-"I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night," was the song of the summer and still roams radio waves and bar scenes now. I think it's also what every Pens player listens to before they arrive at the rink. You can't stop the frake train that's coming down the hill at 300 mph, you just can't. Every forward, defensemen, and goalie (Fleury) is giving it 100% each shift. The Versus commentator pointed it out at 5-1 in the 3rd how Kunitz was diving to clear a puck out of the zone. How Rupp was finishing his checks hard on the glass and how Dupuis was backchecking and stealing pucks. This is desire, this is will, and this is fun, at least for the hometown Pens.
-The game was 0-0 11 minutes into the first until TK rifled a slapper from the left circle top shelf on goalie Mason. Kennedy leads the Pens with 5 goals and he has been a machine so far this season. Mckee jumped into the play and made a nice behind the back pass to a wide open TK. A minute and some later on the PP, Geno had 4 shots on goal until he finally wristed a shot past Mason for a 2-0 lead. In the 2nd period, Pens got another PP goal from the man who needed one badly, Fedotenko. Feds snapped a beauty of a wrist top shelf to the right of Mason for a 3-0 lead, wow was that disgusting. Feds might be coming out of his shell and that's scary if we see any sign of the playoff Feds.
-While the 3rd goal was being announced, Letang shot it on goal and it was deflected by grinder Matt Cooke for his 2nd goal of the year and the Pens 4th goal of the game. A little bit later that period Kariya deflected a shot past Fleury for 4-1, an ugly goal. There were a bunch of people screening Fleury and the puck took a weird bounce on the deflection, nothing you can do as a goalie. I was in the car during the announcement of the 5th goal by Gogo and Mike Lange said "You can buy Sam a drink and get his dog one too!" Amazing quote, i was dying. First of all who the hell is Sam and why is his dog drinking.? Gogo's goal was stoppable but new goalie Conklin (former Pen) looked rusty as the Blues already terrible night continued.
-The Pens outshot the Blues 20-3 in the 1st period. And 43 to 23 for the game. That's dominance. This is inspiring because the Pens haven't really been outshooting their opponents by wide margins like they did under Bylsma at the end of last year. They also haven't been scoring many PP goals, 20th in the league. But tonight they went 2 fot 4 on the PP and had some beautiful shots by Feds and Geno. Geno was on his game tonight, he had 12 shots and at least 3 of them could've been goals. Brian Engblom talked in the post game on Versus about puck persistence and how Geno and Sid hunt the puck and want it more than anyone else. Maybe that's why they're 2 of the 3 best players in the world? hmm, yeah maybe.
-Fleury wasn't tested much tonight but when he had to be he was there to save some quality chances. His rebound control is particularly impressive. He is scrambling to loose pucks so they don't come out, he is coming back to play pucks banged around the boards, and he is rushing the play when he can help his offense. Scoring depth, solid D, and superb goaltending were the story once again tonight. Good to see Feds, the PP, and TK get on the board. The black and gold have won 6 in a row and will be going for 7 when they face the Panthers Friday night at Mellon Arena.
-The bad news for the Pens has to do with Sergei Gonchar. Gonch left the game after the 2nd period and did not return. There are rumors that he has a broken wrist, fml. If that's the case he could be out for 4-6 weeks or 6-8 weeks like the Blues Alex Steen. Gonch is such a key player to the offense and the PP obviously. But with the way Tanger and Gogo have been playing, it wouldn't be as bad of a loss. Gogo stepped up in the absence of Gonch last season and he could do it again. Look for Skoula to be inserted into the lineup if Gonch's injury is as serious as it sounds. BTW, how bad was Sydor tonight for the Blues? He cleared that one puck right at Geno, a couple seconds, goal.
-Brian Engblom you have terrible hair again, Edzo you have a small double chin, and Keith Jones you've lost some weight, lookin' good.
-IN GENO MALKIN WE TRUST
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