Chirps from Center Ice

Good to get back to hockey in Northeast Pennsylvania and take in the Black and Gold Game at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Gold Team and Evgeni Malkin defeated the Black Team tonight by a score of 3-2.

Going to keep this recap brief as I have to get up in the morning for an early rise for work.

Marc André Fleury vs. Brent Johnson. Announced that tonight would be Clark Luis’ last game as the anthem singer as he would be retiring.

First Period: Man, the speed of a game when it is full of NHL players is lightning fast. Passes get through and it’s just breakneck speed. About 6 minutes in Joe Vitale opened the scoring when Marc André Fleury was down and without a stick and may have been screened all at the same time. Later, Evgeni Malkin scored to make it 2-0 on a power move on a defenseman. Any concerns about his knee should be or are a distant memory. Later, as Ben Lovejoy sat in the box for a delay of game Jordan Staal scored a power play goal to put the Black team on the board.

Second Period: Brian Gibbons, who by rights looked like a squirt out there playing with men, was stoned by Fleury on the doorstep. Fleury’s defense really let him down with just given opportunity after given opportunity to forwards and defensemen alike as Paul Martin teed one up from the blue line Flower saw all the way into his glove. In house wifi, befuddled me all night. Malkin again scored for Gold then about a minute later Jordan Staal again for Black. Jordan really had a nice game for himself. He should have a big year in Pittsburgh. More Flower theatrics as Tom Kuhnhackl was robbed by a stickless Fleury. With about six minutes left, Brad Thiessen and Scott Munroe assumed the nets for their respective teams. Both Black and Gold teams would trade power plays with neither team scoring and the second period would end 3-2, Gold leading.

Third Period: Deryk Engelland would sit for hooking and the Gold team would go on a power play. Black killed it. Both teams on the power play would get good chances. I think Letestu for Gold and Staal again for Black but Munroe and Thiessen were up to task on all occasions. Geoff Walker really looked good and was a player who stood out all night. Malkin was stopped on a breakaway. That was pretty much it. Both Thiessen and Munroe were perfect in net for their respective teams.

No three stars but I went Thiessen (why not), Staal (two goals) and Malkin (two goals)

Bombulie’s online postgamer here. While we are on the subject, Jonathan wins tweet of the evening:

http://twitter.com/#!/CVBombulie/status/115948669391470592

Pens play an exhibition game Wednesday. Cuts can be expected soon after as Wilkes-Barre will open camp sometime next week.

Good to get back into the swing of things live tweeting and writing up postgamers. Good to get traffic to the blog and feedback on the Twitter side too.

Let’s Go Pens!