ThinkPenguins.com

Game 23 - Pens 4, Devils 1 - Hat Trick For Crosby!

November 29, 2008 – 11:00 pm | by Bob Buskirk

First Period

Crosby takes a bouncing puck into the Devils zone, he tries to get around a Devils defenseman and does. The puck gets poke-checked off his stick but then he does a spin-o-rama and puts it home. 1-0 Pens. Great way to start the game!

Malkin comes into the Devils zone and gets around a Devils defender. The Devils takes a penalty, pens on the power play. The pens get a few chances but the Devils kill off the penalty.

Sykora takes a penalty, devils on the power play. The devils power play looks solid, they are passing great, but they just can’t convert. Towards the end of the power play they take a high sticking penalty, 4 on 4 for 20 seconds. Crosby breaks the devils defense again, he goes for the 5 hole, save Clemmensen. The pens are cycling the puck great on the power play, Goligoski rings one off the post. Pens don’t convert on the power play.

More back and forth action, game seems to be slowing down.

Malkin comes down into the pens zone, makes a sick pass to Sykora, save Clemmensen.

Crosby comes into the devils zone 1 on 4 he does a sick spin-o-rama and gets a backhander on net, Clemmensen makes the save.

Looks like Staal got slashed during a faceoff, he goes to the bench in pain, hopefully he is ok.

Staal is back on the ice, which mean he isn’t injured. Malkin comes swooping into the devils zone, he drops the pass back for Fedotenko and he puts it on net, Clemmensen makes the save. The Malkin-Sykora-Fedotenko line looks really good so far.

Eaton takes a holding penalty, devils on the power play. Devils are not doing much on the power play. The period ends, devils will have 32 seconds on the power play to start the second.

Second Period
Pens kill off the remainder of the devils penalty.

The devils are getting a lot of the pressure on the pens.

Goligoski goes down to take get a dump in he falls violently into the boards. The ice is really bad tonight.

The devils come into the pens zone they take a shot and the rebound comes out and they try to put it home but Sabu is solid.

Parise takes a penalty, pens on the power play. Pens win the faceoff, somehow Malkin keeps it in, he passes it to Kennedy, he makes a sick pass to Crosby, Crosby walks in and makes an even better saucer pass to Sykora, he puts it in the open net. 2-0 Pens. Great tick-tack-toe play.

Parise shoots the puck into the pens zone, Cooke comes over like a freight train and destroys him, he flies into the devils bench. Devils go right after him. Offsetting penalties occur, 4 on 4 action. Malkin gets checked pretty hard by Parise, he gets up and comes into the devils zone. A Devils defenseman fans on a clearing attempt, Malkin dives for the puck it goes right to Crosby and he puts it in! 3-0 Pens!

Pens come down on a 2 on 1 Staal fakes a shot and then passes it over to Kennedy, he shoots it just wide.

Devils take another penalty. Pens on the power play, the power play looks solid, pens getting a lot of shots.

Cooke takes a penalty, devils on the power play. Elias shoots one off the crossbar. Pens kill off the penalty.

The Devils put it infront of the net, it deflects off sonmeone in front and hits off the post. A scrum ensues.

Crosby comes down on a 2 on 1, he goes for the shot but Clemmensen makes the save.

End of the second.

Third Period
Pens can’t get the puck out of their own zone, Scuderi tired to get it out but the puck is bouncing around. Rupp takes the puck and takes a quick wrist shot and it beats Sabu. 3-1 Pens.

Rupp and Crosby get tangled up, we think its going to be fight #2 for Crosby but not much comes of it. Rupp and Crosby both go off for roughing. 4 on 4 action. Staal goes around 3 devils he comes towards the net and he passes out front but no one is there. The Devils take a holding penalty, 4 on 3 power play for the pens. The Devils get a 3 on 1, Malkin goes to take the puck carrier and the center ice is wide open, 2 devils decide to get off the ice and change. No clue why they wouldn’t go down on the 3 on 1. The Devils kill off the rest of the penalty.

The devils are picking their game, getting a lot more chances.

Letang shoots the puck into the stands, thats a penalty, devils on the power play. The devils get a few chances but the pens kill off the penalty.

The pens are killng time off the clock, not much time left in the game. The devils are pressing really hard but the pens are playing solid defensively.

The devils pull their goalie, the puck comes into the neutral zone, Crosby chases after it, he gets hooked up and falls on the ice, while on the ice he puts the puck in the net. THAT’S A HAT TRICK! Mellon area goes crazy! 4-1 pens!

Time runs out, Pens Win!

Game Thoughts
What a bounce back from last nights game! Tonight Sid was the star with a hat trick and 4 points in the game. He was amazing tonight! The Pens were able to convert on the power play but it still needs work. I was also very surprised that the pens did not let the Devils come back in the third. The Pens have been notorious for that and they played just last night so I was concerned if they were going to be able to put in the full 60 minutes. They did and tonight’s game had to be one of the best efforts we have seen all season. With both Crosby and Malkin playing the way they are the scoring race is going to be a fun thing to watch as the season moves on. The Pens don’t have a game till Wednesday where they will face off against the red hot Rangers.