games and only miss a couple of starts? Plus play in the Olympics. He did rest for a shaky second game in which they held off Belarus. One thing we've noticed all year is his tendency to flop to the ice whenever the action is near his crease. Imagine if it's true? Yikes.

Anyway, the games should be great. Just one more thing. NBC. Don't screw this up!

Crosby hat trick too much for Sabres

The Sabres probably will be seeing Sidney Crosby in their sleep. The game's brightest star shown brightly, going for a hat trick in a come from behind 5-4 Pens' win over Buffalo at Mellon Arena.

The hat trick was Sid The Kid's fifth career and third this season. That he scored the three within an 8:02 span speaks to the kind of special season the Penguin captain is having. With four goals in 24 hours, including a nifty shootout clincher in an exciting 2-1 home win over the Red Wings, the 22 year-old former Hart winner is now tied with San Jose's Patrick Marleau for the league lead in goalscoring. Each have 37. Amazingly, Crosby's just two away from tying his career high of 39 established in his rookie season ('05-06). The way he's finished, it looks like he'll shatter it and could compete with Marleau and archrival Alexander Ovechkin for the Rocket Richard. Ovie trails by two with Marian Gaborik (33 G) fourth and much rumored Ilya Kovalchuk (31) fifth.

Before Sid's eruption, Lindy Ruff's club had battled back from an early Mark Letestu goal scoring three straight to take a 3-1 lead almost half the contest to go. Derek Roy's power play goal and resurgent Thomas Vanek's 17th came 48 seconds apart in the first period, where they outshot Pittsburgh 12-8. The action was fast and furious as both teams traded chances, forcing both Marc-Andre Fleury and Ryan Miller to be good. It looked like the potential Olympic battle between Canada and USA would go to Miller, who's been having a great season.

Ironically, a Crosby turnover at the blueline resulted in Tim Kennedy putting Buffalo ahead by two. Clarke McArthur quickly transitioned the puck to Mike Grier, who with a three-on-two developing, made a sweet dish to Kennedy for a tip in. Kennedy came close to getting another on the next shift but the near miss loomed large. The game swung dramatically thanks to a Chris Butler hooking minor. Handed a power play, the Pens made it count with Evgeni Malkin and Alex Goligoski combining to set up a wide open Crosby at the bottom of the right circle for No.35.

With the game evolving into a track meet which didn't favor the Sabres, the Pens drew even when Jordan Staal took a Malkin pass and beat Miller with a quick one-timer, snapping a 12-game drought. Crosby took over scoring twice more in a 75 second span late in the stanza. First, he cashed in on a Miller turnover outside the net, beating a scrambling Buffalo goalie with a one-timer that trickled off him and in. He misconnected on a pass to Tyler Myers, allowing Sidney to score unassisted for a 4-3 lead with 2:30 remaining. He wasn't done, completing the trick in fine fashion by beating Miller on a breakaway. Taking a perfect Kris Letang outlet during four-on-four, Crosby came in on a two-on-one faking pass before firing home his 37th cueing raining hats everywhere.

“We made some good plays. We had an odd-man rush, we had a good bounce off the skate and he [Miller] isn’t able to get back in the net [on one goal],” Sid The Kid assessed. “If you look at the goals, you can’t really fault him on a lot. There were some really nice plays made there. I don’t think we tried anything different [against him], we always try to get second chances and that’s tough for anybody.”

“I don’t know if he’s getting better, but he’s taking advantage of the opportunities we gave him,” a disappointed Kennedy noted. “When you give a guy an open net and give a guy a 2-on-1 and then a power play, guys like that aren’t going to miss those opportunities. That’s on us. He is one of the best players in the game, but I think that we gave him a lot.”

Crosby easily could've had more but a feisty Miller who tripped up Sidney early in the third, didn't allow anymore. He was sharp in the third repelling all 13 shots sent his way giving teammates a chance. While it didn't look like that would happen, a late Pens' penalty gave Buffalo a ray of light when Jason Pominville connected on the power play off a nice feed from Tim Connolly, cutting it to 5-4 with exactly three minutes remaining. It got even more interesting when Brooks Orpik went to the box allowing Ruff to pull Miller for a six-on-four. There were a couple of close calls but Fleury kept the puck out to give his team the win.

“When you have a two-goal lead, you play a tighter game than that,” Ruff acknowledged. “You don’t hand them those opportunities.”

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Jordan Staal, Pit (13th of season ends 12-game drought, 4 SOG, +1 in 22:00)
2nd Star-Thomas Vanek, Buf (PPG, assist, 4 SOG in 18:55)
1st Star-Sidney Crosby, Pit (3rd hat trick of season-35, 36, 37,5th career, 5 SOG in 20:02)

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)