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Playing the Devils Not So Sabourin'g for a Change |
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On a day that we all ran through the streets screaming about how the Penguins sky was falling, Therrien, Sabourin, and the boys took us back to the stretch run of last season. They scored pretty goals, played tenacious D, forechecked, cycled and Dany Sabourin got his first career shut out.
No one around the organization seemed very happy with what was happening over the past couple weeks, especially with what had transpired during the current road trip. The team could have wallowed in self pity, but chose not too. The Penguins players had a closed door meeting in a Newark, New Jersey hotel room and it seems to have paid huge dividends.
The Penguins came out looking a lot like the team that was scoring loads of goals and bottling up the opposition last February. They were clearing pucks out of their own zone with regularity and their transition game was top notch. The forwards cycled the puck in the offensive zone as if they were a Red Army Team in the 1970's. The Devils could do nothing to get control of the puck.
The Penguins also outskated their opposition and kept their feet moving at all times, that translated into five New Jersey penalties. The Penguins were only able to cash in on one of their power play opportunities, but the power play generated many fine chances.
The amazing stat of the night was that the team produced four even strength goals! They created numerous scoring chances and chased Marty Brodeur, something that doesn't happen all that often.
Dany Sabourin played great...he has been on quite a roll, excluding the 3 goal stretch during the Colorado game. He was in great position throughout the game, took away shooting angles and his glove looked very sharp. This is the player that I bragged about after his signing back in July.
Everything clicked tonight...Brooks Orpik even did his best Nic Lidstrom impersonation. Let's hope that the Penguins signed more than a one day deal with the Devil, as things will get no easier during a Wednesday night match up with their cross state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers.
More tomorrow...
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