Malkin Leads–As The Penguins Down The Hurricanes
Last night we saw a great game. Playoff fever was at a high point and the energy in the Mellon Arena was electric. Pittsburgh downed the Canes 7-4 to give us a little more than a tight low scoring game which is usually expected in the playoffs. Pens super forward and Art Ross Trophy winner Evegni Malkin led the way with a hat trick en route to a 4 point night. Malkin so far has been the difference maker in this series. He creates so many scoring chances by himself that Carolina now feels that they have to try to shut him down as well as Sidney Crosby , the Penguins other super forward. I think the whole situation is funny considering that Malkin is also an MVP candidate. Crosby chipped in with a goal and an assist. It was his 13th goal of the playoffs which leads all scorers. However, Malkin leads Crosby by one point (25-24) for the most in 2009 postseason.
Carolina put up a valiant effort. They kept pace with Pittsburgh until Malkin took over. The Canes offense was well balanced getting goals from four different scorers, in the end though it was not enough. The Hurricanes’ Cam Ward allowed six goals — the most of his playoff career ( the 7th goal was an empty netter ). It was his 39th career playoff game and his previous high was four goals allowed. Before tonight’s game, Ward had never started and lost a playoff game with the Hurricanes trailing in a series. He had been 7-0 with a 1.41 GAA and two shutouts when his team trailed a series. He is now 5-2 in Game 2’s.
The series now shifts to Carolina’s home turf for game 3 on Saturday where the Canes are difficult to beat. If anyone is up to the task it is the Penguins young superstars. The Penguins are trying to become the first team since the 1984 Edmonton Oilers to lose in the Stanley Cup finals one season and win the Cup the next. The Penguins scored the most goals in a playoff game since they had seven on Apr. 13, 2000. Meanwhile, the seven allowed by Carolina was the most in a playoff since the franchise allowed seven against the Montreal Canadiens on Apr. 27, 1992 as the Hartford Whalers in Game 5 of the division semifinals.
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:24 am
As we all believed ,this series between Pittsburgh and Carolina will be a doozie. The scoring machine is alive in Crosby and Malkin. Whenever any of these 2 are on the ice, so many scoring opportunities present themselves. Cam Ward the Carolina goalie was in a most uncharacteristic way swamped last night. I’m sure he slept with flying pucks in his dreams. There were 42 shots on net as well as numerous blocked and wide shots. Where as Carolina came on strong in the 1st period, they tapered off in the last 2 periods, falling badly in the 3rd. Back to Carolina for the 3rd game on Saturday. With the home team fans behind them,the Hurricanes will be inspired and will probably shut down the Penguin’s scoring machine. I look for a completely different game 3 as compared to the previous 2 games played in Pittsburgh.