Pens fall to Sens 4-1 : Recchi runnin his mouth
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by FrankD
12.13.07
More at http://pensburgh.blogspotcom
Pens fall to Sens
Coming off the recent loss to Philly, Pittsburgh was hoping to turn things around with a solid win in front of the home crowd tonight. That unfortunately, was not the case.
The first period was phenomenal on both ends, especially for the Pens. Knowing the offensive powess of the Senators, the Pens did a great job of controlling the neutral zone and keeping the puck out of their own zone. Unfortunately, they were unable to convert on any of their chances - and they sure as hell had enough of them.
The second period turned things around a bit, with Tyler "John F." Kennedy threading a backhand shot into the thread coming off a Malkin to Gerber rebound. The Senators didn't wait long to retaliate, striking back under two minutes later with a Dany Heatley laser.
At the end of the second the score was notched at one a piece. This would unfortunately mark the end of the Pens' scoring.
Third period scoring in a nutshell - Spezza, Heatley, Spezza (empty net).
Final score; 4-1.
The Pens bombed on countless chances, especially from Jordan Staal and Captain Crosby. Crosby easily had a chance to score at least two goals, but Gerber had his number on the night. Despite his two assist effort in the Flyers game, Crosby has only registered a point or more in one of the last four games.
Jordan Staal was completely destroyed throughout the night. I've never seen the kid rocked that hard before. Considering the team can't use another injury, it was good to see him get up after every trip to the boards. Of course, some might argue promoting a minor leaguers in Staal's position might not be a bad idea.
Danny Sabourin was solid in net, despite the final outcome of this game. The defense collapsed on the penalty kill, allowing two goals on three chances. It's not to say the Senators power play is subpar, but I expected a better performance from the PK units.
Recchi runs his mouth
Mark Recchi has been quoted in Atlanta papers as being bitter about the ties between him and the Pens. He was recently quoted in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review as saying, "They'll see," Recchi told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I didn't get 68 points for no reason last year."
As the paper said, and I and many fans around the Pens' world will agree, that reason was Sidney Crosby.
Of course Recchi also notched two goals last night in his debut with the Thrash. He's on pace for 50 points at best.
Recchi was a highly respected player in the Penguins community. His charity work with fans and his respectable nature on and off the ice for the team as a whole was something that allowed Pittsburgh fans to wish him all the best after his time in town. I personally even said I was happy to see him get with a big club in his last season, rather than go out with a minor league affiliate.
But now, I can honestly say, my opinion has changed.
It's a shame Rex. I enjoyed your time in Pittsburgh. When I look back on some of the fonder memories of the team, your 500th goal comes to mind. I was happy to see you achieve that milestone with the same team that brought you into the league, the same team you played with on three separate occasions. But now - now I look forward to the Pens paying you a visit on January 12. I hope your buddy Gary rocks you out.
