Game one was a shootout. Game two was a brawl.

When Peter Regin (2) scored for the Senators just 0:18 into the game things looked bad for the Penguins and Fleury was once again beat high glove side which seems to be a recurring theme. But the Penguins responded. That goal was Ottawa’s only of the game and the Penguins unleashed Hell on ice amassing 52 hits with Brooks Orpik leading the way with nine. While Andy Sutton may have had the head shot that knocked out Penguins defenseman Jordan Leopold it was not enough.

Sidney Crosby (1) tied the game at 8:45 of the first fighting for a loose puck in the paint and it was His Sidness that helped cap the scoring late in the third. Crosby danced with the puck behind the Senator’s net defended diligently by Sutton. The sequence featured several starts and stops with Sid changing direction multiple times and looking to get to the front of the net. Unable to do so he pushed out from behind the net and from his knees fed the puck to the blue line and Kris Letang.

Letang took the shot and it beat Ottawa’s rookie goal tendeder to make it a 2-1 game in favor of teh Penguins.

Oh, and before I forget, I cannot not mention that Sidney Crosby made a great save too. An Ottawa shot trickled by Marc-Andre Fleury and was headed for the goal line but Sidney dove through the paint and cleared the puck slowed by late period snow accumulation on the ice. That play saved the game from the Penguins and Fleury who played much better than in game one.

The series is now tied at one game each and heads up to Ottawa from game three on Sunday.

It looks to be a stormy night in the ‘Burgh with thunderstorms rolling through the area.  And with the temperature dropping Pens fans are wondering if there will be a chance of Fleurys as in Marc-Andre Fleury playing they way all Pens fans know he can rather than the way he has been playing as of late.

In Wednesday’s night loss to the Senators Fleury was not on his game.  He let in four goals that he should have stopped or at least had a better chance of stopping than he did.  Without their star goal tender bringing his A-game the Penguins are going to be behind the eight ball and will have a good chance of falling behind 0-2 in the series.

Malkin and Crosby could not have been asked to do more in game one combining for several goals and assists.  Now with injuries mounting on the Senators bench and Ottawa’s third line not likely to produce at the same level again two nights in a row the Penguins will have to find a way to get a victory on home ice before heading north for the next game.

Mike Rupp will be in the lineup tonight after sitting out game one according to reports.  Rumors are that he will replace Ruslan Fedotenko in the lineup after Feds had a sub-par first game.  If you ask me he should probably be replacing Ponikarovsky who has not played at all up to expectations since joining the team at the trade deadline.

We will have to see how it all shakes out.