Jordan Staal amazed all of the nation by putting on a spectacle and picking up a natural hat trick (3 goals in same period) in the third period of tonight's game. In a game that saw 6 of its 13 goals scored in the third period, Staaly's 3 did the trick. There is nothing more beautiful than a grinder with a scoring touch--at least to us at Penstation.
The Penguins went into the third period of the game with a 4-2 deficit. To make matters worse, Henrik Zetterberg scored in the 6th minute of play to make it a 5-2 game. Down by three, Evgeni Malkin was sure to do two things: Gino wanted to make sure that he would close the scoring gap as well as extend his point streak to 11 games. In the 7th minute of the third, he accomplished just that. Malks scored his goal on the power play with helpers from Satan and Crosby; the goal reduced the lead back to 2 and set him back atop the scoring race by one point.
When Jordan Staal got his first goal of the night, it was a mere 1:12 after Malkin's strike. The goal reassured the Red Wings and the fans coaching from their sofas that the Penguins were still a team that would do what it took to win games. Down 5 goals to 4, the Penguins had plenty of time to get the equalizer and look for points in the hostile Joe Louis Arena. It was right when the Penguins had finally gained all of the momentum that Jiri Hudler stole it back for the Red Army. Just 2:05 after Staaly's goal, Hudler added the important third period insurance that should have put the Penguins away, especially with Osgood in net. 6-4 Wings.
With only 5 minutes left in the game, Jordan Staal went to work. His line with Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy on his wings had some of the best shifts in the game. It was incredible to see the spark in Jordan's skates aside the two energetic wingers. Penstation had felt that Staal was due to break out, and after 2 games of hustling and playing great hockey, he got his swagger back. His 2nd goal came with just 4 minutes left in the game and gave the Penguins one last breath of hope. At this point, you had to think that it would be impossible for the Penguins to repeat their classic game 5 Stanley Cup performance to send it to OT--you were wrong.
The Penguins pulled Fleury to get the extra man with a minute left in regulation. With as many stars on the ice as there were Cosbys, you knew there was going to be an amazing finish. Crosby had an opportunity to tie the game on a spinning backhander, but was denied by Chris Osgood. With about 30 seconds to go in the game, the Wings took their time out to discuss strategy. Fortunately for the Pens, they had the best faceoff man in the NHL, Mike Zigomanis, on their bench. Zigomanis drew the faceoff that would break detroit hearts. Evgeni Malkin fired a slapper that would be rebounded in by Staal to complete his natural hat trick in the third period--6-6 game.. Just like game 5 of last year's finals, the Penguins had tied the game in the last minute of play. With around 5 seconds left in the game, Jordan Staal danced into the Wings end and drew a penalty which prevented another great scoring opportunity. This would send the Penguins into overtime with a near 2 minute 4 on 3 power play.
The Penguins dominated the full two minutes of the power play generating an incredible amount of scoring opportunities. Jordan Staal had done everything you could possibly ask out of a 20 year old athlete, but he wasn't finished. As Pavel Datsyuk, one of the league's best puck handlers and 2 way forwards, moved out of the Wings' zone, Staal performed a perfect stick lift and stole the puck from the big number 13. As he turned into the zone, Ruslan Fedotenko jumped back into the play turning the situation into a 2 on 1. Staaly fed a perfect pass to Tank who buried a one-timer from the top of the circle.
"You had to be here to believe it." - Mike Lange
There is nothing more that can be said about this incredible game. It is an instant classic and surely one of the greatest games we will see this season. With Jordan Staal awake and ready to play, the Penguins can feature 3 lines with incredible scoring potential. Your first 2 line centers are already among league leaders in more than one category, now you have a 3rd line that is needed to compete with the big dogs of the NHL. With the 7-6 win over the defending champions, the Penguins extended their win streak to 4 and proved that they are still the Heartbreak Kids that we've grown to love.
For compete game details, check out the official NHL score sheet.
Matt@Penstation
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