Pens Vs Sens Grades

Mike Adams | Report Cards

Dec 24, 11:37 AM | Hype this story!

Pens topple the Sens
Geno snaps out of his slump
And does it in style

Offense: A

The Pens had the transition game firing on all cylinders. It seemed like every time Ottawa tried to pinch a defenseman, the puck ended up in their net. The Pens made them pay for every mistake. Pascal Leclaire had to be wondering why he picked this game to come back.

Defense: D

On the other hand, the only thing the defense did right was get the puck out of the zone on occasion. Ottawa racked up 36 even strength shots. In the first period especially, they just peppered Fleury with one great chance after another.

Yeo Play: A

Wow, so that’s what a great power play looks like. Three goals in one game? Really? Geno made like Ryan Whitney sneaking in the back door for one, and Guerin notched a couple right in front. I questioned earlier why it was Guerin in front and not Kunitz. I guess they answered me.

Penalty Kill: A-

There were a few good chances, but Fleury stopped all of them.

Goaltending: A

Marc-Andre bounced back from his terrible showing against the Devils with an absolutely scintillating performance. When your team wins 8-2 and you’re the number one star, that says it all. He kept the Pens in it by withstanding the Ottawa assault in the first period. This game takes a totally different path if he doesn’t stone them early. And he was just brilliant all night long. He did to Ottawa what Brodeur did to the Pens the other night—he got inside their heads.

Overall: A

It was as if the Pens wanted to wish their fans a Merry Christmas. They gave them eight beautiful gifts. Stunningly, the Pens had not beaten Ottawa in regulation at Mellon Arena in over eight years. But they blew the doors off that one.

And now, the rest of the story…

Sid: A

But he was only the fifth best Penguin last night.

Geno: A

Three goals. He was dominant every time he stepped on the ice. His best performance in many a moon. This is why I get on him sometimes. I know he capable of so much more than he sometimes shows.

Bill Guerin: A

You had to love the crowd cheering for him to get the HT.

Chris Kunitz: A

H’s officially recovered from the injury. And he sure seemed to like playing with Geno and Guerin.

Craig Adams: C

How you end up -1 in a game like this is beyond me. But he upped his grade by nailing the Diving Whining Choking Dog and knocking him out for a few weeks.

Jordan Staal: A

Maybe he should wear the shield all the time. That pass to set up the Fedotenko goal was the best I’ve ever seen him make.

Ruslan Fedotenko: A

Welcome back to the scoresheet.

Matt Cooke: F

He should have accepted Donovan’s challenge to fight. I’m guessing that what “The Code” would tell him to do. if you injure a guy with a questionable hit and he challenges you about it, you should be brave enough to stand up for yourself. The game was already out of hand at that point, so it’s not like he would risk a momentum shift.

Striped Buffoon Huh? Call of the Game

What the heck is a Chris Ciamaga and what was he doing calling coincidental penalties on Rupp and Neil? Neil had the original, then he slashed Geno. Rupp just goes by to talk to Neil, and they both end up with two minutes.

Icehole of the Game

They played Ottawa. Do I even have to say who it is? He was mighty brave last night, running one guy after another. Oh, gee, I guess it was because Godard wasn’t in the lineup. He felt he could take liberties all night long with no fear of getting his ugly mug beat in. At least Rupp tried to curtail his festivities by taking him on.

Monk Moment

I give it to Staal’s pass.

A guide to the game grades can be found here.

Comments

  1. TheOneAndOnlySurge

    Dec 25, 02:12 AM

    Cooke shouldn’t of fought Donovan at that point. The game was 2-1 at that point, far from out of hand. Had he fought him there could of been a bad momentum shift.

  2. DaBich

    Dec 25, 07:02 PM

    What a showing by Geno! Way to get back on the scoresheet.
    I can’t stand the diving whining choking dog…glad he got his…YAY!

  3. Mike Adams

    Dec 26, 11:29 AM

    Surge,

    The game was indeed out of hand. The incident I refer to happened at 8:11 of the third period, when it was 8-1.

  4. sina220

    Dec 26, 12:11 PM

    Good read as usual Mike, but I think I’ve got to agree with Surge about the Donovan thing. The hit was knee on knee but I don’t really think it was intentional and obviously neither did the NHL. Cooke, being a multiple knee’r, wasn’t suspended by the league even though that was at least his 2nd or 3rd knee on knee incident and he’s had prior suspensions. I can’t remember for sure but I don’t think he even was issued a penalty on the play. If the league thought for one second Cooke did it intentionally he’d have been suspended instantly, probably 3 games. No suspension for a player who’s had priors should tell you all you need to know about the play.

    I do however think maybe Cooke should have accepted, not to oblige donovan, but to pummel him for trying to run Fleury. Donovan and Neil both should be the iceholes of the game.

  5. Mike Adams

    Dec 26, 12:48 PM

    This actually makes for an interesting discussion. The way I see it, Cooke injured Donovan with a check. The league decided it was legit. So let’s say it was. When Donovan comes back and wants to just settle the score, I think Cooke should man up and oblige. I really do want to read the book The Code. I can’t say for sure what it would say, but my guess is it would say Cooke should drop ‘em with Donovan. From what I saw of Donovan when he played here, he’s a stand-up guy. he’s not dirty or anything. He’s just a good old fashioned hockey player.

    So I say let them fight and be done with it. Now it’s going to linger and spill over into the next game.

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