Joe Vitale helped power the Penguins to a 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers last night notching a pair of assists, finishing the evening +1 an winning timely face-offs. He earned second star status for his first multiple point game of his career.

Vitale earned the primary assist on both Dupuis (1) goal that put the Penguins up 1-0 late in the first and Matt Cooke’s (3) team leading third goal of the season mid way through the second to extend the lead to 2-0.

Mark-Andre Fleury has the save of the game when he reached out with his glove to block a wide open net and then scrambled blindly to keep the puck from going over the goal line.

Florida would get goals from Goc (1) and Fleischmann (1) but the Penguins would add a short handed goal from Richard Park (1) an even strength marker from James Neal (2) to put the game away despite a late chance for the Panthers on the power play. The Panthers would pull their goal tender for the duration of the man advantage but depots playing 6 on 4 hockey, they could not cut into the Penguin’s two goal lead.

Fleury stopped 32 of 34 shots to earn his third win of the season and the Penguins improved to 3-0-1 on the season.

Notes:
- Joe Vitale has been proving his worth this year so far. He has been a headache for other teams to contend with in the face-off dot and now he is setting up his teammates to score.

- James Neal has now scored twice in the first four games of this year compared to just 2 goals last season after becoming a Penguin at the trade deadline. Last night he picked up a valuable garbage goal by heading the the front of the net, something he needs to keep doing.

- The penalty kill of the Penguins confined their impressive play shutting down the Panthers on all five opportunities they had in last night’s game.

It will be the second game of the season between the Washington Capitals and the Penguins when the puck drops this evening. It will be the second meeting of the season between His Sidness and Ovechkin once the blades of the skates dig in and players start to grind for the puck.

Sidney Crosby leads the league in goals (32) and points (65) and unlike previous years, Ovechin is not right there with him. Ovechkin has just 14 goals and 42 points this so far this season and although the Capitals are 22-12-5 and 5th in the East, they are getting it done without riding Ovechkin as hard as in the past.

This Winter Classic, unlike those in the past, will not feature snow which will undoubtedly have some crying foul. Some people have thought, and complained loudly, that Pittsburgh was too far south to hold this event. This was mostly because they wanted to keep it in their own cities almost exclusively (such as Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, etc.) But the fact is that according to weather forecasts for today many northern hockey cities would be in the same predicament.

Buffalo – 51 and rainy
Boston – 49 with rain moving into the evening
Detroit – 49 and rainy
New York – 44 with rain later in the day

Yeah, none of these cities would have been better so unless you want to keep the game in Canada where you will be pretty much guaranteed snow every New Year’s Day, complaining about the weather is just bad sport.

None-the-less the game will go on. And most of the complainers will go away at 8 PM as we watch two of the league’s best teams take to the ice.

Pish posh! Some time to clear their heads and the Penguins have bounced right back rattling off back to back wins. First it was the Phoenix Coyotes who were … well … let’s just say the Penguins had their way with them darting out to a 5-0 lead by the end of the second period. The ‘Yotes didn’t even show up on the scoresheet until the last period when they finally found the next but that game was 6-1 when it ended.

After weathering a 16 shot storm in the first, Marc-Andre Fleury backstopped the Penguins effort and got goals from Kris Letang (6), Evgeni Malkin (12, 13), Sidney Crosby (27), Matt Cooke (6) and Chris Conner (3). That is a pretty good bit of spreading the puck around and Geno had three assists to goal with his two goals. Heck, with production like he has been having I say give him a week break to start every month!

Ok, sure Phoenix is in last place in the Pacific Division but they are a respectably above .500 team at 15-10-7.

Then there was last night against Florida. Florida is, unlike Phoenix, a lower tier team at 15-17-0 and the Penguins made sure to play like they are capable of rather than down to Florida’s level. Despite Florida scoring on their first shot to tie the game at 1-1, it never was close after that. The game ended 5-2 with the Penguins coasting thanks to goals by Letestu (7), Crosby (28), Cooke (7), Lovejoy (1) and the empty netter by Dupuis (8).

The game was so out of hand by the start of the third period that the Penguins decided to give Fleury, who had the night off up until that point, a period in net to get warmed up for today’s match against the Capitals. And that game is a real test. Washington is 20-12-4 and once again leading the pathetically weak Southeast Division. And nothing sets up the Winter Classic better than today’s game and the outcome of it.

Can the Penguins keep their new winning streak rolling? Sure they can. But they have to go through Ovechkin to do it which is never a small task.

But even you Fleury haters have to admit that it was the goal tending that prevented it from getting much worse until the Penguins got their game going. Sure it wasn’t until half way through the second period that Evgeni Malkin (5) scored to tie up the game after a legitimate goal for the Penguins had been waved off for goal tender interference, but after that it was all Penguins. Sidney Crosby (12) tipped in a Deryk Engelland shot from the point early in the third to put the Pens up 2-1. Then Evgeni Malkin (6) scored again on the power play to make it 3-1. Malkin took a rebound off the end board and tucked it behind Pavelek who was leaning the other way looking for the puck to come out to his left.

Niclas Bergfors (5) scored for the Thrashers to cut the game to 3 to 2 but the Penguins buckled down, Fleury made the saves and Malkin (7) got the hat trick on the empty netter to ice the game with 1:02 remaining.

It is not often you will ever see Marc-Andre Fleury play in back to back games especially with the usually capable Brent Johnson backing him up. But apparently Johnson’s third period collapse against Boston (partially due to poor defense in front of him but not completely) along with Fleury’s stunning play the previous night against Tampa Bay earned the Penguins number one goal tender a chance to prove that his performance was not a fluke.

And boy did he ever prove it. Fleury made a plethora of nifty saves with every part of his equipment and body stopping 31 of 33 shots. If you thought that the only reason Fleury looked good against Tampa Bay was the limited number of shot he saw, the Atlanta game puts that theory to rest. Two solid performances in a row is a good start on the road to recovery for the star net minder of the Penguins. But he still must do more and prove his consistency is back.

The win moves Pittsburgh to 9-8-1 on the season and they return home on Monday to host the New York Rangers (8-7-1). Whether or not Fleury will start his third game in a row remains to be seen. But so far it looks like he has earned that opportunity.

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.

Pittsburgh played a lackluster game in the first period. In second period it was Mike Rupp (1) who gave the Penguins a lead 4:07 into the period. Tangradi (1) scored his first at 6:57 to extend the lead and the Penguins looked to have figured out that playing hard in front of the opponents net and actually shooting the puck would result in goals. But the Letang penalty derailed the Pens for a while.

Josh Bailey (2) scored during the five minute major which was cut to a three minute man advantage thanks to him jumping on Letang after the phantom penalty. He had to serve two minutes for that before jumping back on the ice to score. Radek Martinek (1) scored less than two minutes later to tie the game.

The game remained that way until overtime. Milan Jurcina of the Islanders took a hooking penalty 52 seconds in and it was Alex Goligoski (3) who ended it with a wrist shot.

Johnson, starting in goal in place of Fleury who struggled in Wednesday’s loss to the Maple Leafs, stopped 22 shots. He looked solid most of the game. He improved his record to 2-0 and is the only Penguins goalie to win a game yet this season. But before the Fleury bashers get on this train, realize that both those wins have come against teams beat up due to injuries. The Islanders were missing key players last night and New Jersey only skated with 15 (instead of 18) players due to salary cap issues.

The Penguins are now 2-3-0 on the season with 4 points. They play today at 6:00 PM against the Philadelphia Flyers who won the inaugural game at the Consol Energy Center 3-2.

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.

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.

Game six looked bad as well for the Penguins as Leclair found ways to keep the Penguins out of the net. Even when he didn’t and with the help of on ice and league officials. With the Senators up 1-0 at 7:20 of the first period Mike Rupp pushed a puck to the net which was called no goal by on ice officials even with Leclair clearly in the net. Replays showed clearly that the puck was also in the net and well behind the goal line. However even league officials in Toronto refused to call it a good goal which just goes to show you that even instant replay cannot correct people unwilling to see the truth. Later in the game the officials would also call off a good goal scored after Malkin was tripped up into the goal tender claiming he interfered with Leclair’s ability to play the puck. Remarkably however there was no penalty on Malkin showing that the refs really knew that they blew the call.

The bad call on the Rupp goal swung momentum away from a surging Penguins team and by midway through the second Ottawa had expanded their lead to 3-0.

But the Penguins began to answer and Marc-Andre Fluery began to lock down the Senators and hold the fort in a manner reminiscent of last year’s series against Philadelphia. Pittsburgh was also down 3-0 in a deciding game in that series too before storming back to win.  Matt Cooke scored at 10:56 of the second to cut the lead to 3-1. Then at 7:03 of the third Billy Guerin fired a shot into the net from the circle as Leclair was playing without his goalie stick. Matt Cooke scored his second of the game at 12:24 of the third to tie it all up and Ottawa looked like they were just getting beat all over by a better team.

As time wound down and this game also headed to overtime there was no doubt that both teams hope for less than the previous three over time affair. And with up and down action it did not. There were saves at both ends made but it was Pascal Dupuis that beat Leclair for the winning goal less than half way through the extra period after being set up by Jordan Staal who brought the puck out from behind the Ottawa net.

The victory means a chance at either Buffalo or Boston in the second round and a couple of days to rest and heal after a hard fought series.

Notes:

The Penguins top line was pretty much neutralized in game six.  Crosby, Guerin and Kunitz were a combined -8 and Guerin’s PP goal was their only point.

The Senators tried to play it safe with a 3-1 lead in the third and learned that you don’t win games against Pittsburgh that way.  The Penguins out shot Ottawa 18-4 in the third and out scored the Senators 2-0.

Today against Boston Fleury looked like the #1 netminder he is. With the Penguins leading the Atlantic Division but New Jersey sitting in second with games in hand every point is precious and despite letting up the first goal and falling behind to Boston in the second period the team responded.

After Blake Wheeler (14) score to put the Penguins down, Pascal Dupuis answered back as the Penguins crashed the net and put a puck behind Thomas to tie it up at 1-1. Then Evgeni Malkin (23) scored early in the third to give the Penguins the lead and what would eventually be the win.

The Penguins defense played well, allowing just 11 shots in the first two periods but let up in the third to all that many in one period.  Although Fleury was up to the task to was tense to watch.  Jordan Leopold maintained his strong play and finish +2 while Ponikarovsky added an assist and a +1 to go along with his goal in his debut against Dallas.

The fourth straight win for the Penguins continues what has been a tradition as of recent years where the team puts the pedal down in March as they gear up for the playoffs. It also gives them a 5 point cushion over the Devils who skate later tonight and then still have two games in hand after that. Sixteen games remain for the Penguins then comes the playoffs but they cannot overlook any games or opponents because every point matters and a mini slump now could send the Penguins tumbling down the standings late in the year.