Covering: Rangers 2, Penguins 1

let. jeff. sing

Erm, pretty sure the series is 1-1, not 2-0 Rangers. As surprising as that is to everyone.

Let's hope the loose practice turns into game faces in an hour or so. Really like to see them play a solid 60 minute game at home. Oh and stay out of the F'n box!

Hey there! Checking in today from Paris! Real deal Paris France. Over here for work and hoping that I can last for the start of the game. Nice thing is that we don't start till 9 am tomorrow so thinking I might be ok.

Let's go Pens!

Outstanding!!

Just need traffic in front. Only way to beat Lundqvist cleanly anymore. Deflections are nice, but frustrating traffic would be nice to see.

As long as these boys keep showing all of us their huge heart and soul, and can put forth their best effort, then so can I. Keep the penalties down, the noise up, and ROCK CEC for the first time with a huge "W". GO PENS

VERY loud, proud start for the crowd. My goodness.

Come on cole

Power plays are 13-5 for New York in the series.

don't know why but I took Winnik, Fleury, Loevjoy and Malkin on my fantasy tonight.. Think the crowd will pump up MAF

Rangers will have the lead shortly if this keeps up.

Fleury standing tall early

Early going no contest: Rangers ALL over the puck, Penguins have yet to register a shot. Breakouts virtually nonexistent.

nice play scuderi

Wow awful line change

So 13-5 PP differential is -8 for the Pens.
I need our stats hounds to help me, but last time I checked, the Largest diff was -3 in any other series. Most were -1 or -2.
That's -1 or -2. Vs. MINUS EIGHT.

It is what it is, and what it is is BIAS.

Rangers take their third straight lead and we all saw that coming

Yay for no interference on Sid, and it's 1-0.
You go, refs.

Again. No call for interference. Sid got mugged for the 87th time this series. No call,

Someone needs take a piece of Hagelin. Not on purpose or anything, but get his attention.

The shear fact that we need an air horn to get the building involved states too many cocktail partiers and too few fans.

Bout time!

Team scoring the second goal has won the first 2 games

3 shots on goal.

Rangers looking like Presidents trophy winners so far - Fluery holding them in but only line with pressure is Sid's - Geno really poor period

Stanley cup contenders my rear.

Crosby with 5:47 thus far.
And I'll say it agains Scuderi needs to be in the press box. How obvious does it need to be?

At game. Really missing Pouliot puck moving and point play. Our D-men statues at points.

Pens being dominated

There's just something about Consol that seems to drain the energy from Pens.

I don't recognize this team from just two nights ago.

Pens are being shut down. The Rangers are dominating possession. I'm amazed it's only 1-0.

Pens got away with 2 penalties - even refs realize that Rangers don't need any more help tonight

Just need one goal to tip the scales tonight, just one. Beating the Rangers at home will do wonders against the prevailing funk of Consol and may give the underdogs -just- enough of a push to win this series. Right now home ice is a disadvantage ... need to turn it around tonight.

How about a shorthanded goal here?

So the game is half over in Pittsburgh has a grand total of five shots on goal. I haven't seen that few shots by a team since my eighth grade picnic

40 pens best skater tonight

Seriously, screw these refs. How was no hook called there?

Not our night

Yikes....

Thought that goal was just after the penalty expired? Thought they said Martin was out of the box?

No hook there.

Nope ref, nothing to see.

Lots of hooks being let go, they've called the cross checks though, totally awesome. Pens better get a goal really fast coming back from 2-0 in the 3rd is pretty much not gonna happen.

Scuderi and Martin both watch on Fluery's left and leave Kreider wide open. Pens not close to being up to the task tonight.

Wow NHL. It keeps getting worse. 40 was hooked. Plain as day.

Things are starting to get ugly now. Pens frustrated.

Aside from the refs, I'm really disappointed with the Pens effort tonight. They are getting owned.

Is any Penguin forward except Hornquist allowed to forecheck and take the body?

That's not a penalty? Best sport. Worst league.

Lindqvist flop

Nice flop Henrik.

Wow, McGuire is horrible. Nash made the Canadian team because of his defense? Take off the red, white and blue glasses, Pierre.

I feel like this game is over. What a letdown.

Henrik getting ready for an acting career with the dive.

We can't get worked up over this effort. The Pens are not very good and I am surprised they won a game. No speed.

I know we're all mad right now, but thinking good thoughts for the lady at PNC Park who got beaned tonight. Hope she's Ok.

Poor Geno. He really can hardly skate. I was hoping the couple days break would help, but whatever's wrong with him, it is significant. Back maybe?

I feel like I'm watching devils' hockey circa 1995. All progress made after the lockout has vanished.

Huge PP coming up. Make it count!

This would be a really good time to light the lamp

We got nothin tonight

Yoi and double yoi...

Zone entry nonexistent.

Pouliot anyone?

Pens' effort tonight brings to mind those carefree December evenings when the sting of a loss is deadened by the knowledge that about 50 games are still left in the season.

Not sure I have ever seen a team coming off of a big road win return home for their first playoff game and never have any kind of push. Kudos to Rangers for dominating this game from the opening face off.
Pens will do well to get this series to game 6.

Pens home crowd comes out loud, ready to blow the roof off...and they're greeted with sludging and 11 whole shots through 2 periods. Consol house of horrors continues...

Just don't have it so far. A period left, but hard to have faith. Hopefully a long series still.

This is a walk in Mellon Park for Lundqvist. Outside of Sid hitting far post, which Henrik had no chance on anyway, not a single tough chance.

And I mean ONE chance.

Please. Sit. Scuderi.

Disappointing effort from the Pens. Just no offensive pressure at all. Sids line and Lapierre short handed has been most of the offense tonight. Not good enough.

One team finishes their checks and goes hard for the puck. It's not us tonight.

Maybe I spoke too soon.

We're ahead ,right?
That's why NYR playing with such urgency since we're winning, right?

I'm usually not one for superstition but something is just not right with Consol. Seems to me that place was built against the whole aura of the steel city, nothing "blue collar" about that place ... it's tea and biscuits country club style. One look at the Flyers record at Consol points precisely to this point ... it's some bad voodoo Mario hoisted upon this city with the destruction of the igloo, of course IMHO.

I wouldn't shed a tear if the place collapsed in on itself tonight while we all slept.

Where was this effort the first two periods? Why did it take 2 periods to get it.

Pens doing a lot of backward skating tonight.

I guess they were happy and loose at the morning skate because they knew they only had to play 3 more games.

Tee times anyone?

Stuart

Rangers are just suffocating

They earned that goal that shift for sure dominated on that one

Halfway to our first 3rd frame comeback.

Great goal, nice the refs ignored the slash behind the net and Fast holding Crosby in front.

Man, if they can come back and win this....

9 shots this period

Surprised they didn't whistle Crosby for "hauling down" the Ranger who wouldn't let go of Crosby's stick.

It's certainly alive in the building now. Can the Pens get another one?

Cmon boys
Time for your 1st 3rd period comeback

Oh man, Rangers blocking everything

4 on 4 is entertaining. The NHL needs to do something to open up some ice.

Why did it take them so long to play with this sense of urgency?? Why why why?

Furious rally but not enough.

Great to see Hornquist go to Crosby's aid. Moore got his just rewards in that situation.

Gotta play 60 minutes boys

3 periods of play like that ... and the game would have been ours, easily. Let's bring it Wedsnesday, how 'bout it? Nothing much to lose now.

Is it just me, or is Lundqvist as big as the goal? I've always thought this about the guy. It's like trying to score against Jabba the Hut.

5th time in last 6 Ranger playoff games Pens register exactly a single goal and lose all 5. Tonight's game very reminiscent of game 7 loss last Spring. Pens have yet to register that singular playoff moment in CEC.

Losing sucks, but I'm proud of the way the Pens played after the first period. With a ridiculous number of injuries, especially on the blue line, they have nowhere near the talent to make a long run, but the team tonight fought hard and showed a lot more character and guts than they showed in the regular season in March and April.

You don't need two "superstars" to win in today's NHL. One off them has to go.

DK, don't let Mike Johnson off the hook, he is responsible for the terrible offensive, ask him what will change

They are ranked in top 10 in defense and bottom 10 in offense, you have to score, have to find medium. Don't believe Rutherford and Johnson are ones to do it

I would like to know Syd and Geno's real thoughts

Playoff Hockey...Priceless..Ya cliched and corney..love it.
Ya the Rags dominated most of the the game but, hey they are the Pres Cup weinners, lowly 8 seed should not have a chance, right.
Pens never quit... this ain't over yet.

I want to see more dump and relentless forecheck and creating net front havoc. That's when this team is at their best and it showed in the 1st and 3rd tonight. Pens played tough and are showing great character - if they keep it up it's anyone's guess how this series plays out.

Pens have been the same since 1989 In playoffs. To win they have to score. 2009 was the only year they won low scoring games. That's three 2-1 losses to Rangers in last 4 playoff games.

this was a game where you need a dman like letang.

Pens left everything on the ice. We've had a rough start to every game but have come one stronger each period. Nothing to be ashamed of that's for sure. I thought Dumoulin and Chorney played well. Dumoulin especially seemed very poised and effective skating the puck out of his own end. Hornqvist is a man among men. Crosby was awesome, inspiring, and did a great job of leading this team back from the abyss tonight

Next time don't wait until the 3rd period until you try to score.

1. 3 cross checking penalties tonight. So from slashing to cross checking.

2. MAF is better goalie, King Henry cannot handle puck at all.

3. We simply cannot score. Saad is RFA, find a way.

4. I don't get no Sid and Geno on 4 on 4. But I can' fault HCMJ too much. It is obvious this group of players does not care who coaches them. Every night a new player takes a dumb penalty. Is there a solution?

I'm so proud of the crowd. I live in Michigan so I'm unable to attend.

Two four on fours and no Sid and Geno. Obviously, coach doesn't believe in firing all his bullets.

This team is God awful on home ice in the playoffs the last 5 years you cannot have a sub
.500 home playoff record. Not to mention multiple game 7 home losses

Pens should be ashamed of the way they played in the first two periods. Dumb penalties and an overall lack of effort. 3rd period was a different story. We need that all the time. No moral victories though. We still lost at home. That being said, both Rags goals came on blatant penalties that get called every time. I'm sure, as usual, no one will be held accountable in this league.

Waiting to see if DK let's Johnston off easy

It really is amazing, statistically speaking, that the Pens have not won a game after trailing the first 2 periods.

That isn't a good omen to winning this series.

To those questioning the crowd, Phil Borque just said it was one of the best crowds EVER.

I don't necessarily agree with everything Johnston has done as HC but blaming him for being down 2-1 to the Presidents Trophy winner with 3/4 top D-Men on the shelf, including a Norris candidate, isn't fair. Malkin has 3 assists, no goals, and is -9 in his last 13 games. He's obviously not healthy either. They're doing what they can against a good team that's getting away with Redwing style interference every night. People need to be somewhat realistic.

It doesn't even feel like I'm watching playoff hockey...Wilkes Barre v NY....a joke...

The Pens are really struggling making and taking passes - except for game 2 it has been that way for months. It is just who they are now, they just dont have the skilled players throughout the lineup to play that way anymore, but they do have the size to cause issues for the smallish Rangers. For example, they are trying to make precision passes up the middle if the ice in their own end and they are a little off and the Rangers are keeping possesion time and time again. They need to get the puck off the wall, and find a away to work the puck down low in the Rangers end. The Rangers D appear to be vulnerable from behind the goal line. If the Pens keep it simple and work low to high in the offensive zone they can win this series.

Last time I heard, it takes 4

Lazy sloppy line changes have really hurt this team