Crosby runs amok against Devils

November 29, 2008   ·   Hasan   ·   Jump to comments

With perennial nemesis John Madden missing a fourth straight game with an (ahem) bruised foot, the Pens’ Sid Crosby played like a kid excited about recess at school. 

Unlike the weaker opponents that have played the Devils recently, the Penguins had more than enough with Crosby and his partner in crime – Evgeni Malkin - to dismantle an overmatched Devils team 4-1 at the Igloo.  Dany Sabourin made 29 saves for the Penguins (who for the second straight year have seamlessly replaced an injured Marc-Andre Fleury) and Sabourin was rarely tested with high-quality chances while Scott Clemmensen stopped 31, but was undone by a couple of errant pokecheck attempts and some shoddy D.

In an indicator of what kind of night it was going to be, the Devils left Crosby all alone on an early breakaway, and while Clemmensen’s first pokecheck did keep the puck out it also left the netminder out of position for Crosby to get the rebound and backhand the puck in (all with his back turned to the net), giving Pittsburgh a lead 81 seconds into the game.

While the first goal set the tone, the second period is what really sealed the Devils’ fate on this night.  First came a power play goal by Petr Sykora after some nice passing from Tyler Kennedy – who slid the puck between the legs of a Devil defenseman – and Crosby, whose cross-ice pass found Sykora on the doorstep of the net for an easy tap-in.  Johnny Oduya going to the ice way too early also contributed to Sykora having all that room in front as the Penguins doubled their lead. 

Midway through the period came a decisive series of events.  First, a double roughing penalty on Matt Cooke and Jamie Langenbrunner where Cooke should have gotten an extra two for a late hit on Zach Parise by the boards, then on the ensuing four on four Clemmensen tried another ill-fated pokecheck after Barry Tallackson swung and missed trying to clear the puck, and just like that Crosby had his second goal of the night.

Despite the three-goal deficit, the Devils were game in the third period, and Mike Rupp scored his second goal of the season in the first couple minutes of the third to spoil the shutout.  However, the closest the Devils came to scoring after that was when Patrik Elias hit the post.  Being without Danius Zubrus for much of the third due to a stomach flu didn’t help the offense either, but really the Devils were just outtalented on this night.  Crosby sealed his second career hat trick with a late empty-netter.

BoNY Three Stars:

1. Sidney Crosby (hat trick, assist, +3)
2. Evgeni Malkin (two assists, +1)
3. Dany Sabourin (29/30 saves)