Penguins/NHL
Post-Game Player Reports
Game 17 Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Flyers 6 @ Penguins 5
Centers
Sidney Crosby| 1 Assist, -3 rating, 4 SOG, 1 GV, 27:00 TOI 21 FW – 7 FL, 75%
Earned his 25th point of the season tying Thomas Vanek for the league lead and was excellent again in the faceoff circle, winning 21 draws, including 9 of 12 offensive zone draws. Crosby has won 233 faceoffs this season. Crosby though was on the ice for 4 even strength goals against.| Grade: C | Season Stats: 7 G – 18 A – 25 Pts – +8
Evgeni Malkin | 1 Goal, 1 Assist, -1 rating, 5 SOG, 4 PIM, 1 Hit, 21:30 TOI, 7 FW – 3 FL, 70%
It was a promising offensive night for Malkin who was shooting the puck very well with a lot of velocity but his night will be remembered for letting the Flyers get under his skin. Malkin now has 30 penalty minutes on the season and three quarters of those penalties have been undisciplined ones. | Grade: C+ | Season Stats: 4 G – 16 A – 20 Pts – -3
Brandon Sutter | 1 Goal, +2 rating, 5 SOG, 2 TK, 12:46 TOI, 8 FW – 7 FL, 53.3%.
Sutter had a strong game, causing traffic in front on Matt Niskanen’s opening goal and had his signature moment as a Penguin tying the game at 5-5 late in the third period with a beautiful wraparound goal . Grade: B | Season Stats: 4 G – 3 A – 7 Pts – +4
Joe Vitale | 0 Points, -1 rating, 1 BS, 1 HIT, 6:19 TOI, 5 FW – 1 FL, 83.3%
Had limited ice time and was on the ice for one even strength goal against but again was excellent in the faceoff circle,. winning 5 of 6 draws. Vitale is 86-46 (65%) on the season. | Grade: C| Season Stats: 0 G – 2 A – 2 Pts – -3
Wingers
James Neal | 1 Goal, 1 Assist, -1 rating, 3 SOG, 1 BS, 2 PIM, 2 Hits, 20:23 TOI
Neal picked up his league leading 8th power play goal of the season with a booming shot past Bryzgalov, giving him 12 goals on the season, tied for the league lead. Neal, though, like Malkin continues to be plagued by undisciplined play. Grade: C+ | Season Stats: 12 G – 4 A – 16 Pts – -7
Beau Bennett| 0 Points, +1 rating, 8:03 TOI
The training wheels are still on for Bennett as Bylsma continues to manage his ice time very closely. Bennett had just 13 shifts, including 4 shifts in the second period. When he’s on the ice, he’s doing the little things well and had traffic in front on Niskanen’s goal, a shot from the point.| Grade: C| Season Stats: 0 G – 0 A – 0 Pts – +1
Chris Kunitz | 0 Points, -3 rating, 3 SOG, 2 Hits, 1 GV, 19:24 TOI
A minus-3 night for Kunitz Grade: C-| Season Stats: 6 G – 13 A – 19 Pts – +8
Pascal Dupuis |0 Points, -3 rating, 3 SOG, 2 Hits, 17:29 TOI
Held pointless and a minus-3 on the night. Grade: C- | Season Stats: 7 G – 5 A – 12 Pts – +4
Matt Cooke | 1 Assist, +2 rating, 2 PIM, 18:46 TOI
Is being more of a factor offensively of late with an assist and +2 rating but in a high intensity game, Matt Cooke had no hits and played nothing like an agitator, which is a thing of the past for him. That’s not a good thing for this hockey club. | Grade: C | Season Stats: 2 G – 4 A – 6 Pts – 0
Tyler Kennedy | 1 Goal, +3 rating, 2 SOG, 1 GV, 7:48 TOI
Although his puck management was poor at times, the stat sheet looks very good for Kennedy, picking up a goal and +3 rating in just 7:48 of ice time. The Penguins hope this game will jumpstart Kennedy. Kennedy is a +5 in his last 11 games| Grade: C+ | Season Stats: 2 G – 1 A – 3 Pts – +1
Tanner Glass | 0 Points, -1 rating, 9 PIM, 6:37 TOI
Continues to make his presence felt physically but what’s up with the classy fights?| Grade: C | Season Stats: 0 G – 0 A – 0 Pts – -4
Craig Adams | 0 Points, -1 rating, 2 PIM, 7:35 TOI
His penalty late in the second period, led to a Flyers power play goal. Grade: D | Season Stats: 2 G – 1 A – 3 Pts – 0
Defensemen
Kris Letang| 1 Assist, even rating, 3 SOG, 1 BS, 2 PIM, 1 hit, 28:20 TOI
Logged a team-high 28:20 of ice.| Grade: C+ | Season Stats: 3 G – 9 A – 12 Pts – +5
Robert Bortuzzo| 0 Points, even rating, 8:59 TOI
Was a quiet game for Bortuzzo from a physical standpoint.| Grade: C | Season Stats: 1 G – 1 A – 2 Pts – +4
Matt Niskanen | 1 Goal, -2 rating, 1 SOG, 20:03 TOI
Picked up a goal but was a really rocky game for Niskanen defensively who was on the ice for three even strength goals against.| Grade: D+ | Season Stats: 2 G – 2 A – 4 Pts – -3
Paul Martin | 3 Assists, even rating, 1 SOG, 24:29
Martin picked up 3 assists for his first three point game since February 11, 2009 and he was excellent again running the point on the power play. But, defensively he had one of his poorest nights of the season. The Flyers came hard at Martin on the forecheck which is the tape on how to attack him and Martin was on the ice for two even strength goals against and had poor recognition on Simmonds goal at 12:49 of the first period when he got caught way too high, leaving Simmonds unnoticed in front of the net to tie the game at 2-2. | Grade: C | Season Stats: 2 G – 10 A – 12 Pts – -2
Brooks Orpik | 1 Assist, -2 rating, 5 BS, 1 GV, 22:54 TOI
Orpik had an assist and has collected his first three game points streak of his career. Had a team-high 5 blocked shots, moving into a tie with a league high 45 blocked shots but Orpik wasn’t a physical presence and was on the ice for three goals against. Grade: C | Season Stats: 0 G – 3 A – 3 Pts – -1
Deryk Engelland| 0 Points, even rating, 2 SOG, 2 PIM, 2 Hits, 1 BS, 9:00 TOI
Engelland was the one taking hard hits, not the one dishing out the physical play.| Grade: C-| Season Stats: 0 G – 2 A – 2 Pts – +6
Goaltenders
Tomas Vokoun | 3-3-0, 26 Saves on 32 Shots|
Making his first start since Feb 10, Vokoun never looked comfortable from the start of the game. His positioning was not strong and he let in several mediocre goals. He never gave Pittsburgh that big save. | Grade: F | Season Stats: 3-3-0, 2.87 GAA, .889 sv%
