Game 1 Recap: Penguins Win 5-4

Well, if that wasn't at least an entertaining (and stressful) way to start a series, I don't know what is.

Just when the Rangers thought they had it in the bag, they remembered they were playing the most explosive team in the league -- just in time for Crosby's shot to go off Malkin's leg for the game winner on a power play with 1:41 left in the game, caping a comeback from a 3-0 deficit and giving them a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Penguins hadn't come back from a 3-goal deficit to win a game all year. Last night, they showed a national audience much of the character they have shown all season.

The reality is that both teams played a sloppy game, befitting teams who had 7 and 9 days rest, respectively. The energy was there, but the attention to detail was not. Both teams turned the puck over with regularity and failed to play their systems. Expect a better-played game Sunday afternoon in game 2.

Not surprisingly, the NY media rose up this morning critical of the penalty call against Martin Straka late in the 3rd, which led to the winning goal. One has to go no further than the NY Daily News for this conspiracy theory:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/2008/04/25/2008-04-25_sidney_crosby_diving_for_penalty.html

As most know, prior to the series, Rangers coach Tom Renney publicly expressed concerns about Crosby diving. After the game, several Ranger players, including Brendan Shanahan and the perpetrator, Straka, as well as Renney, publicly expressed alleged that Crosby dove on the play at-issue. The guys in the striped shirts didn't see it that way, however, and those who watch hockey around here regularly know enough to realize that Crosby earns his penalties and was legitimately interfered with by Straka, justifying the call. The Penguins power play, previously 0-4 in the game, converted at just the right time.

Everyone on the Penguins squad deserves credit for their resiliency, but Jarkko Ruutu deserves it a little more than most. He stayed in the face of the Ranger players after the Penguins fell in a 3-0 hole, and got the 1st goal to get them rolling, to boot. After that, it was all about quick-burst scoring. Dupuis scored 14 seconds later. Then, early in the 3rd, Hossa and Sykora scored 20 or so seconds apart to give us the 4-3 lead.

Neither Fleury or Lundqvist played well overall. Lundqvist was sharp in the first period, but like Fleury, he struggled as the game went on. The goal Fleury let up to Avery early in the 2nd period to make it 3-0 New York, in particular, was a bad one -- one he needs to stop, and had stopped throughout the first round. Both goalies had 2 pucks go behind them which deflected off players or skates.

The Rangers had a chance to steal the opening game on the road and put themselves in a position going into game 2 where, even if they didn't win, they'd take the split and the home-ice advantage that would come with it thereafter in the series. As it is, the Penguins continue to maintain momentum and confidence, all with knowing that they need to (and probably will) play much better in game 2. That said, if the Rangers bounce back strong on Sunday and gain the split anyway, they are in the exact same position, despite blowing the big lead in game 1. For that reason, if the Penguins want to extract the full benefit from their stirring victory in the series opener, it's necessary that they prevail in the next game and go up 2-0 heading into a building they've struggled in this season for game 3.

The author's 3 stars of game 1:

3) Scott Gomez

2) Pascal Dupuis

1) Sidney Crosby