The Penguins threw 29 shots at Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask, but were unable to put one past him as the Bruins got two goals from David Krejci and one from Nathan Horton to secure a 3-0 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Consol Energy Center Saturday night.
It is the first time the Penguins have been shutout in a playoff game since Game 7 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The eight day rest didn’t seem to affect the Penguins, as they came out flying in the first few shifts of the game with a few big hits, along with Sidney Crosby hitting the post with a shot to the right of Rask early. The Penguins would outshoot the Bruins 12-7 in the period, but the Bruins got the only goal, with Krejci scoring his first of the night at 8:23 on a slap shot from the high slot to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
Krejci’s shot hit defenseman Paul Martin in front before going through the legs of goaltender Tomas Vokoun.
The game, along with the series perhaps, got a little more interesting at the 1:32 mark of the second period, as winger Matt Cooke was given a game misconduct and a five minute major penalty for checking from behind on Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid.
Cooke hit McQuaid as he was going back to play the puck on a dump in. McQuaid appeared to see Cooke coming before turning his back to play the puck. McQuaid left the game for a short period of time, but returned before the end of the period.
Cooke is a well-known villain in Boston for his hit on Marc Savard three years ago. Despite Cooke’s past, it doesn’t look as though Cooke will be suspended for Game 2 on Monday.
The action got a little more heated as time expired in the second period, when Evgeni Malkin and Patrice Bergeron, two players known more for using their hands to score goals, were both given fighting majors to start the third period. It was just the third fight of Malkin’s career. For Bergeron, it was his second.
The Bruins would extend their lead at 4:04 of the third, as Krejci scored his second of the night to give the Boston a 2-0 lead. Nathan Horton got the only assists on the goal. Horton would make it 3-0 Boston a little over three minutes later, as he picked up the rebound of a Milan Lucic shot and shuffled the puck into an open net for his sixth of the postseason.
Lucic and Gregory Campbell got the assists on Horton’s goal.
Vokoun made 27 saves on 30 shots, as he suffered just his second loss of the postseason and his first in regulation. The loss is also the first loss the Penguins have suffered on home ice since Game 2 against the Islanders.
In short, if Game 1 is indicative of how this series is going to go, than it should be an amazing series to watch. The Penguins threw everything they had at Rask, but were unable to beat him. They will look to rebound Monday night in Game 2 at Consol Energy Center. Game time is set for 8 p.m.
Photo Credit: Post Gazette
