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The Penguins, hockey and more, by the PG's Seth Rorabaugh. |
PREGAME
-The Penguins are back tonight in a place where the game should have never left:
-A reader comes through with the Tweet of the night:

-Something to keep in mind tonight is that there is no tunnel from the visitors' bench at the MTS Centre to the locker room. If the Penguins have any equipment or medical issues, they'll have to wait for a stoppage to leave the rink.
-Canadiens forward Mike Cammalleri had a laceration on his leg two weeks ago in the Jets' home opener and needed to wait for a stoppage to make his way from the bench to the gate leading to the locker room in corner.
-The Penguins' starters are Arron Asham, Matt Cooke, Mark Letestu, Paul Martin, Zbynek Michalek and Marc-Andre Fleury.
-Their scratches are Tyler Kennedy, Evgeni Malkin and Brooks Orpik.
-The Jets starters are Nik Antropov, Alexander Burmistrov, Kyle Wellwood, Ron Hainsey, Johnny Oduya and Ondrej Pavelec.
-Their scratches are Randy Jones, Evander Kane and Mark Stuart.
FIRST PERIOD
19:53: What?!? That didn't take long. The Jets score before everyone can start sipping their Molsons. Letestu wins the faceoff. Michalek gets the puck and just falls down. Well wood takes the puck and leaves a drop pass for Antropov. Antropov deals a pass to Burmistrov on the left wing. Burmistrov deals back to Wellwood who pushes the puck under Fleury. Ick. Michalek's brutal start to the season continues. Burmistrov and Antropov get assists. Jets 1-0.
-Wait... no....
19:10: "FLEERRRR.....EEEEEE........FLEERRRR.....EEEEEE........"
18:16: Andrew Ladd snaps off a wrister from the left point. Fleury covers it.
16:12: Byfuglien booms a one-timer from the right point no where near the cage.
15:40: Root Sports finally gets around to showing the lines and defensive pairings:


15:20: Chris Thorburn pushes the puck up the right wing one-on-one against Matt Niskanen. Niskanen pokes the puck away. Nice little play.
13:11: Zach Bogosian booms a slapper from the right point. Fleury fights it off despite traffic. Brett MacLean is all over the rebound but no dice.
12:14: Off a faceoff win, Byfuglien booms another big slapper from the right point. Fleury punches it away with his blocker.
11:16: Jordan Staal and and Ladd battle for a puck in front of the Penguins' bench. Ladd takes a tumble. Fans want a call against Staal but no dice.
11:05: Oduya fires a slapper from the left point on net. Fleury traps it against his chest as Wellwood snoops around.
10:24: Blake Wheeler holds up Park behind the Jets' net. That's two minutes for holding. Staal, Kris Letang, Mark Letestu, Matt Cooke and Niskanen take the ice.
9:09: We don't want to say Steve Sullivan is short, but it's doubtful he or Nik Antropov would shop in the same sections of the Bon Ton:

8:26: Just before the Wheeler minor expires, Paul Martin flings a wrister on net from the left point. Pavelec kicks it out. Staal is there for the rebound but Pavelec rejects it as well.
7:24: Cooke and Vitale try to jam one in by Pavelec on the glove side but no dice.
6:56: Park jumps on a loose puck deep on the right wing and flings it on net. Pavelec fights it off as Neal whacks at his pads.
5:59: Deryk Engelland and Thorburn, the former Penguin, decide to drop the gloves in the Penguins' zone. They wrestle around at first. As Thorburn's lid falls, Engelland lands approximately five rights. Thorburn holds him off and lands a few kidney shots with his right. They wrestle around a bit more before Thorburn lands another right. Officials step in and break it up. Engelland has a cut on his face re-opened. He was injured initally when he was clipped in the face by the skate of Buffalo's Paul Gaustad Saturday:

4:23: Staal throws a shot on net from a bad angle along the goal line on the right wing. Pavelec fights it off but allows a rebound in the slot. Kunitz jumps on it and backhands the puck off the post and behind the cage.
3:23: Asham fires a one-timer from the right faceoff circle. Pavele fights it off.
3:14: Letang coasts in on a loose puck in the slot and jabs a shot on net. Pavelec knocks it down and covers.
2:42: Off a faceoff win by Park in the right circle, Niskanen booms a slapper on net from the right point. Pavelec fights it off.
2:11: Byfuglien, no small man, barges his way through a few Penguins defenders and snaps off a wrister from the right circle. Fleury fights it off.
1:52: Kunitz goes around the net from the right wing and emerges to the left of the cage. He attempts a backhanded wraparound but Pavele is able to get to slide to his right and fights it off.
1:33: Letang and Burmistrov battle for a puck on the left wing wall of the Penguins zone. Burmistrov wins the battle and moves towards the slot. he deals a pass to Tanner Glass at the top of the slot. Glass cranks a one-timer which beats Fleury over the shoulder on his blocker side. Slater had a wonderful moving screen on that play. Letang got owned on that play by Burmistrov. Burmistrov gets the only assist. Slater could make a case for one. Jets 2-0.
0:00: End of period. Jets 2, Penguins 0.
FIRST INTERMISSION

-That was a pretty lousy start. Literally from the opening faceoff, the Penguins were in a hole. They need to find some composure.
-What in the world has happened to Zbynek Michalek? His game is in shambles right now. If Orpik was healthy, we would bench him right now. He's the Penguins worst defenseman at the moment.
-The Penguins actually generated a few quality offensive chances that period. After the Jets scored the opening goal, things settled and the Penguins created a few things by just being strong along the boards down low.
-Kunitz and Staal have created a few things.
-Nothing wrong with Fleury's effort. He has been left out to dry.
-Burmistrov was dominant that period. He looked shy most of last season as a rookie. Tonight, he looks like a savvy, aggressive veteran.
-The Jets have a 10-7 lead in shots.
-Byfuglien and MacLean each have two.
-Oduya and Letang each lead the game with 7:24 of ice time.
-The Jets have a 13-9 lead in faceoffs (59 percent).
-Bryan Little is 5 for 6 (83 percent).
-Staal is 3 for 4 (75 percent).
-The great Joe Vitale leads the game with two blocked shots.
-Someone asked in the comments, but the old Winnipeg Arena did used to have a portrait of Queen Elizabeth hanging from the rafters:

-The portrait is currently in a warehouse in Whitby, Ont.
SECOND PERIOD
19:06: The Penguins draw another penalty. Cooke steals a puck off Hainsey near the Jets' net. Hainsey trips Cooke. That's two minutes. Neal Kunitz, Martin, Sullivan and Pascal Dupuis take the ice. What kind of power-play unit is this?
18:29: Neal grips and rips a wrister from the left point. Pavelec fights it off.
18:19: Neal drives a slapper from the left half wall. Pavelec boots it out.
17:06: The Hainsey minor is killed. The Penguins created a few things that two minutes.
16:46: Craig Adams chucks a wrister on net from the right circle. Pavelec eats it up despite having Vitale crash in.
16:35: Vitale races up the left wing with Dupuis on a two-on-one against Byfuglien. Vitale rips a wrister. Pavelec kicks it out. Dupuis is there fore the rebound but Byfuglien swats it away. Great defensive play.
15:13: Neal spins and whips a wrister on net from the right circle. Pavelec fights it off. Letang recovers the rebound in the left circle and snaps it off on net. Pavele rejects that.
14:58: Sullivan fires a slapper from the left circle. Mark Stuart blocks it. Ouch. he's smarting after that.
14:16: Antropov has a chance in tight but no dice.
13:13: That was bizarre. Bogosian dumps a puck in from the neutral zone. It hits off the glass and hits Fleury's legs catching him off guard. Fleury stumbles and knocks the puck off its moorings.
12:44: Off a turnover by the Penguins in their own zone, Wellwood booms a slapper from the right circle no where near the cage.
12:10: The Penguins appear to be shuffling their defensive pairings. Letang is playing with Ben Lovejoy. Niskanen has been with Martin while Michalek is with Engelland.
11:43: Staal re-directs a pass from in fron to fhte crease off the left post. So close.
11:25: Kunitz coasts in on a pseudo-two-on-one with Dupuis. Kunitz elects to shots and snaps off a wrister well high of the cage.
10:57: Martin deals a pass to Niskanen at the left point. Niskanen cranks a one-timer. Park is in front and tries to re-direct it. He backhand chops the rebound through the crease. Oduya and Slater clear it out of danger.
10:40: Park is sent off for hooking Bogosian. Cooke, Adams, Michalek and Martin take the ice.
10:02: Byfuglien chucks a puck from the right point wide on the near side. It takes a bounce behind the cage to Wellwood in the left circle. Wellwood shuffles an immediate shot at the cage but Martin slides down to block it.
9:17: Byfuglien booms a big slapper from the right half wall. Fleury fights it off with his chest. The rebound kicks out to the left circle. Dupuis recovers it and whips it down ice.
8:40: The Park minor is killed. The Jets put a lot of heat on Fleury.
8:07: Neal kind of cross checks Ladd's stick and breaks it. As Neal forces a turnover and whips a shot at the net, he's called for slashing. Kind of a bogus call. Michalek, Martin, Cooke and Staal take the ice.
7:22: Bogosian hustles into the offensive zone and pumps a quick wrister on net from the right wing. Fleury kicks it out. Michalek collects the rebound and flings it down ice.
6:07: Neal's minor is killed. The Jets did nothing with that chance.
4:10: Niskanen booms a slapper on net from the left point. Pavelec eats it up with a few bodies around the crease.
3:15: HUGE Save! Sullivan and Park have a two-on-one against Byfuglien. The deal back and forth a handful of times before Park pulls the trigger from the left wing. Pavelec reads the play well and slides to his left making the big save.
2:44: Mark Scheifele has a chance in tight but can't punch it by Fleury.
2:01: Pavele is tuned in big time. Kunitz forces a turnover on the left wing and backhands a pass to the slot. Dupuis takes the pass, streaks in and goes backhand. Pavelec kicks it out. Huge save.
1:43: Letang controls the puck in the slot, moves in, holds, holds, holds then deals a pass to Engelland sneaking in off the right point. Engelland rips a shot which Pavelec gloves.
1:38: So much for benching Michalek. After a faceoff win in the right circle, Letang takes a the puck at the right point and deals to Michalek at the top of the slot. Michalek has the stick cocked and booms a one-timer by the glove hand of Pavelec. Cooke crashed in and made contact with Pavelec. Surprisingly, there's no call. Letang and Cooke get assists. Jets 2-1.
1:13: Thorburn chucks a shots on net form teh left wing. Fleury fights it off despite having Glass hack at him.
0:16: Sullivan is called for hooking Burmistrov. Staal, Adams, Michalek and Martin take the ice. Tough time to take a penalty.
0:02: Ladd has a slapper from the right half wall blocked by Michalek.
0:00: End of period. Jets 2, Penguins 1.
SECOND INTERMISSION

-The Penguins responded very well that period. They controlled the bulk of play and kept the puck in Winnipeg's zone for most of the period.
-Overall, it was a pretty fun period. End to end skating.
-Kunitz has been the most consistent forward for the Penguins. He's forcing all kinds of turnovers in the offensive zone and setting up all sorts of chances.
-James Neal is throwing anything he gets his stick on net. He just has a green light to shoot.
-Michalek responded in a big way after his rough start huh?
-Pavelec is playing out of his mind right now. If not for some questionable contact by Cooke, he still has a shutout.
-The Jets have a 22-21 edge in shots.
-Byfuglien and Niskanen each lead the game with four shots.
-Tobias Enstrom leads the game with 16:09 of ice time.
-Letang leads the Penguins with 15:19.
-The Jets have a 21-16 edge in faceoffs (57 percent).
-Little is 8 for 10 (80 percent).
-Letestu is 8 for 14 (57 percent).
-Stuart leads the game with four blocked shots.
-Martin and Vitale each lead the Penguins with two.
THIRD PERIOD
20:00: The Jets will have 1:44 of power-play time on fresh ice. Adams, Cooke, Martin and Michalek take the ice.
18:15: From the right point, Byfuglien slides a pass to Bogosian on the left half wall. Bogosian chucks a half one-timer on net. Fleury eats it up as the Sullivan minor expires.
17:37: Bogosian coasts end to end into the offensive zone with speed with a small challenge by Lovejoy. Bogosian floats a wrister to the far side. It clanks off the far post.
17:14: Staal leaves a drop pass for Dupus on the left wing. As Staal crashes in, Dupuis cranks a slapper. It hits a body in front as Staal runs over Pavelec. No call. The net comes loose and play is halted.
15:34: Burmistrov moves in off the left wall, coast towards the slot, turns to this forehand and snaps off a wrister. Fleury stretches out to glove it.
15:19: Park steals a pass in the offensive zone and chops a pass to Sullivan in the left circle. Sullivan is off on a breakaway. He goes to his forehand. Pavelec slides to his left and knocks it down. What a save.
13:20: Thorburn tries to challenge Engelland and Letang one-on-two and is thumped to the ice for his trouble. That prompts several, "Thorburn used to be a Penguin" references:

13:08: Letang works up the left wing and chucks a wrister on net. Pavelec eats it up for the easy save.
12:18: Niskanen controls the puck at the top of the slot and chucks a wrister towards the net. It hits Stuart in the side of his helmet. He falls down holding his head. He staggers to his feet and heads to the bench in discomfort.
12:14: Off a faceoff win in the right circle, Michalek strikes a one-timer from the left point. Pavelec makes the save. Neal has a chance with the rebound but can't settle it enough to get a shot off.
11:16: Letang controls a puck at the left point and drives a slapper at the cage. It hits a body in front and bounces wide.
10:21: On a three-on-two, Ladd pushes a pass from the slot towards the net. Wheeler is there and gets a piece of it. Fleury covers to freezes play.
10:12: Dupuis moves in off the right wing and whips a big wrister on net. Pavelec kicks it away.
8:48: Asham tries to curl and drag off the right wing but Bogosian makes a nice poke check to knock the puck away. Great play.
8:11: With an icing call, the Jets call a time out to get their players a breather.
7:57: What action!!!! Ladd pushes the puck up the left wing and chucks a wrister on net. Fleury kicks it out. Ladd pokes a backhander on net. Fleury with another save. The puck rattles around in front of the crease. Byfuglien chops at it. Fleury is out of position looking for a rebound. The puck hops up towards the open cage. Letang jumps up and swats it away. What a play by Letang!
6:56: Letang snaps off a wrister from the top of the slot. Wheeler challenges and blocks it.
6:52: Letang slams Burmistrov from behind into the boards face first into the boards near the penalty boxes. That's two minutes for boarding. That's a tough play since Burmistrov was turning away from the hit. Do or die here for the Penguins. Adams, Cooke, Martin and Michalek take the ice.
5:29: Bogosian tries to snap off a wrister from the left circle. Niskanen blocks it.
4:52: Just as the Letang minor expires, Antropov snaps off a shot from the left circle. Fleury rejects it.
3:58: Just as Byfuglien slams Dupuis to the ice in the right wing corner, Kuntiz flings a wrister into the crease. Pavelec covers it with a few bodies in white snooping around. All hell breaks loose as Glass in on the ice in a heap. A few of the Thrashers go after Kunitz. Officals seems to have that settled down but Lovejoy and Slater get engaged in the right wing corner. Somehow, the Penguins end up with a power-play. Staal, Sullivan, Letang, Neal and Martin take the ice.
3:51: Neal wires a wrister from above the left circle high over the cage.
3:03: Neal snaps off a wrister from the left wing. Enstrom blocks it. The puck hops in on net where Pavelec gloves it.
2:16: HUGE SAVE! Letang turns the puck over that the right point. Burmistrov is off to the races. He attacks the net and goes backhand. Fleury holds it out with his left leg.
1:29: Wheeler fires a wrister from the right circle. Fleury turns it away.
1:09: Neal whps a rising wrister on net form the right circle. Pavelec fights it off.
1:00: Fleury is pulled for an extra attacker.
0:00: End of game. Neal is given a minor for slashing Burmistrov after the game. Jets 2, Penguins 1.
POSTGAME

-There's some poetic justice in this loss. The Penguins ended the Thrashers existence with a 5-2 win, April 10 in Philips Arena. Several months later, the new Jets get their first win against the Penguins in the MTS Centre.
-All in all, that was a fun low-scoring game. There were plenty of offensive chances. Each team traded shots. The goaltender was just that good tonight.
-Ondrej Pavelec was outstanding. The Penguins put a lot of rubber on net. Granted, they don't have a lot of natural goal-scorers in the lineup, but the Penguins put alot of pressure on Pavelec. If not for an iffy non-call against Matt Cooke, Pavelec has a shutout.
-Marc-Andre Fleury was nearly as good. He saved the Penguins' chances quite a bit during the game and gave them a chance to come back.
-The Penguins had their chances. They created plenty of opportunities through hard work. They forced the Jets into mistakes in their own zone and turned that into offensive chances. The Penguins can be proud of the effort they put out tonight.
-We don't know what to make out of the Penguins' power play. It's not really doing anything right now, but what can you do when Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are injured?
-The James Neal-Richard Park-Steve Sullivan line was pretty solid. It created chances. It forced turnovers. It just couldn't finish. That said, it was decent.
-Chris Kunitz played a great game. He was a terror against the Jets' defense with his forecheck. And he drew a penalty late which allowed the Penguins a chance to tie it up late.
-The defensemen were all over the place tonight. The coaching staff appeared to shuffle the pairings throughout the game.
-Niskanen was the most consistent defenseman for the Penguins. He was strong in all three zones and put a bunch of pucks on net.
-Alexander Burmistrov was very impressive. He looks like a legit top six forward. He was physical, aggressive and created all kinds off offense. he has grown up quite a bit in a year.
-Ditto Zach Bogosian. He was up and down the ice. He looked like the top two defenseman the Thrashers hoped they were drafting when they took him No. 3 overall in 2008.
-The Jets led in shots, 35-29.
-Blake Wheeler and Bogosian each led the game with six shots.
-Niskanen and Neal each led the Penguins with four.
-Tobias Enstrom led the game with 26:33 of ice time.
-Letang led the game with 23:37.
-Faceoffs were even, 28-28 (50 percent).
-Bryan Little was 11 for 21 (52 percent).
-Mark Letestu was 11 for 19 (58 percent).
-Mark Stuart led the game with four blocked shots.
-Paul Martin and Joe Vitale each led the Penguins with two.
-The Penguins had a four-game winning streak against the Thrashers/Jets franchise snapped.
-The Penguins swept three season series against Eastern Conference foes last season against the Panthers, Sabres and Thrashers. They have already dropped at least one game against the Sabres and Jets/Thrashers franchise this season.
-The Penguins dropped a game in Winnipeg for the first time since a 3-2 loss to the original Jets franchise, Jan. 10, 1992. Larry Murphy and Joe Mullen scored for the Penguins. Teemu Selanne, Keith Tkachuk and Phil Housley scored for the Jets.
-Highlights:

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