Nothing clever needs to be said here.
Everyone knows the count.
Games like this one serve as a stark reminder of how the journey to Lord Stanley's Cup is the toughest road in team sports.
When Tom Clancy writes his next book, it will be based on the second period of this game.
The old Penguins captain, Double J, tying the game with his 75th career playoff goal for the Rangers.
The young Evgeni Malkin winning the game with his 5th career playoff goal.
The Penguins are a win away from the Eastern Conference finals.
But the Rangers ain't dead yet.
[Jschiff]
Do it.
:::::::::::::::::: ANTHEMS :::::::::::::::::::
[ Andrew P. ]
:::::::::::::::::: FIRST PERIOD :::::::::::::::::::
The Pens third unit started off the game.
It was looked like TK could have got a holding call, but the Pens got a break.
Now, if we'd come out and guarantee that we'd finish typing this sentence, our power would go out or the entire internet would shut down.
But when it comes to Hossa, we don't even know.
It wasn't "the kind of goal we all envisioned back in February," but we'll take it.
1-0. The Pens capitalize on an early Ranger turnover.
But you have to give it to the Rangers.
They were not deterred.
They generated their best chances of the series after quickly regrouping from that early balltap.
Straka somehow missed the net, probably because he saw a weight machine in the stands.
Later, Marian Hossa takes a dive on a Jagr hook.
Yes, that was a dive, Rangers fans. It was a solid try by Hossa to embellish the call.
Jagr flips out. Most passion he has shown since the craps table at Atlantic City back in 2000.
[Zach]
4-on-4 blog.
All this Staal vs. Staal crap we've heard about the last couple years.
Finally, it meant something.
Marc Staal annihilates Jordan along the boards.
It was back-and-forth hockey when the penalties expired.
Straka missed the net again because he thought he heard a dumbell, and then Sykora and Malkin almost connected.
But it was Malkin's turn to miss the wide-open net.
By halfway through the first, it was obvious that the Rangers were bringing the kitchen sink to the Penguins net.
An odd-man break for the Rangers brought a big clusterjoke.
Never mind Jagr being all over MAF. The issue was whether the puck crossed the line.
And it counted.
1-1.
They almost forgot what it was like to score a goal.
After some jobbing, a reminder of what playoff hockey is about came with about 3:30 left in the first.
And it all started with many a Pens fan saying, "Where's Malone?! Why's BGL out there?!"
And the answer came in beautiful fashion.
BGL goes out to talk to his secretary.
2-1.
Flashbackblog:
6:14 pm --Talk-show host Mark Madden blasts BGL up and down the radio waves.
"Therrien doesn't know what he is doing," he shouts.
"BGL didn't even beat up Avery after he cheap-shotted MAF at the end of game 2," he proclaims.
[Even though Avery was clearly on the ground already,
and why would you take a cheap shot anyway???]
"BGL should sit," he says. "BGL isn't good for the team. All he does is fight."
"The team doesn't like him." Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
Mark Madden -- 0 goals in these playoffs.
BGL -- 1
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
done
"Okay, let's get out of the first period with the lead."
That thought became even nicer when the USS Hal Gill gets struck with a long-range missile.
Four-minute power play on the way.
And BOOOOOM. Malkin with the laser one-timer.
3-1.
And then the second part of the Pens power play commenced.
A sign of the Rangers losing their will to live came during a Malkin dump on the second PP.
Nobody cared as Malone retrieved it on the boards.
Whatev. Period.
:::::::::::::::::: SECOND PERIOD :::::::::::::::::::
Both Lundqvist and Fleury had to survive some quick storms early in the second.
The Rangers were desperate as balls.
The Rags were gonna get their chance to crawl back into the game, as Sykora headed to the box.
When Scoods cleared the puck during the PK, did Bob Errey say "that was a job by Scuderi"?
If so, hell yeah.
An icing call against the Rangers during their PP brought out the boo birds.
The Rags were saved by MSG playing the Ramones for the 80th time of the game.
Things got more interesting when Pascal Dupuis saved a great scoring chance by jobbing Jagr.
42 seconds of a 5-on-3 on the way.
That 5-on-3 went out the window fast.
Jordan Staal was unreal with some clears.
But another 5-on-3 kill was on the way, this time for 33 seconds.
That PP turned into a M*A*S*H unit.
Scuderi was down. Talbot was down and out after putting his life on the line.
Chris Drury got hurt in the dumbest way possible.
He actually got hurt celebrating the goal early.
Video Evidence:
Drury waiting for the pass:
Drury getting a shot:
Drury putting his hands up in the air:
Drury hurt:
Need more proof? NHL.com has the [ highlights ]
That is really sad.
There was a skirmish around the Pens net.
Hal Gill brought it into port, dropped anchor, and kept it out of there.
As the time expired on the Penguins penalties, the boos came raining down when Crosby carried the puck through the neu--
Oh, wait, it was the Rangers fans booing their own team.
That sucks.
[ Michelle McG ]
Crosby did, in fact, carry the puck up the ice later in the period, but nobody cared.
Such hapless fans.
And just as this series looked over and done with, the Rangers get a big one on the board.
Tommy Callahan gets on past MAF. 3-2.
They weren't done yet.
Jagr, who had been on acid all game long, finally puts one home.
3-3.
What a horrible feeling.
It was an incendiary situation, code red.
The Pens started the period killing off penalties and just couldn't get back into the groove of things.
Lord Therrien settled the troops after the JJ goal with a good timeout.
The Rangers were all business at the tail end of the period, hitting posts, getting solid shots.
The Pens were on the ropes.
It was like watching your girlfriend/boyfriend cheat you on, your house burning down, finding out your dad is Roger Clemens, and having cybersex with Dear Abby all in the same hour.
Another Rangers goal was inevitable.
But that's when the series became clearer.
Wyatt Earp checks Sykora from behind at the end of the shift.
The stupidest penalty in the history of the Rangers franchise.
The Penguins' top guns, who hadn't even sniffed the Rangers zone all period while penalties were being killed and the Rags were taking momentum, jumped onto the ice pissed as shit.
And the Rangers were tired. They got a couple clears.
The Pens eventual goal all goes back to Malkin keeping the puck in the zone with an unreal effort.
The trigger was Malkin at the left point. It was coming.
But it wasn't even on a one-timer.
He just lined up like a penalty shot on Blades of Steel. PING.
[Will Smith]
4-3.
And that was it for the second.
:::::::::::::::::: THIRD PERIOD :::::::::::::::::::
The series came down to this third period. Everyone knew it.
After the first minute, you start looking at the clock, hoping it will go faster.
As you're browsing Cblog comments, Ryan Malone redirects one past the Queen.
5-3.
After some jobbing, Dupuis was headed to the box for something.
Whatev.
But that power play brought us this gem:
[Credit goes to John for posting that on YouTube]
That PK was the first of probably a couple moments during this third period that made you say, "This is the series."
Jordan Staal continued his PK dominance. Killed.
The Pens were headed back on the PK when Adam Hall jobs Sjostrom.
What a dive.
"This is the series."
It was killed.
Steiggy drops a couple USS Hal Gill references while Gill sends off cruise missiles.
If this is in fact the last hurrah for FSN this season, solid job, boys.
[Trevin S]
After a bizarro non-icing call, Father Time pulled into Penn Station and made his way up to the Garden.
Jagr seemed to be the only Ranger playing.
He tries to put a few shots on net. But it gets shut down.
This guy kills himself:
[ Thanks to Willowtip for the pic of Jacques Cousteau's gay brother.
Must have been fun walking home wearing the scuba gear. ]
As time gets to under three minutes, the Pens just start dumping and getting to the bench.
MSG is slient as the Rangers call a timeout.
There is still time, but that is needless worry.
The Rangers try to job out of frustration.
No dice.
Game
Us against the world on Thursday.
MISCELLANEOUS
The refs did a good job tonight.
Double J was out of his mind.
Marty Straka is annoying.
Chris Drury = What a playoff performer.
Jordan Staal. Good God was a force.
Funny how the Pens have home-ice advantage, and then go on the road where there are faster ice surfaces that complement their team speed.
Did Ranger fans know it was a playoff game?
Who is number 14 for the Rangers? Did he play tonight?
Where was Avery? Pathetic. What a sideshow.
Earl Mann should be narrating Commentorblog. Unreal display.
[ Nate B. ] -------------------- [ Pav ]
Do you hear that rumbling? That's a Photoshop Expo on the way.
Here we go.
We find out tonight whether this is a series or a speedbump.
It's a Game 7 for the Rangers.
Steve Avery will feel at home in MSG.
The Rangers will come out smokin'.
And as many astute Pens fans have already said,
the Rangers may be a little desperate and want to come out with guns blazing in front of the MSG crowd.
It'll be up to the Pens to stick to their own gameplan
and take advantage of the mistakes, because the opportunities will be there.
And let's not forget:
The return of Steiggy, Errey, and Potash.
Maybe their swan song for the 2007-08 season.
Here are links where displaced Pens fans can watch games online.
[ Credit goes to the community that is C-blog ]
We've actually lucked out for this playoff series.
A dependable outlet to see a game is at [ Justin.tv/Rags2Riches ]
He is a Rangers fan, and it's already guaranteed that the game will be there tonight.
There is a live chat during the game right beside the embedded video.
As mentioned in Cblog, don't do anything that will get you banned.
:: Gary Roberts is a healthy scratch. [ PG ]
It's unbelievable that we're saying this, but we're indifferent on the matter.
Adam Hall has been winning some huge faceoffs, killing penalties, and hitting 3-pointers.
:: Will Avery pay for slashing Bing?
"I'm working on that right now."-- Therrien [ Trib ]
:: Henrik Lundqvist: "The pressure is all on the Pens." [ PG ]
What
This is Mike Ozanian.
Never heard of him? Join the club.
If the smugness permeating from that picture isn't enough to make you punch yourself,
he spewed an unreal amount of garbage on the Forbes.com webshite.
We had to post the entire article because it is just too great.
Who is the greatest diver of all-time? Greg Louganis? Any member of Italy’s last World Cup soccer team? My vote goes to Sidney Crosby, the young superstar of the Pittsburgh Penguins who has tallied 294 points in his first 213 National Hockey League games. He flops, he falls, he scores! Crosby, who is an awesome skater, playmaker and shooter, might be the most complete player in the league. But, amazingly, the 21 year old loses all sense of coordination any time an opposing player gets within five feet of him.
Crosby’s dive in game one of the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New York Rangers when Martin Straka barely touched him would have him a unanimous 10 in the Olympics. It had great timing (only minutes remained in regulation) and was choreographed beautifully (eloquent head first slide). On television the hockey pundits were quick to point out that, technically, Straka did interfere with Crosby. PLEASE! I know the NHL is desperately seeking its next Gretzkey. But does the Versus network actually believe its coverage does not lose credibility when former hockey players Brian Engblom and Keith Jones ignore reality? Since when are playoff games decided by acting ability?
The only analyst who got this call right was MSG analyst Stan Fischler, who has never been one to be intimidated by the league’s political correctness squad. Fischler correctly pointed out that for greatly embellishing the supposed foul Crosby should have been giving two minutes for diving—even if Straka did commit interference.
When the referees do not call the other team for being in the same area of the ice as Crosby, Mr. Penguin whines like a 12 year girl old shut out of a Hannah Montana concert. Up next: a guest appearance on Oprah. Shame on NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for allowing this sham to ruin the game and, if the center iceman’s academy award winning performances continue, Crosby’s legacy.
If you were counting factual errors, your abacus probably broke.
The dude can't even spell GRETZKY.
Jesus.
The workout, Kraft said, placed an emphasis on exercises to increase leg strength, and had been proceeding normally.
"We were doing the squat, our third or fourth exercise that day," he said. "We were supposed to do eight squats with 300 pounds. Marty did two, and then, on the third one, he went down and was on the way back [to an erect position] when the machine moved and he couldn't hook the bar up."
That sent the bar, which was supporting 300 pounds, slamming off Straka's back.
Luckily, to illustrate what happen, we have a [Jschiff] joint.
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