The view from Raleigh today:
Canes need to redefine series
Raleigh News & Observer, Chip Alexander, May 22 2009
PITTSBURGH — There still a lot of hockey to be played in the Eastern Conference finals, but there already have been two defining moments.
In Game 1, the Canes' Eric Staal missed an open net in the final 30 seconds that would have tied the score and possibly forced overtime. Staal rarely misses an opportunity like that but he did that time. The Penguins' won 3-2.
In Game 2, the Pens led 5-4, in another tight game at Mellon Arena, when there was a faceoff in the Carolina zone. Moments later, it was 6-4 after Evgeni Malkin's third goal of the game.
"It was a faceoff play and it's called 'The Geno' for a reason," Pens coach Dan Bylsma said. "He pushed through and went and got the puck himself and after that it's just all him."
Malkin controlled the puck behind the Carolina net, skated to the right circle, spun and got off a backhander that sailed by Cam Ward's head to make it 6-4.
"There are not many players in the world can make a play like that and two of them are on our team," Bylsma said.
The other being Sidney Crosby, who had a goal and assist Thursday as the Pens took a 2-0 series lead with the 7-4 victory.
Malkin and Crosby, Crosby and Malkin. The Hurricanes went into the series knowing they had to do all they could do slow down those two dynamic scorers.
Through two games, Malkin and Crosby have combined for five goals and four assists.
How to contain them?
"Well, you're not going to be able to do it one on one," Canes coach Paul Maurice said. "We struggled a little bit with some of that in our own end. We left them alone at times, one on one with a player."
As defenseman Dennis Seidenberg said, Malkin is a great player and will get his chances, but the Canes have to be much tighter defensively. Pittsburgh also had 42 shots in the game.
The Hurricanes were saying all the right things after Game 2, with the series now going back to Raleigh for two games.
Defenseman Tim Gleason: "We're down 2-0. We're going back to our building. It's not over with."
Maurice: "They won two games on home ice. We have to do the same thing. That's our challenge."
And a challenge it will be.