OOOH OOOH THAT SMELL CANT YOU SMELL THAT SMELL?

As I walked up to the arena last night, there was a scent in the air that I could not describe.  It kind of smelled like a mixture of arrogance and cowardice, kind of wrapped in one, rotting in an old GARAGE attached to a beautiful home.  I then realized that the NHL's darlings were in town, the Montreal Canadiens.  That arrogance scent mixed with the cowardice of Pacioretty and Subban, rotting in that garage league that adminsters the beautiful game.  Ahhhhhhhh!  The Penguins came into this game on a four game winning streak, riding high off of an exciting road win against the top team in the NHL.  In comes a shitty, gutless team, and I was a bit concerned that the Pens might have left the A game and A intensity on the ice LAST night.  On a selfish note, I have come to hate the Canadiens, some of their players and most of their fans a GREAT DEAL.  Almost Capitals level hatred.  Subban and Pacioretty draw Capitals level hate from me, if not MORE.  I digress.........The game last night started out kind of as I feared, and remained that way for the first forty minutes.  At just 19:26 of the first period, Lars Eller put the Habs up 1-0, assited by that sack of shit Subban for a 1-0 Habs lead.  Ugggh!  Then at 15:58 Kris Letang reminded us all what we have been missing since the cheap shot by Pacioretty to the head cost 58 twenty games due to a concussion.  Tanger controlled a puck in the offensive zone, turn Plekanec into a flopping fish and tucked a back hand under the cross bar to tie the game at 1-1.  Not sure if the Habs are having the Montreal police investigate that or not?   Then at 14:19, Erik Cole put the Canadiens up 2-1 on a horrible play all around by the Pens.  Michalek turned the puck over creating a rush, Fleury leaves a bad rebound for Cole to tap in, Habs up 2-1.  The period ended that way.  Then more bad news to start the second period when Kostitsyn puts the Habs up 3-1 at just 18:51.   Then at 14:58, Dustin Jeffrey got his first goal of the season, short handed assisted by Michalek (5), and a turnover by Subban who was a turnover machine as usual.  3-2 Canadiens.  Just as you began to feel the game swinging back our way, Pacioretty makes it 4-2 off of a 2 on 1 created by a bad line change and an inside out Brooks Orpik.  I found myself thinking that I wished Chara weighed about 20 pounds more last year....anyway.  The period ended that way.  At this point, I impressed a friend with my prognostication abilities.  I just had a feeling that the Pens came out flat, due to the emotions of the Rangers game, and despite very sloppy play remained two goals behind an inferior team.  I did not think the leadership would let two easy points leave CEC, and called a 4-4 tie in regulation with the Pens winning in a shootout.  Called Letang, Malkin and Neal in the shootout, and that the Habs had nothing to fear in a shootout......anyway even the blind squirrel finds the nut sometimes.  At 16:28 of the period, Dustin Jeffrey gets his second goal of the game and season off of a nice wrist shot to get the Pens within one goal at 4-3.  He was assisted by Tyler Kennedy (15).  On the play, right before the goal Sullivan took an obvious high stick from Eller while the referee looked right at it, no call.  No surprise.  Then, just as in Novmber, justice reared its head again as red hot Evgeni Malkin leads a rush up ice, passes to Neal on the left wing, who gives it back on the right wing boards for Geno to blast a howitzer past Budaj at 2:43 to tie the game!  The place was rocking!!  Neal got his 19th assist on the play and his Letang his 18th!  Two games in a row against the Habs that we break their hearts late, and I am loving it.  The game ends in a 4-4 tie, and OT does not solve it.  Then, as predicted, in the shootout the Habs have much lead in their pencils as a two day old corpse, and Malkin beats Budaj to give the Pens the win in the shootout for their 5th in a row.

How about Kris Letang?  Highlight reel goal to tie it 1-1, blazing speed and hand eye coordination to track Plekanec down from behind to save a short handed goal, and an assist on the game tying goal in the third.  Great to see 58 back on the ice, and I will wait patiently for the Pens to take care of Pacioretty.  Dustin Jeffrey had 2 goals after being nonexistent offensively since his return.  That is key while Staal is out, as the Pens had essentially become a one line team offensively, and it would be great to see that second line start to chip in regularly. Congrats to DJ!  Statistically, Fleury's night was not good, and he was suspect, along with the defense on some of the early goals against.  However, Fleury stood tall and made key saves that kept this game within reach, and give him credit for that.  A big two points, stolen from a bunch of assclowns and their travelling circus.  Up next, the Caps in a Sunday matinee!  Go Pens!!