Sunday Ice Time: Pens vs. Lightning

With tempers on edge most of the evening and something to prove to the Stanley Cup champs, the Lightning brought their game faces in front of their home (sell-out) crowd.  I was anticipating a battle all week when thinking about this game and it's 7 first or second round picks.  Plus, with Crosby, Malkin, and Stamkos on the ice at the same time, you never know what you are going to see.

This game did not disappoint.  It was faced paced, exciting, and had a playoff atmosphere.  In fact it was probably the closest thing to a playoff game the Lightning are going to see this year.   Great goals, hard hits, and some great goaltending...the game had it all.

On the opening shift of the game, Crosby was taken down by a Russian leg sweep applied by "repeat offender" Steve Downie (that was sarcasm in case you hadn't guessed).  Everyone knows Downie is a thug, just like Cooke is a thug, Carcillo is a thug, etc., etc.   I'm not getting into it again.  There is a target on the backs of every Penguin player now and Crosby almost became a casualty.  He went down in such an awkward posistion, I thought for sure his leg was broken.  Minutes later, he was back in the game. 

Shortly thereafter, Stamkos took a hard shot from Brooks Orpik into the boards and he went down in a heap.  Still, the show must go on.  He was back on the ice on the next shift.   

It was still 1-0 Lightning until the third period when Super Duper and Sarge both tallied within 3 minutes of each other.  The game winner was a power play goal with about 5 minutes off the clock in the third.  Fleury only faced five shots in the entire third period after the Pens turned on the trap game and played most of the remaining minutes in the Lightning's zone. 

For Pittsburgh, the win gets them 2 very needed points to stay up on the Devils in the division.  Of course it wasn't without a price.  Geno took a Letang slapshot off the foot and left the game in the second period.  He didn't return and the evaluation of him Monday showed no fractures.  No idea when he will be back.  I hope it isn't too long.

In unrelated news...OVECHKIN GETS A 2 GAME SUSPENSION FOR HIS BOARDING CALL.

Let the outrage begin!!