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Evgeni Malkin sinks the Canes
by David Lee on 05/21/09 at 09:31 PM ET
Comments (13)
On Thursday night, the Penguins and Hurricanes played game two of their series after 72 hours off. It was expected to be a great game, and it was for two periods. If you’re a Penguins fan, it got even better than “great” when Evgeni Malkin took control of the game in period three, leading his team to an easy 7-4 win.
The first period was complete chaos. Five goals and just two penalties. The second period, where the Penguins have traditionally sputtered, ended up being crucial in that they dominated the period in every way. The third period was all Malkin.
The Pens scored two times in the opening frame, and a big light (aside from the red light) went off. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each potted a goal. In the regular season, the Penguins were 20-3-1 when both players scored. They were 3-0 entering this game when both scored. Make it 4-0.
Each time the Pens scored, the Hurricanes answered almost immediately. First it was Chad LaRose answering Crosby. Then Jussi Jokinen returned Malkin’s serve. Dennis Seidenberg gave the Canes a 3-2 lead at 12:10 of the first and it was clear that nothing would be normal about this game. Five total goals in ther first 13 minutes.
The second period has usually been the one where the Penguins have relaxed too much and played poorly. Not so in this game. Pittsburgh outshot Carolina 16-6 in the middle frame and scored the only two goals. Maxime Talbot had the tying goal at 3:14, then Chris Kunitz with a backbreaking go-ahead goal at 19:53 of the second. Those goals surrendered in the first or last minute of a period will bite you in the ass almost every time.
The Talbot goal resulted from a horrible line change by the Canes. Talbot came into the zone all alone and easily beat Ward.
Carolina had about 45 seconds of a four-on-three power play in the middle of the second, but it didn’t go well. In fact, Carolina didn’t register a single SOG during the sequence. The Pens’ PK units were masterful in their denial of shooting and passing lanes, and they killed it off like it was nothing. As I watched it live, it seemed like a defining moment.
What made the Kunitz goal especially tough is that he put on a little clinic there, making an amazing individual effort. Carolina shut down and waited for the horn. This is a trap that Carolina has seen many an opponent fall into, and they fell victim to it tonight.
Even though the Pens utterly dominated the middle frame, it still felt like the game could go either way.
Patrick Eaves leveled the score at four goals apiece at 2:35 of the third, and that would be the last good thing that would happen for the Hurricanes.
Evgeni Malkin scored what proved to be the game-winner at 8:50 on a point-blank stuff in. Ward made one stop, then another, and on the third whack at it, Malkin got it past Ward. Meanwhile, Tim Gleason was doing something other than playing defense for the Carolina Hurricanes. Malkin wasn’t done, though….
Malkin potted an unassisted goal at 12:25 of the third to complete the hat trick. And it was a stunning goal. Off the draw, he wrapped around the net, then lifted a backhanded shot past Cam Ward. It was then, officially, a horrible night for #30. This was the first time in ten years that a Penguins player scored a hat trick in a playoff game.
Tyler Kennedy kicked the PAT into an empty net, and the Pens won 7-4. As if things weren’t bad enough, frustrations boiled over for the Canes and things got really chippy in the closing seconds. After a seemingly inconsequential icing call behind M-A Fleury, the Hurricanes forwards started to shove the Penguins forwards. Then the shoving became reciprocated, and the shoving became punching. While Tim Gleason fought Kris Letang, Patty Eaves fought Miro Satan. In the midst of that skirmish, Carolina’s Ryan Bayda picked up a match penalty. For what, I don’t know. Depending upon the specific infraction, he could face some additional discipline.
For everyone involved, not the least of which was the referees, the game couldn’t end soon enough. The two teams will meet in Raleigh on Saturday evening. Unless Carolina can make some drastic changes, there might not be much more to this series.
While the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings have a two games to none lead in the West, the defending Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins have the same lead.
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Tags: Carolina+Hurricanes, Evgeni+Malkin, Pittsburgh+Penguins, playoffs,
Comments
Yep, the first period sure looked like two teams who’d had an extra day off. Scrambly. Guys like to play every other day. This screwy sked is a rhythm killer. I expect a similar first period tomorrow night in the West. Makes for exciting hockey, though, reminds me of the 80’s. Now we just need a mullet…
Posted by Puckhead from Jersey, you dolts! on 05/21/09 at 10:24 PM ET
That VS. stat was wrong…Crosby had a hat trick against the Capitals.
I don’t think the Canes can answer the Pens offensive. They may be able to shut down one line, but don’t have the talent to shut down the other line.
That said, these Canes don’t give up. Should be wild down in Raleigh.
Posted by DigitalGypsy66 on 05/21/09 at 10:30 PM ET
Yea, Crosby had a hat trick in game 2 vs the Crapitals. Or did you miss all the news about that?
Posted by rich from Ny on 05/21/09 at 10:41 PM ET
First hat trick in Eastern conference finals, perhaps?
@ChristianD: Check the title and team logo of this blog at the top.
Posted by Nizer on 05/21/09 at 11:02 PM ET
Is there something surrounding that new rule regarding contact on icing that allows match penalties to be liberally dealt? One can’t argue that a penalty wasn’t thoroughly deserved, but a match penalty seems absurd.
Posted by false_cause from DC on 05/21/09 at 11:15 PM ET
Pens win again…and yet…they seem to have digressed into not playing defense this series. Better fix that asap.
Somehow Ward has been undressed by this team and he hasn’t played poorly; often making saves that Fleury wouldn’t make from in close. Though, at the same time…I guess you could call these goals soft: Talbot, Kunitz, Malkin (2). I just don’t see how he’s going to stop a post-dinger from around the circle unless he exposes the back side.
I still think that it’s probably LaRose who is the most consistent Cane and apparently Staal vs. Staal means Jordan and co. are able to hold that line in check for the most part. 40 shots…it’s the varlamov theory…they aren’t picking their shots like they used to.
Posted by stoneman from Vegas on 05/21/09 at 11:34 PM ET
Ok, it’s a Canes blog post. I didn’t notice the logo as its in grey scale. Wasn’t a knock, I was just curious if the bias was intentional.
Posted by ChristianD on 05/22/09 at 12:59 AM ET
Considering the supposed bias of the blog it’s a very levelheaded and objective account of the actual game.
Well done.
Posted by Moq from Denmark on 05/22/09 at 05:08 AM ET
Yeah, I love all the idots who were like, “Of course we[canes] can control Malkin and Crosby”. . .DUH. . . .stfu
Posted by RedWingssss on 05/22/09 at 07:06 AM ET
The VS stat was correct. It said the first conference finals hat trick since ....... Your angry
Posted by mike from pgh on 05/22/09 at 07:30 AM ET
Can we all stop talking about Cam Ward now….most overrated goalie ever. Why not talk about Khabebulin he won a Cup, too?...oh he’s Russian…sorry
Posted by kevin from boston on 05/22/09 at 07:56 AM ET
Sorry, folks. I didn’t pay close enough attention to the stat posted on Versus. Instead of editing it out, I’ve gone back and struck through it.
The thing is, I was watching that game in the Pens/Caps series when both Ovechkin and Crosby had hat tricks, so I should have remembered that.
Posted by David Lee from Greensboro, NC on 05/22/09 at 07:59 AM ET
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About Red & Black Hockey
David Lee is a restaurant manager with an unused degree in political science. He can be found at Carolina Hurricanes games, Scrabble tournaments and indie-rock shows. Sometimes, all in the same day.
David has contributed to CBC.ca for their Stanley Cup playoff coverage in 2006 and to the New York Times Slapshot blog for theirs in 2008. Red and Black Hockey was founded in July of 2005.
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The match penalty was for the cross check to the face of Letang. It’s what started the scrum.
Is it your intention to favour the Canes in your writing? If not it sounds like it. If so, good job.
Posted by ChristianD from Winnipeg on 05/21/09 at 10:22 PM ET