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The Pittsburgh Penguins were able to survive a rough 1st period and defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Monday night. This was a very good win for the Penguins considering they were in the middle of an elongated slump and the Ducks are one of the very best teams in the NHL. Leading the way for the Penguins was goaltender Marc Andre Fleury and newcomer Brian Gibbons.
Here are the game highlights:
Here is the possession chart for the game:
The first period was pretty much a tire fire for the Penguins up until the last two minutes. The Ducks dominated the flow of play and the amount of shots taken. If not for the excellent goaltending by Marc Andre Fleury in the 1st period the game would have been entirely different. Fleury was able to battle through the Penguins suspect play in front of him and he gave them a chance to bounce back.
Bounce back the Penguins did as they started to take control of the game. The Penguins owned the game flow the entire 2nd period and the first half of the 3rd period. Unlike in previous games they were able to translate their good play into tangible results on the scoreboard.
You know it wasn’t a good game for the Ducks because Teemu Selanne was held off the scoresheet for the first time ever in Pittsburgh.
No wonder that bum is retiring.
The game did deliver on star power as Sidney Crosby and Ryan Getzlaf were able to score two nice goals and Evgeni Malkin single handedly earned Brian Gibbons his first ever goal.
Viktor Fasth never looked comfortable in net for the Ducks. There were a few instances where he appeared to be fighting the puck on what seemed like harmless shot attempts.
Marc Andre Fleury was very very good in this game. On most nights he would have been the #1 star if not for a player scoring 2 points in his NHL debut. Fleury weathered a bad storm in front of him and was very economical in most of his saves on the evening. One of Fleury’s biggest draw backs in his career has been his ability to make the million dollar saves but let the nickel and dime shots in. Last night he was able to combine the two and it led to a Penguins victory. Fleury made a 10 bell save towards the end of the game on a back door blocker side feed that kept the Ducks from making it a one goal game.
The Ryan Getzlaf goal was a goal that is being scored on any goalie from any era 99 times out of 100.
This version of Marc Andre Fleury is more than worthy of being a #1 tender for a Cup contending team.
The biggest positive that I am going to take from this game is going to be the transformation of a passive Evgeni Malkin to Geno Machino. Something happened between the 2nd and 3rd period that clicked with Malkin, because whatever was causing him to defer and not make aggressive choices clearly dissipated.
The Penguins started the 3rd period on the power play and right from the onset Malkin was ripping shots from the point. Its been a while since we have seen Evgeni Malkin aggressively seek out his opportunity to let those bombs from the point go.
The full transformation into Geno Machino happened on his incredible skating cyclone with the puck which led to Brian Gibbons first ever goal. The Malkin who had been deferring would have never initiated into full gallop in that situation. This was the old Malkin, the Hart Trophy Malkin, the Conn Smythe Trophy Malkin. If this is indeed a permanent transformation, the goals are going to come, and they are going to come in bunches.
I liked seeing Beau Bennett up with Crosby, I think there is some potential there. The chemistry isn’t magically going to take hold in just one game. I would like the Penguins to follow up with these lines going into the Capitals game on Wednesday.
I don’t know if Brian Gibbons is the answer to the Penguins 3rd line depth issues but you can’t take away his performance in his first ever NHL game. Gibbons did not let his opportunity pass him by as he took advantage of the Malkin feed and assertively deposited the puck in the back of the net on a nice one touch shot. Gibbons followed that up with an assist on the Brandon Sutter goal. Here was the nice parting gift he will leave with after playing in his first NHL game:
The Penguins who have scored their first career goals this season have had some good luck. I believe that each of them have either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin’s name on the goal puck as one of the players who assisted on the play. That certainly makes the moment even cooler for those guys.
The last positive I took from this game was the Penguins willingness to get in front of the net. It led to all 3 goals. Gibbons isn't the biggest guy on the ice but he got his butt to the net front area with his stick down and was rewarded. Brandon Sutter camped out right in front of Fasth and was able to tip a puck home. Chris Kunitz provided such a great screen on the Crosby goal that it should be used as an example of how to screen on goalie in a 'Hockey for Dummies' book. Basic hockey works at any level. The Penguins are at their best when they concentrate on basic hockey and sprinkle in their all world talent.
The Penguins will have one day to prepare for the Washington Capitals. Alex Ovechkin is playing lights out and the Capitals are hot on the Penguins trail for the Metropolitan Division lead.
Thanks for reading!
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