Twenty-four and a half hours after raising their second Stanley Cup championship banner in as many years, the Pens got their first look at the Marian Hossa-less Blackhawks due to cap-circumvention because of an illegal contract a rare skin disease.
I’d be remissed if I didn’t bring up that the Penguins are the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. Sure, Chicago won three in six years, but did they win two in two years? Enjoy your win in October, though.
On to the game.
I'm trying to react to this but it's the first period of game 2, on the road, on the 2nd night of back to backs, against a good team
— Meesh (@MeeshS17) October 6, 2017
First Period
The Penguins started slow and the Hawks pounced, you could tell they were itching to take a swipe at the champs.
Niemi, wasn’t what one would call “good.” Be it, stopping pucks or even, you know, walking, wasn’t his night.
shortly before giving up 4 goals pic.twitter.com/Rg52zHouSO
— steph (@myregularface) October 6, 2017
The Penguins were facing some similar problems as last night, zone exits weren’t great and the passing wasn’t crisp. Dumo and Letang failed to clear the zone, and it begun…
Kane made an unrealistic pass behind the net to some guy named Hartman that had 19 goals last year, apparently. 1-0 Hawks.
Hartman goal pic.twitter.com/VstCDGZT6i
— steph (@myregularface) October 6, 2017
Just 43 seconds later, the hometown kid and noted barnacle Brandon Saad would get his first after #SchultzChug had one too many…2-0 Hawks.
Saad goal pic.twitter.com/875egucaJg
— steph (@myregularface) October 6, 2017
Penguin-killer Patrick Kane treated Ian Cole and Matt Hunwick like a cabbie that owed him <$1. Schmaltz with a yawning cage. 3-0 Hawks.
Schmaltz goal pic.twitter.com/zvbYRKirBt
— steph (@myregularface) October 6, 2017
Now, one would think three quick goals against, Niemi with a start that made a dumpster fire look appealing, that a timeout and goalie switch would be coming…you would think.
Saad's 2nd pic.twitter.com/cXRbEwyF0c
— steph (@myregularface) October 6, 2017
4-0.
Okay now Murray comes in. If you thought this would turn the tide, you thought like an idiot!
Sharp goal pic.twitter.com/oOVGt8Rxqz
— steph (@myregularface) October 6, 2017
5-0.
Just get out of the period.
After Malkin amazing didn’t get a penalty for an egregious hit from behind…the mercy rule kick…nope the period came to an end.
Second Period
Thoughts:
https://twitter.com/twolinepass/status/883080848572076036
Letang started the period in the box, but it didn’t last long. The whistles came out early in the second.
The greatest leader that’s ever leadershipped in the history of leading had to take a seat. Just a few seconds later, the Pens had a 4-on-3 advantage that bled into a 5-on-3 and the two-time Stanley Cup champion put the Pens on the board.
How do you not love a Phil one-timer? 5-1.
Kessel goal pic.twitter.com/aZvDaPff4Y
— steph (@myregularface) October 6, 2017
You’d think the power play would wake them up, right?
Nope. Kane, top-shelf. 6-1.
Kane goal pic.twitter.com/lAFIxINcSU
— steph (@myregularface) October 6, 2017
The Hawks using #Showtime to describe Kane is appropriate, because like Dexter, Homeland, Ray Donavan and others, it was hopeful and inspiring for a couple seasons then we found out it was actually complete garbage.
Pens took another penalty. The Hawks scored. Who cares?
Third Period
— Wes Crosby (@OtherNHLCrosby) October 6, 2017
The third period was apparently played, but by that point, the scoreboard read like when you unwrap NHL 18, start HUT and play your first game against a European team you’ve never heard of and challenge yourself to put up 20.
I really got nothing here. I want to rip them, but it’s game two.
Get on the plane, burn the tape and for the love of god, find a transition defense.
Notes
- Steve Mears called a great game despite it being a rout.
- Not a great birthday gift for 66.
- The Hawks took full advantage of a slow start, but outside of Duncan Keith, I still do not trust that defense.
- Spare me your goaltending takes. The entire team sucked.
- G is the resident GIF master, so shoutout to @myregularface for all her tweets.
- Hard to get too jammed up, back-to-backs against good teams in the first two games, but there are some mistakes and issues that need addressed. Faith that HCMS will fix it.
- Stanley Cup rematch at the Paint Can Saturday night.
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