Penguins-Sabres: Pittsburgh Holds Buffalo From Playoffs

All the tangibles were in play for a Penguin loss: Crosby out from feeling some pain in his ankle, The Sabres on the edge of getting into the playoffs and the fact that the Penguins have never swept the Sabres since being in the league.

The Penguins came out slow with neutral play being the main play for the first four minutes. You wondered where the Sabres were and if the Penguins were still tired and sore from the game against the Capitals. With 16:46 left in the first the goal scoring broke open with Tyler Kennedy getting a breakaway, putting one by the left pad of netminder Ryan Miller. The Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres continued to get chances back in forth but to no avail for either team.

The second proved to be almost the same as the first but with goals by Jeff Taffe and Sergei Gonchar. Both were deflection goals Taffe’s coming off a shot by Sydor and Gonchar’s coming from a deflection off a skate of a Sabres. The play by the Sabres seemed to pick up in the second but they were having trouble getting it out of the zone and setting up cycles and power play opportunities.

Sykora opened the third period with a fantastic shorthanded goal to put the Penguins up 4-0. Conklin was putting up a stellar performance up to this point controlling rebounds and playing the puck well in the zone. Then Hecht got a lucky rebound and put it in with his backhand past Conklin. Watching the Penguins before you worried that they were going to go into a state of lackluster performance and play defense the rest of the period allowing the Sabres to come back. Paille then puts one in the back of the net from the left circle while the Penguins are on a Power play. Paille’s shorthanded tally puts the Penguins in a situation they have been in a few times during the course of the season where they have a good lead and it looks like anything could happen to it. Then Malkin and Minard both score goals within a 2 minute span putting the Penguins back up 6-2. Not more than a minute later Pailler gets a one-timer past Conklin giving the Sabres some hope still. But then Letang sealed the deal on a one-timer of his own.

Penguins win 7-3!

Extras: First time ever the Penguins swept the Sabres. Ryan Miller who has been solid for Buffalo was pulled and ex-Penguin Jocelyn Thibault went in giving up a goal on four shots. Laraque was given a five-minute game misconduct in the second period for an elbow. Minard’s goal was his first in the NHL.

The Three Stars: 3. Sydor 2. Kennedy 1. Gonchar