Sens v Pens in Stockholm - game the first

(Updating will occur during period breaks)

Period 1

Pittsburgh scored a shite goal, Gerber should've been all over that. Luckily he recovered, because he's been absolutely crucial... what's the deal with the Ottawa penalties!?!?!

We've taken 5 penalties in the first period. 10 minutes of penalties!!! Fuck!

Donovan's goal to tie was pretty decent, another case of weak goaltending but it'll do.

This is hilarious to watch: the rule where they changed the location of the faceoff when a penalty is called. The commentators don't seem to understand the rule in a 4-on-4 situation, nor do the refs, players or coaches. And hell, we don't have a fucking clue either.

Jarkko Ruutu has won me over, his play's been tenacious but not douchebaggy. Volchenkov's been throwing his weight around, and the top line (in the few times they've all been on the ice) have been clicking. That said, I still worry about putting the three of them on the same line, full-time.

More to come at the second intermission.

PS: Watching the CBC first intermission -- Mike Milbury has his tongue so far up Sidney Crosby's ass it's unbelievable. HEY MIKE! There's more players on the ice than the boy from Cole Harbour. We know he's good, so stfu. It's now been 5 minutes of talking abouy Sidney. Even when they're talking about Gonchar's injury... it goes back to Sidney. Fuck.

Period 2

Ottawa seems to have worked out its defensive problems. Killed off all the penalties in the first, and they're dealing with all kinds of pressure from the Pens without a huge amount of problems.

Kuba's dump-in hits Neil and goes right to Malkin... unforch. Unforch-er, beauty of a move by Malkin, Gerber can't get his pad all the way down and an annoying fucking SH goal to score.

Heatley seems to be shooting a lot more... if he could get some more on target it would be nice, but the Pens are giving him a lot of attention, he's finding all kinds of space on the ice. Alfie seems really tired, he's not showing much intensity.

Fleury's rebound control is fantastic. Even when he doesn't swallow up the puck, he pushes the puck to where there's no one in a red shirt, it's really impressive.

Heatley just took a really stupid penalty. The commentator made the comment and it was a solid observation, since scoring, Malkin's been fantastic. This PK is gut-check time.

Pittsburgh is getting really hard pressure, even after the PP ended, this is really unpleasant. For the 10 seconds Ottawa will get on the attack, Pittsburgh will have a minute. It's very, very unpleasant.

Chris Neil is a beast, smashign the shit out of Cooke then forcing Godard into taking an incredibly dumb penalty. Nice one. But the powerplay is about as successful as the rest of their play, no sustained press...

NICE! Heatley scores off a Spezza pass, beauty goal on the PP. Thanks Neiler for forcing that penalty! 2-2

SPEZZA SH goal. GORGEOUS! Fuckin' beauty, goodness gracious. Flew down the right wing, pause, pause, pause, defenseman down and a beauty wristshot over Fleury's glove. Beauty. 3-2. Pittsburgh has now gone 14 minutes on the powerplay without a goal, about a minute of that 5-3. That's just poor.

Period 3

Elliot Friedman made Sidney Crosby human in an taped interview shown during the period break. ♥!! THANK YOU CBC ZOMG LULZ! Fuck off.

Sens start the period 5-3, and were it not for a huge diving pokecheck from Alfie, it would have been unfortunate. Oh, another chance from Pittsburgh. FUCK! Come on!

For me, the Neil-Ruutu-Foligno line has been Ottawa's best. They sustain pressue, keep the Pens in check, and have been absolutely shutdown in defense.

Fuck, Crosby puts a perfect pass on Scuderi's stick and he scores... Gerber lets in his second softy of the game. My confidence is waning quickly. That was Scuderi's first goal in 95 games.

(Sorry I was ordering food)

Vermette seems adamant to keep trying these wraparounds, the Pens are starting to predict it.

I wish Ruutu's last name started with a W, so we could call Neil, Foligno and Ruutu the NFW line... NO FUCKIN WAAAAY! Foligno has just drawn a penalty for holding on Chris Letang, putting the Sens back on the powerplay. This is the third penalty this line has drawn, I like it.

VERMETTE JUST THREW A HUGE HIT! Holy shit! Letang lost his stick, he's shaken!!! Sorry, it wasn't a huge'y game-changing deal... other than the fact that VERMETTE JUST THREW A HUGE HIT!!

Though I like Ruutu now, that little dive after the slash to the hand was ridiculous and excessive. There was absolutely no need to fall there.

Neil lays out Cooke to end the game - 3-3 the score, we're going to OT folks!

OT

Tenacious play form the Sens, they're not looking for a shootout they want to end this now. Voracious forecheck and quick turnarounds, the play is almost exclusively in the Pittsburgh end.

Spezza's passes have been very poor.

Kenneddy catches Ottawa's defense on the change, Spezza trues to beat 4 guys in the d-zone, loses the puck, and there was an open walk on goal and an incredibly light goal in OT to give Pittsburgh the win. Gerber and Spezza have been very poor.

That's the game - 4-3 Final. No guarantees with a "live"-blog tomorrow, but I'll probably do a game recap.

Jason Spezza somehow got second star. Wait, CBC fuckup - Dany Heatley is second star. Makes more sense.