GTOPG: When you play 1/3 of the game, you get 1/3 of the points; Pens lose 3-2

By Finesse

Good news and bad news.  The good news is that the Pens were non-existent for 2 periods, but still managed to eek out a point against a solid Blues team.  The bad news is that the Pens looked horrendous in the process, and never more horrendous than during the first period where the Pens were outshot 13-4 and almost set the franchise back 10 years.  Of course that's hyperbole, but I was at the game, and it was abysmal.  Imagine going to a golf tournament expecting to see Tiger Woods, and you actually see Tiger Woods, but then quickly realize he sucks now and you're going to spend the next 4 hours on your tippy-toes behind 10 rows of wealthy 55-year old white guys in khaki shorts yelling "in the hole!" and talking about Amen Corner while watching Tiger shoot 74.  It was nothing like that, but that would be bad.

Some notes on the game, after the jump ....


- Though Crosby was nowhere near as dominant in this game as in his first game, I came away as encouraged as ever because I was not holding my breath every time he got hit.  The forrest through the trees right now is his overall heath and ability to absorb contact; whether he is scoring is a distant second.

- Speaking of him scoring, he unleashed a backhand shot at one point that made Al Iafrate question everything about his own existence.

- In person, there is no more physically impressive player than Evgeni Malkin.  He is bigger than almost everyone on the ice but also so much more graceful.  It's like Ray Lewis performing The Nutcracker, only with less shameless self-promotion and monopolization of camera time.

- The piling on against Paul Martin continues, and there's no question that he was off his game (again) last night.  But he still wasn't our worst defenseman last night.  That honorable distinction goes to Kris Letang.

- Nevertheless, Artistry believes Martin may need a night off.

"Paul, this isn't a period. It's a dot dot dot."

- A reemphasis on the good news: The Pens played HORRIBLY in the first two periods, but still almost won.

- Brooks Orpik was a Larry Murphy-Ulf Samuelsson hybrid, patrolling the offensive zone blue line and punishing helpless Blues.  His best game of the season, by far.

- Too many bystanders last night.  Kunitz was invisible, and Staal restarted his Campaign Against Offensive Creativity.  I feel like I'm being negative right now.  I love Kunitz and Staal.

So soft. So invisible.

- I'm in the building again on Friday.  Geno hat trick.  Take it to the bank.

- Happy Thanksgiving from the GTOG family!