Somebody asked me what I thought of the Penguins win last night. To me, the Penguins went out west, played a team that was one game away from winning the Stanley Cup last season on their ice and won. Some parts of it were not pretty, but that is not a bad start to the season at all! For those who don't think Matt Cooke is a big part of the success of this team, look at last night. He had two important goals in the game, one on the power play, and the other short handed. He played a big role on the special teams, hit clean all night and played solid defensive hockey. It was also great to see Neal get on the board. He looked very good in the first period, and though his goal was not a work of art, it went in, and that I hope, will get the kid rolling. You also saw a bit of the best and the worst of some key Penguins players. Kris Letang had 2 assists, made a couple of great breakout passes that led to scoring opportunities, and again showed his value on the shootout, getting one of the two shootout goals. You also at times saw some running around, and getting caught out of position like you did during the last half of the season last year. Some of that could have been due to the fact that he was playing the left side. It could have also been first game excitement, and all in all you got a glimpse of the skill set that I think one day will land 58 a Norris Trophy. Marc Andre Fleury played a nice game, making some key saves, but also showed that propensity to give up momentum turning soft goals. The first goal for Vancouver last night was an even worse lapse in concentration than the one on Luongo that resulted in Neal's goal. And only Fleury's cat like reflexes saved him from quickly giving up another under a minute later! However, when it counted, Fleury stood tall and played very well against a team who knows how to put the puck in the net. In addition, he was strong in the shootout, helping to earn the Penguins the extra point. Finally, I felt the same way about Geno last night. He made some beautiful plays, was strong on the puck, and played with an energy level that was great to watch. He also turned Luongo inside out on the game winning shootout goal, and assisted on another. At times though, he looked like he was making some of the bad decisions like trying to beat 4 defenders he has made too often in the recent past. All in all I liked Geno's effort, and look for him to have a big year. Big Z was a minus three and had one of his worst efforts as a Penguin, but you won't see that too often. Paul Martin led the Pens in ice time with 27:43. It was an entertaining game, with both teams controlling play at different times for extended periods of time, but a road win against an elite team is something you will take anytime. Add to that an effective power play, and there was plenty to like about last night's game. I cannot wait for the puck to drop Saturday night!
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