An Encore Performance?

Really this game needs no introduction as it will be the encore of what took place on Saturday night in Pittsburgh which was just a manhandling by the Stanley Cup champions. When the frustration began to boil over in that one though, the bad blood came to the surface and it will likely see some carry over into tonight’s contest at the Garden. As a result of some of the conduct Saturday night, the Penguins will be without tough guy Matt Cooke who was given a two game suspension by the NHL for his hit on Artem Anisimov in the 3rd period which provoked some fisticuffs and really got things escalating out of control in that one. That means that Chris Bourque will return to the lineup for the Pens after being a healthy scratch in the last contest. Even more personnel news for this game as Alex Goligoski will miss tonight’s game after not participating in the morning skate, but the Pens will welcome back the services of Jay McKee and his extraordinary shot blocking ability which should give a boost to the defense in its own zone.

Something that went unnoticed from Saturday’s game as a result of all of the testosterone flying around was the solid performance put in by Marc-Andre Fleury in combination with the offensive explosion by the Penguins. The eight goals was a season high for the team and hopefully is a sign of things to come from this dynamic offense that continues to get healthier. This one gets underway with some early chances for the Rangers on the doorstep by Marc Staal and Chris Drury both denied by Fleury and a reciprocated chance for Sidney Crosby on a breakout sails just over the shoulder of New York goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist as this one starts out with some fast paced action. Sean Avery is doing his best to be his usual pesky self in front of Fleury obstructing the view of the Penguins goaltender. Mark Eaton makes two fantastic defensive plays using his body to take the puck right off of the tape on two potential Rangers shots. Geno is really creating some great chances out on the ice with Bourque and Kris Letang as Evgeni Malkin is just chasing down loose pucks and making things happen for this line. Fleury has been on top of his game tonight as the game reaches the midway point in period one as he is moving side to side brilliantly staying in position for shot after shot. The first penalty of the game is called on Dan Girardi for tripping and the Pens will try to get things going early with the man advantage. The Rangers survive a flurry of chances for the Penguins first power play unit and following that opportunity things have started to heat up a bit with tempers beginning to flare.

The pace really slowed down toward the end of the 1st period as time expires on a scoreless first twenty minutes of action. A late undisciplined roughing penalty near the end of the period assessed to Donald Brashear of the Rangers followed by an interference call on Bill Guerin will have the 2nd period starting with over a minute of four on four hockey. No blood is drawn yet in despite all of the open ice to start the second frame, but Marian Gaborik sticks with the puck denied once by Fleury, but the rebound chance is lifted over the stick side into the top corner of the net to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. The lead is short lived however as the magical response right off of the faceoff by Crosby as he flies into the Rangers zone and nine seconds later lifts a brilliant backhander over Lundqvist’s shoulder to even this thing up at 1-1. Fleury is forced to deny a shot from Anisimov and then blockers away an attempt my Michal Rosival shortly thereafter. Jordan Staal wins a faceoff in the Rangers end and bulls his way to the net taking the puck with him creating a chance for Mike Rupp to bury it into the twine pushing the Pens out to a 2-1 lead. Lundqvist denies a two on one chance for Staal and Tyler Kennedy with a smart poke check play to prevent a shot from getting on net. A penalty is called on Vinny Prospal for tripping to give the Penguins another power play chance on which a variety of players pepper Lundqvist with shots but none of them get by him and the Rangers survive that barrage from the Pens. A breakaway for Staal draws a hooking call on Bobby Sanguinetti to put the same guys back out on the ice but the home team kills this one off as well. Sergei Gonchar is given a holding the stick penalty which will allow the Rangers a chance to end the period on a high note and they capitalize on a deflected Drury shot that ends up on the doorstep for Gaborik to convert his second tally of the night on a nearly uncontested shot to tie this one up at 2-2 heading to the final period.

This game has been highly entertaining with top quality goaltending and some excellent skating on both sides so it should build to an awesome finishing twenty minute sprint to the finish line in the 3rd. The Rangers get a nice opportunity to begin the third period of action as the familiar face of Avery throws a puck to the net that is fought off by the pads of Fleury. Kennedy never hesitates to send a puck for a ride as he blisters a slapper from the boards into the glove of Lundqvist. Mike Rupp takes a shot along the boards from behind by Girardi and appears to have injured his knee as Girardi is sent to the box for boarding giving the Pens another power play chance. The man advantage is short lived as the Pens return the favor with Malkin taking a hooking penalty leveling things at four on four. Everything emerges from all of the penalties calls unscathed as things begin to pick up steam with the verbal battles on the ice between Brooks Orpik and Gaborik evident every time the two come together. A beautiful save from Fleury playing out on top of his crease to challenge the blue line blast from Girardi and draw a whistle midway into the final period. Mike Rupp comes into the New York zone accompanied by two other Penguins and shows off some unheralded shooting skills flinging the puck precisely over the glove of Lundqvist into the net to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 advantage. That goal sets a new career high for Rupp with his sixth coming in the 2nd period this one gives him seven on the year. Fleury is called upon to make another quality save as Ryan Callahan gets a puck to the stick of Drury in front of the Flower who comfortably escorts it aside. Off of a faceoff win, the Pens go D to D and Eaton rips a shot from the point that gets deflected into the net by Crosby and finds its way into the net to give the Pens a 4-2 lead. Perhaps one of more improbable hat tricks that you will ever see as Lundqvist heads to the bench and Rupp blindly throws a puck down ice while getting crushed near his own blue line that finds the net. It goes without saying that this is Rupp’s first career hat trick and it comes on his son Mason’s birthday and on behalf of all Penguins fans, happy birthday Mason!

This win gives the Pens the sweep of this home and home exchange with the Rangers and pushes the Penguins ahead of the Washington Capitals for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Much like the other wins on the Penguins current five out of six streak, this one featured some clutch goaltending by Marc-Andre Fleury and a noteworthy performance from a role player in Mike Rupp. Pittsburgh really had the pace of game that they like to play tonight getting players up ice quickly and on the attack looking to strike quickly when heading into the zone. This will be the last road game for ten days as the Pens start the month of December on a three game home stand that will feature two of the top guns from the Western Conference later this week in the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday and the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Both of these games will be a nice litmus test for where the Pens stand against the upper echelon from the left coast.

Tags: Alex Goligoski, Artem Anisimov, Bill Guerin, Bobby Sanguinetti, Brooks Orpik, Chicago Blackhawks, Chris Bourque, Chris Drury, Colorado Avalanche, Dan Girardi, Donald Brashear, Evgeni Malkin, Henrik Lundqvist, Jay McKee, Jordan Staal, Kris Letang, Marc Andre Fleury, Marc Staal, Marian Gaborik, Mark Eaton, Matt Cooke, Michal Rosival, Mike Rupp, New York Rangers, Ryan Callahan, Sean Avery, Sergei Gonchar, Vinny Prospal, Washington Capitals