The NHL offices can rejoice once again as the Pittsburgh Penguins have advanced further into the playoffs. Of course, this means that the leagues best young talent in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still alive and able to entertain. The Penguins have only lost one game so far as it came against a desperate Ranger team down 3-0. Crosby and Malkin continue to lead the team in points, each with 14, which is tied second overall in the playoffs. Though the Penguins were once down 3-0 in the first game, they have been the superior team throughout the series and were able to advance, knocking of the New York Rangers in 5.
In Pittsburgh for game 1, the New York Rangers were the first to get on the board as Martin Straka scored on the power play 13:40 into the game. Though Pittsburgh out shot the Rangers, the game remained 1-0 heading into the second period. The Rangers opened up with two goals in the first three and half minutes of the second to take a huge 3-0 lead. Then the Penguins began to chip away at the lead. 8:13 into the period, Jarkko Ruutu scored to put Pittsburgh on the scoreboard. Only 14 seconds later, Pascal Dupuis put one in the back of the net to cut the lead to one for New York. Marian Hossa and Petr Sykora scored back-to-back goals in 20 seconds later in the third period to give the Penguins a 4-3 lead. Midway through the third, Scott Gomez shot the puck past Fleury and the game was tied once again. However, Evgeni Malkin tipped a Crosby shot past Lundqvist with a little over a minute to go, and Pittsburgh won the game 5-4.
Game 2 played out a bit more like many thought the series would, more physical and low scoring. The first goal of the game didn’t even come until 13:55 of the second period. Jordan Staal scored on the power play and Pittsburgh led 1-0. The shots remained pretty much the same the rest of the game as team had some chances and each team recorded 28 hits. But none of this was enough for New York. Adam Hall scored an empty net goal for Pittsburgh, and they won the game 2-0.
Back at Madison Square Garden for game 3, the Penguins continued their dominance. Marian Hossa scored 1:08 into the first period. After a Ranger goal by Straka, Georges Laraque scored his first goal of the postseason followed by another goal from Malkin. Pittsburgh led 3-1 at the intermission. Callahan and Jagr came back for the Rangers midway through the second as they scored two goals in a minute to the game for the rangers. However, Pittsburgh again broke through late in the period and in the third to capture another win, 5-3.
Game 4 was the only game where Pittsburgh was outplayed. A desperate Ranger team was fired up from the beginning. They were down 3-0 in the series and really had nothing to lose. Jaromir Jagr led the team when he scored the game’s first goal 12:45 into the second period. The Rangers outshot the Penguins 28-21 in the second and third periods and it paid off. Brandon Dubinsky scored 44 seconds into the third period to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. Jagr capped it off with an empty net goal with 14 seconds to go, and New York took it’s first game of the series, 3-0.
Returning to Mellon Arena for game 5, the Penguins could taste it, a chance for the knockout punch. Hossa scored on the power play midway through the second and Malkin added a goal of his own a little while later. The second period ended, and it was 2-0 Penguins. Even a two-goal lead in the playoffs is not safe anymore, as the Rangers proved so. Lauri Korpiskoski scored his first NHL goal just two minutes into the third period, energizing his Ranger team. A minute and 22 seconds later, Scott Gomez scored to tie the game. While there was no more scoring in the period, with 1:18 remaining in the period, Chris Drury took a four-minute high sticking minor. The game headed to overtime and it was all Pittsburgh. Though the Penguins didn’t score on the power play, the momentum carried over and the pressure got to New York. Marian Hossa scored the series clinching goal, his second of the game, 7:10 into the OT period, advancing the Penguins into the next round where they meet the instate rival Flyers.
more
