RECAP: Smash, Smash, Suh-mash. PENS WIN.

Posted by TPB Staff on Wed, Feb 6, 2013 8:00am.

Remember when the Isles walked into the CONSOLl last week and drubbed the Pens? Neither do we. The Pens snuck out of the shit-hole that is Long Island Tuesday night with a 4-2 win. All of a sudden, the Pens have won four straight.

Goals from Neal, Depres, and Suttertron led the way. Dupes sealed it with an empty-netter.

Biggest takeaway from this one was the penalty kill. They say your goalie has to be your best penalty killer, and Marc-Andre Fleury was exactly that. Having faced only 15 shots in his last start, he faced 16 shots from the Isles powerplay alone. It was almost meltdown city in the third, but the Pens kept it together.

Caps Thursday in CEC, then a big weekend against the Devils.

Recap:

FIRST PERIOD

The early moments of the game had the atmosphere of a Something Corporate concert.

Is there a reason Isles head coach,Jack Capuano looks like a villain from a Lifetime movie?

Marty Reasoner, who has been in the NHL for 2,000 years, took a penalty. Pens got an early PP, and Neal got an early PP goal.

1-0.

Right after that, Cooke terminated number Matt Carkner. Good hit. The Old Matt Cooke might have got rung up.

Story of the first was MAF shutting down the Isles. They had a ton of chances early and often, but MAF closed the door. Important game from him last night.

Later, Big Bortuzzo came flying through the zone and rang one off the pipe. Lovejoy vomited in the press box. Niskanen's impending return will make things interesting.

Craig Adams went to the box. Pens killed it. Tanner Glass saved a goal on MAF's doorstep.
Then Despres was going into the box. MAF was lights-out.

More penalties at the end. We've already lost track.

Glass and Martin fought:

Neal went to the box for some Care Bear penalty at the end of the period.

SECOND PERIOD

Pens killed the Neal penalty then got a PP. Crosby took a puck to the face. Scary moment. The Isles' fans were jeering him all the way to the locker room.

Respect that gray Pens coat Chris Stewart is wearing. Ballsy move going with khaki pants, too.

Here is what happened in the middle of the period:

Pens survived it all. And then got some shit going.

Despres started everything back in the Pens' zone. Kunitz is making all the right moves. He hits Depres coming in late. Great setup:

What hands by Despres.

2-0.

Strait held Sutter's stick to end the the second.

THIRD PERIOD

That penalty got killed, and the Isles looked to get some shit going.

But the Pens countered with a two-on-one with Cooke and Sutter.

Cooke slides a pass to Suttertron.

3-0.

Who wants to bet TK was calling for the puck the whole time?

Jack Capuano, your thoughts:

Also, did anyone else notice the shirtless guy handing out high gives in the crowd?

Yikes.

Isles didn't fold up, though. Before the Pens could even go into their shell, Grabner was on the doorstep.

3-1.

Right after that, Crosby got jobbed by Strait, saving a goal. No call. Isles go the other way. Boyes.

3-2.

Bylsma wisely uses the timeout. Nassau was rocking. No one had any idea where the game would go from there. The Pens generated some shit, and the Isles countered with some.

Things slowed down when the Isles started dropping like flies and Letang went to the box with about 6:20 left. Big kill there. World-class defense by Paul Martin. And money goaltending by Fleury.

Isles eventually pulled Nabokov, but they just had no gas left. Turnover in the neutral zone led to Dupuis putting the icing on the cake.

4-2. GAME.

MISCELLANEOUS

-- Brian Strait. We would look for his shortcomings in a Pens uniform. Now that he's in an Isles uniform, we can't stop looking at every solid thing he does.

-- Pens 4-0 with Big Bortuzzo in the lineup, or did we just make that up?

-- Quiet night from Malkin