Pittsburgh, PA: It was hockey night in Pittsburgh with a metropolitan Division game between the New Jersey Devils (4-3-2) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (5-2-1).
It was the first Divisional regular-season game between the two teams since longtime Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur left.
Brodeur had a storied career with New Jersey from 1990 to 2014 and is now a full-fledged player after decades with the Devils Organization.
Nine seconds into the game, New Jersey left-hander Dainius Zubris scored the first goal of the game with help from Travis Zajac and Jaromir Jagr. Pittsburgh’s tying goal began with a one-on-one victory by Evgeni Malkin and subsequent defensive problems by the Devils.
The Penguins quickly took advantage of goalie Cory Schneider’s puck problems; under pressure from Pascal Dupuis, Schneider was pulled from the net and Pittsburgh took advantage of Blake Comeau by turning the puck into a net to tie the game by 1.
The Devils were unlucky again when a Zajac shot at the left post bounced past Penguins goalie Marc Andre Fleury at 10:08, causing a scrimmage for the net.
New Jersey had The man advantage at 13:29 After Pittsburgh hired Winger Steve Downie. Another post shot by the Devils resulted in a defensive kick by the Penguins after time had elapsed, and the two teams came back on a level playing field. After a penalty by Pittsburgh’s Simon Despres, the Devils came back at 18:43 with a power play. The first half ended with a score of 5-4, but the shots were 9-8 in favor of the Penguins.
With 43 seconds remaining in the scoreless power play, the devils were in control to start the second half. Pittsburgh’s Marcel Goc received a holding penalty seconds after when Zajac entered the Devils’ sin bin. The Penguins’ first standard power play unit, with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Patrick Hornqvist, Kris Letang and Chris Kunitz, failed to connect.
With a little speed, New Jersey’s Jakob Josefson checked the puck between Malkin’s legs for a breakaway, pushed the puck onto his backhand and lifted the cookie onto Marc Andre Fleury’s left leg to make the game 2-1. after, during a 3-on-3 spurt in the Pittsburgh net, a rebound from the goaltending legs of Tuomo Ruutu was exploited, making the score 3-1 in favor of the devils.
In the second half, the Penguins took a power play after Malkin was held by the Devils’ Damien Severson. At 7:21 a.m., the Devils were called too many men on the ice to send the Penguins 5-on-3. With the best power play in the NHL, it didn’t take long for Pittsburgh to take advantage of the two-man advantage, as Evgeni Malkin scored a Slapshot and made the game 1.
After a broken stick by the Devils and a twist in the Penguins’ defensive zone, a quick pass from Simon Despres found Patrick Hornqvist, and from the short side of Schneider’s glove, the equalizer went into the net. The match ended in 3 draws.
Pittsburgh players #72 Patrick Hornqvist and #71 Evgeni Malkin celebrate a goal at home against the New Jersey Devils. (Photo courtesy of Gene J. Puskar, AP)
At the end of an extended quarter in Pittsburgh, the referee asked Craig Adams to come in at 15:28. The Devils’ second unit consisted of Jaromir Jagr, Marek Zidlicky, Damien Brunner, Ryane Clowe and Patrik Elias. As time ticked down after the penalty, Pittsburgh’s Craig Adams jumped out of the box, made an escape through the Neutral Zone, wrapped himself around the front of the net and buried it on Schneider’s left shoulder.
A few minutes after, at 18:49, Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby scored with assists from Simon Despres and Chris Kunitz, making the score 3-5 in favor of the Penguins. The second half was exceptional in ice hockey, including a short-range breakaway, a 5-3 power play and a breakaway by a player coming straight from the penalty box. After 40 minutes of play, the shots counted in favor of Pittsburgh, 23-13.
At the start of the third half, Cory Schneider took a seat on the bench to make way for a goaltending change to Scott Clemmensen. The momentum remained in Pittsburgh as forward Brandon Sutter received a penalty for a hack in front of the New Jersey net. New Jersey’s Bryce Salvador entered the penalty box on third down with 3:41 to play. At 5:29, Pascal Dupuis sent a shot to a man advantage that passed the devils goalie to bring the Penguins total to 6 for the night.
New Jersey’s Tuomo Ruuto received a harsh penalty after being hit by Penguins defenseman Despres 6’4″. Ruutu responded by tripping a penguin forward. After a 1:51 penalty time for the Devils, another offense for too many men on the ice resulted in a 5-3 for the Penguins for the second time this game.
Slapshot after Slapshot hit the devils’ net as time ran out on the first of two penalties, but the Penguins weren’t done. Penguins forward Steve Downie hit a shot past Clemmensen, who scored 3 total goals in the third period. The final nail in the coffin came with a shot from Sidney Crosby, which brought the total from 7 to 8. Frustration finished the devils as Pittsburgh returned to another power play. Craig Adams and Zach Sill played in the bowling power play, which is rare because Adams is one of Pittsburgh’s most powerful penalty finishers. With this victory, the Penguins surpassed the Devils in the division standings.
The Penguins played a smart game after a reckless gift at the beginning, distributing the abundance of points to seven different players and showing their balance and ability to score in countless game situations. Captain Sidney Crosby scored two goals and leads the team with 14 points. The most notable player of the game was Pittsburgh defenseman Simon Despres, who collected two assists and closed down the devils’ offense after the first period of play. The next meeting of the two teams will take place on December 2, 2014.
