One game does not a trend make, but last night the Penguins looked like they finally understood what they needed to do to win a game and do so convincingly. While it took a while for any scoring to occur, once the Penguins found the net they kept finding it. The team also played solid defensively, for once, in front of Marc-Andre Fleury.

Fleury was only called on to make fifteen saves on sixteen shots but many of those saves were class Fleury where he flopped, threw out a glove or kicked out a leg with reflexes that few goalies in the league posses. In short, two nights after Brent Johnson and the Penguins collapsed in the third period against Boston, giving up five goals and loosing, the Penguins rebounded and got a solid performance in net that kept a feisty Tampa Bay squad at bay.

In the second period it was Pascal Dupuis (5) who opened up the scoring at 8:01 of the second period tipping in a shot from Kris Letang. Twenty-seven seconds later it was Alex Goligoski (4) who upped the score to 2-0 with a wrist shot into a wide open net.

In the third period the Penguins got into early penalty trouble and Steve Stamkos (15) buried a slap shot past Fleury on a 5-on-3 power play. The Penguins had to kill off another two man advantage before they were able to get rolling again. Mad Max Talbot (3), Sidney Crosby (11) and Deryk Engelland (1) all added scores to extend the lead to 5 to 1 where it remained when the final horn sounded.

Pittsburgh’s five goals came on just 20 shots while the game was marked with distinctly better and more sound defensive play than in previous games.

Engelland with his goal bounced back from some previous bad games. He finished a +3 on the evening. On a night where everyone seemed to be in on the act, Evgeni Malkin had no assists and no goals.

To find out if this will be a trend the 8-8-1 Penguins will take to the ice again tonight to take on the Atlanta Thrashers. Atlanta is 7-6-3 on the season.

There is no denying it; the Penguins have problems. Despite loads of talent, the forwards are not playing up to snuff (Malkin has been downright horrid), the defense since the return of Brooks Orpik and Michalek has been porous and Marc-Andre Fleury, despite his earlier troubles being related to the problems on the rest of the team, has been getting worse in net. The team had been just 1-4-1 in their last six heading into Pheonix. And after Fleury looked like he had forgotten everything there is to know about playing between the pipes the Coyotes mounted a 2-0 lead over the Penguins on just five shots.

Fleury, not looking like he had a clue in net, was pulled in favor of Brent Johnson who backstopped the Penguins the rest of the way. Pittsburgh came back with two goals in the second, one of which was score by Malkin (4) to tie the game in the second. Pheonix went back on top 3-2 and then with the period winding down the anemic Penguins power play finally found the net as Kunitz (3) netted the game tying goal.

The third period wound away, then overtime passed. It wasn’t until the final shooter of the shootout that the Penguins sealed the deal. And that final shooter was not Crosby or Malkin but rookie Mark Letestu. Puck in net. Pens win 4-3 in the shoot out.

Now the Penguins (7-7-1) have a few days off before returning home to host the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, November 10th at 7:00PM. I don’t know what they will do with that time off. But hopefully they will realize, finally, how bad they are as a team right now and take no solace that they escaped Pheonix with a win.

Again last night Marc-Andre Fleury let in the first shot he faced. But the Penguins roared back to score two short handed goals (on the same Lightning powerplay) and a third goal to rocket ahead to a 3-1 lead. However by the end of the first period the Lightning made it 3-2 and by the time it was all over the Pens lost 4-3.

Fleury was, to be blunt, bad. He seems to be getting worse as the season rolls on an Brent Johnson eats up the minutes in his stead. This leads me to believe that Fleury, who we all know is a great goalie, yes even the Fleury haters know this, simply needs to play more to get into a groove. So let’s play him more.

I also think that it is obvious that the defense seems to be playing differently in front of Fleury than they play in front of Johnson. When Johnson is in net the defense seems much more tight in the defensive zone. They are in position and they are getting to pucks. With Fleury though his different style and skills seem to lead the defensemen to play a little looser in all important areas.

This does not excuse Fleury’s lack luster play. But it puts blame on the entire team where I think it rightfully belongs.

And while we’re at it, let’s talk about the power play shall we?

I am going to bring up again how it is obvious that there is something wrong. And I don’t think it is Sergei Gonchar not being on the blue line either. Yes, last year the Pens power play was better in spurts with Sarge quarterbacking it, but even with him there handling the puck things were still amiss with the man advantage. Well all know it. Don’t deny it.

I still think the problem is Sid and Geno playing together on the same unit. This one constant is becoming more and more obvious as the power play featuring these two superstars (along with a more than highly skilled supporting cast) want to pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass and pass the puck which often leads to turnovers and the puck eventually leaving the zone due to an errant pass.

I know the rationale for putting them on the same unit. I know the theory is that you put your best players together and you get your best power play. But are we perhaps ready to admit that this is not necessarily the case? Are we ready to say that so many skilled players playing together is leading to too much thinking and not enough success?

Sid and Geno have proven to have some chemistry when playing at even strength. But even this has shown to be anything but a sure thing when it comes to generating offense. The power play is an entirely different beast. Last year the trouble was attributed to Sid and Geno fighting to be in the same spot. This year that problem was supposed to be elevated by separating the two. It has not worked however. Could it just be that the chemistry is not there?

While I don’t doubt that if Geno and Sid would hunker down and concentrate on scoring rather than overly thinking about who to pass to next in order to set up the perfect shot the PP it would be very awesome sight to see. However that is not happening. Maybe it is time to try two different units (1 and 1A) with Sid leading one and Geno leading the other. Keeping them both on the ice for nearly two whole minutes isn’t apparently working well enough.

Spare me the complaint about how you decide who is 1 and who is 1A when it comes to the power play. Has there been a problem with Sid being 1 and Geno being 1A (second line) at even strength? No. So let’s at least start looking seriously at the problem. Let’s stop stroking egos for fear of offending someone. These two are making $8.7 million each. If Dan Bylsma wants them to skate around the ice in pink tu tus they had better do so proudly asking only one question. That question is what exact shade of pink Coach Disco would prefer.

Blame last night’s loss on the rain falling last night as fans funneled into the Igloo for Game 7? Nope. Blame it on the Fleury – Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins netminder had a game that all Pens fans and even he would sooner forget.

Sure, the Canadiens capitalized on their first shot after Sid took a terrible boarding penalty. Sure Gonchar looked like he was already making plans about where he would be playing next year. But those are the sorts of stops a goalie the caliber of Fleury is supposed to make. And that was the story of the night on three of the Canadiens first four goals as all were stops Fleury is supposed to make. But he didn’t and the Pens are off to the golf course for the summer awaiting next year and the opening of the Consol Energy Center.

Fans on hand tried their darndest to get the home team fired up but slowly and surely they fell down 4-0 half way through the second before coming to life with a goal by Chris Kunitz. The fans were loud and cheered even when the Pens were down. They cheered their hearts out. But this was not the year for another Stanley Cup.

Too many players just went through the motions after falling behind last night and when they finally got a fire lit under their asses it was too late. Too many players on the team just played like there was another chance to win the series when there was none and it will lead to one interesting off season as several players on this year’s team will almost certainly not return from Fedotenko to Ponikarovksy to most likely Gonchar as well.

Time for Shero to work his magic and get this team set for next year. And he’ll have a little bit longer than last year to do so.

There have been bad bounces a plenty for the Penguins as they now find themselves in a Game 7, winner take all match up with the Montreal Canadiens. Whether it is shots by Penguins players deflecting wide of Halak or clanging off the post, sticks missing pucks by a country mile with a yawning net waiting for the shot or pucks shot by Habs that seem to always find the net things have certainly not bounced the Penguins way. Which is why we are where we are. Forget the “mythical” Jaroslav Halak people keep talking about. The Penguins are beating themselves. Halak is not.

Halak’s weaknesses are well known by now. They are rebounds and the five hole. He is mortal. He bleeds. He can be killed. Get to the rebounds, shoot for the five hole and get a little offense from the defense and the Penguins win. Well, that is if Fleury shows up for Game 7.

Marc-Andre Fleury has played, well, good but not Fleury like in this second round matchup. Yes, most of the goals he has given up have been ones he should have stopped or have been fluke bounces but when push comes to shove tonight on the ice at the Igloo Fleury will have to find a way to end those all too frequent of occurrences. No excuses.

The defense can help by thinking about where they are throwing the puck in the defensive zone and making sure pucks get up ice onto the sticks of other Penguins. The offense can help out by not turning the puck over in the neutral zone and not pussyfooting pucks weakly around the offensive boards and ending any chance of sustained pressure. But in the end Fleury must rise to the occasion and get those flippers and his glove hand working in sync with his brain.

Fleury, and the whole team, must guard the cage he stands in front of like Spartans at the battle of Battle of Thermopylae in the movie 300. Although hopefully, I admit, with a slightly better outcome for the heroes tonight than death at the hands of the ravenous and barbaric enemy from the Great White North.

Fleury must be King Leonidas. He must hold the line. He must make the stand. He must declare that while he lives and breathes that no pucks shall pass. No one else will save this team from an all too early exit from the playoffs. Not Sid. Not Geno. Not even Mad Max Talbot. Not even the legion of 17,132 that will be sitting at the Igloo cheering the Penguins on.

Time to rise up Fleury. Time to be great. Time to become a legend.

Once again, the only reason game 5 of the series between the Pens and the Habs was close was a man named Halak.  But while Halak stood tall in net for the Canadiens he was again outshone by Pens netminder Marc-Andre Fleury.   Montreal out shot the Penguins 33-25 but Fleury made 32 saves while Halak made only 23.  It was a dangerous game for Pittsburgh who could have by all rights once again blown out the Habs but couldn’t get pucks in nets as often as they should have.

And as usual Pittsburgh had to not only beat Halak but also the refs who seem to prefer a return to the clutch and grab era of hockey in order to give Montreal a chance while allowing every Hab on the ice to whack at Matt Cooke with impunity.  That’s ok because so far so good.

Pittsburgh got goals from their blue liners as both Kris Letang (4) and Sergei Gonchar (2) scored while Montreal’s lone goal came in the closing seconds on a power play with Halak on the bench.  Oh yeah, and the puck clearly frozen under Marc-Andre Fleury.  But refs allowed the play to continue and the puck got poked into the net.

The series now returns to Montreal Monday night with the Penguins up three games to two and a chance to close out the series.  The problem is that the Penguins have had a nasty habit of not being able to end series on their first attempt.  So the question is out there at to whether or not the clock will strike midnight on Cinderella or whether or not she has a few more dances left in her.

Notes:

Dan Bylsma finally, and I say that enthusiastically, scratched Ponikarovsky who has not been worth the investment the Penguins made in him for the post season.  How bad has Ponikarovsky been?  In 10 games he had just 1 goal, three assists and was a -1 before hugging the pine last night.  Both Matt Cooke and Max Talbot have more points.