Pens get their 1st win, Dumb fans are out already

After a brutal 0-2 start for the Pens, some people were already panicking. I'm pretty sure after the 2nd  loss to the Canadiens Saturday night, I saw people burning their Pens gear. Well don't worry bandwagon fans, the Pens got their 1st win of the season over one of their biggest rivals yesterday. The Pens defeated the Devils 3-1 in a half-empty arena in New Jersey yesterday. 

The Pens played without Brooks Orpik and lost Zbynek Michalek during the game to a hand injury. The Devils were also short-handed as well, playing with only 15 skaters. Which they(Devils) might even get in trouble for by the NHL. That Ilya Kovalchuk contract is looking real good already.

Late in the first period, Eric Tangradi forced Ilya Kovalchuk into a turnover which Alex Goligoski quickly converted into the first goal of the game with an absolute rocket shot that got past Matin Brodeur. The Pens would take a 2-0 lead just 2:32 into the second, as a Kris Letang slapshot deflected off of Mark Letestu's skate and past Brodeur at the end of a power play. 

So far, the young guns, Tangradi, Letestu, and Gologoski have been terrific in almost all aspects of the game. I think all three deserve more ice-time and so far they've gotten it. I hear a lot of bashing on Gologoski, saying that he sucks and that he shouldn't be on the power-play. The stupidity. Gologoski is young, but he is very talented. In time, I think he'll be a solid top four defensemen, and a very good power-play quarterback. 

Letestu, already has gotten somewhat of a promotion, getting to center the 2nd line yesterday, and getting some solid power-play time. He's a good two-way player who seems to playing with a chip on his shoulder. If he keeps this level of play up, he should center the 3rd line full-time when Jordan Staal comes back allowing Staal to play in the top two lines. 

Tangradi, is what I thought he was. A solid power-forward who has the talent to play on the top two lines. I thought he should have finished down low on a couple of scoring chances but the season is young and so is he. 

Patrik Elias got the Devils' only goal of the game at 8:20 of the third, beating Johnson with a slap shot off of the faceoff. However, that would be the only goal that the Pens would allow all game A late Paul Martin empty-netter set up by Chris Kunitz would seal the Penguins' first victory over the Devils since April, 2009. How big of a pickup has Paul Martin been already? I knew he was good and I knew that New Jersey's system was holding his talent back. Now that he's playing for a Penguin team that focuses on offense, Martin will flourish.

Side notes on the game, I thought Ben Lovejoy and Derek Engelland played very solid games. I've been suspect of Lovejoy but he looks comfortable on the ice. Also, big props to Craig Adams, who doesn't give you anything offensively, but does everything defensively and intangibly to help the Pens win. Adams made a huge play with his stick late in the game when the Devils had a wide open net.

 

Lastly,Brent Johnson, starting in place of the Marc-Andre Fleury, stopped 30 of 31shots yesterday. Already, fans and other blogs are calling for Fleury's head and have boarded the Brent Johnson bandwagon. Fleury is 0-2 on the season, and it's all his fault everytime the Pens win according to Fleury bashers. Now look, I know Fleury has given in some softies. However, I'm confident that the Pens are better with Fleury in net then journeyman Brent Johnson. 

To even suggest that Fleury's starting job should be in trouble is ridiculous. Fleury has a pedigree. Fleury has legit, elite talent. Fleury is a champion. Fleury stood on his head in game seven for the Pens in the 2008-2009 Stanley Cup Finals. What has Brent Johnson ever done? Who's he ever beat? To quote Kurt Angle " where's his gold medals? ".

By the way, both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have just 1 point in three games. Should their jobs be in trouble? Should their ice-time be downgraded? No, of course not. It's earlier and these guys will pick their game up. So will Fleury. 

Is Johnson a good backup? Yes. I'm glad the Pens brought him back, but backup goalies are a dime a dozen. Goalies like Fleury are not. The most important factor in this is most of the Fleury bashers don't understand what they're watching. Everytime the Pens allow a goal they blame Fleury. It's not like it's just a bunch of guys versus Fleury.


Bottom line, Fleury will be fine. He's not even in the prime of his career yet. He's just starting to get there. Do yourself a favor, don't sound stupid. Don't sound like a bandwagon fan. Trust Fleury. Trust me.