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Tomas Plekanec is not underrated by Habs fans or anything - he's exactly who we expect him to be on a consistent basis. Maybe a little bit under-appreciated, tonight I give him full appreciation for his shining performance against Sidney Crosby. The two have a pretty good rivalry going. This isn't the first game Pleks has shut down the Cros.
The fourth line has been playing controlled minutes, as Michel Therrien used them for 7:30 so far, maybe less after they gave up a goal to the Malkin line. The mismatch hurt. Goals are sparse to this point in the game. It's like two fists pushing up against each other, knuckles locked, both sides waiting for the other's wrist to break.
The third period is the Habs' best period in terms of scoring. They've scored 73 in the third this season. Let's see if they can pot a couple more and end this with a win.
Scoring Summary
| 1ST PERIOD | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:10 | MTL | Max Pacioretty (18) Wrist shot - ASST: Andrei Markov (15) | 1 - 0 MTL | |
| 2ND PERIOD | ||||
| 18:28 | PIT | Evgeni Malkin (19) Slapshot - ASST: Simon Despres (11), Nick Spaling (11) | 1 - 1 Tie | |
Penalty Summary
| 1ST PERIOD | ||
|---|---|---|
| 09:52 | PIT | Christian Ehrhoff Holding - 2 min against Michael Bournival |
| 19:58 | PIT | Robert Bortuzzo Interference - 2 min against Dale Weise |
| 2ND PERIOD | ||
| 07:01 | MTL | Alexei Emelin Holding - 2 min against Marcel Goc |
| 13:17 | PIT | Simon Despres Holding - 2 min against P.K. Subban |
Shots
| PERIOD | PIT | MTL |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10 | 9 |
| 2nd | 12 | 13 |
| Total | 22 | 22 |
| CATEGORY | PIT | MTL |
|---|---|---|
| Power Plays | 0/1 | 0/3 |
| Hits | 24 | 11 |
| Faceoff Wins | 22 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 9 | 9 |
| Takeaways | 2 | 5 |
| Blocked Shots | 9 | 11 |
| Penalty Minutes | 6 | 2 |