Penguins Versus Hurricane -- Game One was a thriller | MarkJoel66's Blog

If this is the way the rest of the series is going, forget ordering out for pizza... I'll be ordering out for an oxygen tank.

This is about as fast as I have seen a game go, and the end was always in doubt.

A few observations:

* Would the refs please make up their minds?

At times they called some really ticky tack stuff -- for example, the 'Canes second penalty was very marginal, as was the Penguin's first... And at times they seemed to let any and everything go. Weird. Over all, they seemed to have the "Let the boys play" attitude -- except for sometimes. (BTW, for the record, I have never understood why something that is a penalty in game one of the season is somehow not a penalty in the playoffs. That's like annoucning before the Super Bowl: You know what, we've decided that we won't be calling defensive offsides today. Think that might change the game a little?)

* Is Cam Ward great... or not?

I watched him for a game and I still don't know. He made some truly remarkable saves. The Penguins easily could have had five goals. But... he was beat on a breakway by Mirosloav Satan -- and any goalie will tell you they should get a breakaway. The backhander by Malkin was very stoppable. In fact, to be honest, Boucher's goal looked pretty soft to me, as well. The Penguins launched 31 shots at him -- but many of those were just getting the puck in the zone shots. Ward has not yet faced the barrage Varlomav faced. In fact, I could be wrong, but I think 31 shots was a high water mark for him in the playoffs... I realize we are talking about a Conn Smythe trophy winner -- but is he as good as the hype? Time will tell. In game one, Fleury was better.

* This game was hard fought, but not nasty.

There are many Pittsburgh ties to the Carolina team, starting with Ron Francis -- one of the most beloved Penguins ever. Maybe that's why things never turned nasty. This was a hard fought game, no doubt, but there was not the nastiness that other playoff games have had. I saw players on both ends start to ease up on some checks in the third.

* Cooke's knee to leg shot should be reviewed.

I didn't get a good look at it, but I hate to see it. I guess since Ovechkin didn't get suspended for his flagrant shot on Gonchar, the NHL is somewhat handcuffed now in handing out punishment for this, but seriously, this needs to be changed. I don't want to see anyone's career ended by a cheap knee shot.

I used to think that 2 days off between games was a killer, but now I am glad for the rest. I'll bet the players will like it too...