Devils Pitchfork Pens 3-0

The game had just started, and yet the game had just ended.  Kyle Palmeri scored 26 seconds into the game to give the Devils a 1-0 lead, and the rest is history.  The Devils would go on to win 3-0 in front of a silent Consol Energy Center.  This would end up snapping the Penguins six game winning streak and Crosby's twelve game point streak.  Some Observations:

This was not the performance you get from Marc-Andre Fleury night in and night out.  Palmeri's fist goal was a very weak goal to give up, as it was a one on one matchup, and Fleury allowed the puck to trickle beneath his pads and into the back of the goal.  I noticed especially in the first period that Fleury was fighting off pucks instead of absorbing the shots and making easy saves.  That was my first indication that it was going to be a very long night.

Another aspect of the Penguins game that has to be rectified is the power play.  Without Evgeni Malkin, the power play is abysmal.  I don't understand how this can be when the Penguins have tremendous talent, and yet the Devils power play ranks eighth in the NHL.

Lastly, I was pretty dissatisfied with the ability of the Pens to create traffic in front of goaltender Scott Wedgewood.  Yes, the Penguins put up 39 shots on goal, but what made them successful in their six game winning streak was the ability to tip pucks heading towards the front of the net, and being able to screen the goaltender.

The Penguins look to march forward as they battle the Detroit Red Wings tomorrow at two o'clock.

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/devils-wedgewood-1st-shutout-3-0-win-over-014729385--nhl.html