Post-game--Vavel.com Three Stars: Third star: Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh. Second Star: Jack Johnson, Columbus. First Star: Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh
Post-game--4-3 Penguins final, 34-32 shots in favor of Columbus. What a game! Fleury played well, as all eyes were on him tonight.
0:00 3rd--Pittsburgh takes Game One by a 4-3 score! What a game! Huge effort by Columbus...Game 2 should be a dandy!
1:10 3rd--Columbus net empty, and Fleury makes a huge save!
1:46 3rd--Shots are tied at 32 apiece.
3:09 3rd--No shots for Columbus in the last ten minutes.
3:59 3rd--Less than four minutes to go, Pittsburgh showing their defensive play to cling to the lead
5:50 3rd--Pittsburgh kills off the penalty, even strength now...Penguins holding on by their fingernails.
7:31 3rd--Power play for Columbus now
8:29 3rd--Letang takes an interference penalty...so much for the Penguin power play
9:31 3rd--Penguins 2 for 2 on the power play...a two goal lead would ice this for them, you'd think
9:49 3rd--Hint of desperation in Columbus' game, and they take a tripping call...power play Pittsburgh
11:41 3rd--Brandon Sutter SCORESSSS! Pittsburgh leads for the first time all game!
12:06 3rd--As a side note, it is a treat to hear Bob Cole of Hockey Night in Canada call the game
13:27 3rd--Tight checking and hard hitting...Columbus will not let up physically...Pittsburgh starting to look around a bit
15:02 3rd--Bobrovsky with a huge save! He and Fleury have been the untold story of this game!
16:23 3rd--Pace has slowed down, no real chances on either side
18:29 3rd--Boone Jenner of Columbus, brother of former Acadia Axemen defenseman Leo Jenner, is proving to be a royal pain in the neck for the Penguins.
19:10 3rd--Fast pace to start this third...whoever keeps the pace up the longest should win this game
20:00 3rd--And here we go...huge 20 minutes coming up!
2nd Intermission--Penguins did a much better job after giving up the shorthanded goal, certainly showed their mettle in erasing a 3-1 deficit. Huge third period coming up!
2nd Intermission--Playoff update...Montreal and Tampa are tied 3-3 in Tampa Bay...the Canadiens are outshooting the Lightning 29-11 in the third.
0:00 2nd--Teams go to the dressing room tied 3-3. Shots on goal are 25-22 Columbus.
0:27 2nd--Fleury with a HUGE poke check!! What a play!
0:52 2nd--Both goalies having to come up with some sensational saves in the last minute!
1:38 2nd--Columbus leads in shots, 23-20 at this point
2:30 2nd--Fleury only has to make one save on that power play...Bobrovsky was the busier of the two even though Pittsburgh was shorthanded.
4:30 2nd--Letang off for slashing...power play Columbus
5:45 2nd--Both teams have settled into a bit of a lull...slowed right down
8:35 2nd--Crosby in close again! Too many moves and Bobrovsky read that...still tied.
9:23 2nd--Fleury sees the point shot and makes the glove save. He's holding them in there, folks!
11:17 2nd--Blue Jackets throwing pucks at Fleury from every angle...they've studied the past playoff tape on him
13:06 2nd--Pittsburgh is slowly taking over the momentum...Crosby just missed connecting on a partial breakaway.
14:56 2nd--Pittsburgh kills off the penalty. Still tied 3-3
15:48 2nd--Brian Gibbons with a great shot block for the Penguins
16:56 2nd--Now a penalty coming up against Pittsburgh. Tanner Glass takes an interference call.
17:41 2nd--Pittsburgh ties the game! Power play goal by Matt Niskanen!
17:53 2nd--Columbus takes an interference penalty...huge chance for Pittsburgh. Beau Bennett tipped in Pittsburgh's second goal.
18:26 2nd--Pittsburgh answers right back! Matt Niskanen scores on a shot from the point, but may have been tipped...will get confirmation! 3-2 Columbus now.
19:17 2nd--Pittsburgh is falling apart...Derek McKenzie scores shorthanded to make it 3-1 Blue Jackets
20:00 2nd--Penguins on the power play to start this period.
1st Intermission--Correction, shots are 13-12 for Columbus, not 13-11. 2-1 Columbus after one.
1st Intermission--Pittsburgh will start the second period on the power play. They need to start pushing back if they want to survive this first game.
1st Intermission--In other playoff news, Tampa Bay and Montreal are tied 1-1 in the second period.
1st Intermission--Fleury and Malkin easily the best two Penguins in that first period. Columbus is playing the perfect road game...Pittsburgh seems uninterested on the ice, and they must shore up their own end in a hurry.
0:00 1st--First period comes to a close, shots on goal are 13-11 in favor of Columbus
0:15 1st--Columbus takes a penalty...and the first period ends
1:06 1st--Pittsburgh needs to get their act together defensively...both Columbus goals the result of breakdowns.
2:02 1st--Columbus scores on the power play, Mark Letestu pops it in on more bad Pittsburgh defensive coverage
2:15 1st--Pittsburgh's Rob Scudari in the box, power play Columbus
2:47 1st--Pittsburgh ties it up! Jussi Jokinen ties this game in close, off a pass from Malkin! We are tied 1-1!
4:09 1st--Fleury with a huge save!!! Wow! Flashes the glove to keep his team within one!
6:00 1st--Shots are 6-6.
6:57 1st--Pittsburgh can't get any shots through, Columbus doing a great job in front of their net
8:19 1st--Bobrovsky with two more huge saves, but it's coming from the Pens' fourth line players, not the stars.
10:17 1st--Bobrovsky makes a save on Olli Maata, still 1-0 Columbus
11:41 1st--Beau Bennett forechecking hard, throws a thunderous check on Ryan Murray in the Columbus end
12:20 1st--Columbus not allowing Pittsburgh any room.
13:40 1st--Columbus scores!!!!! Jack Johnson with the goal! Bad defensive breakdown in front of Fleury. 1-0 Blue Jackets
16:19 1st--Crosby to Kunitz! Bobrovsky forced to make a marvelous save on that chance!
17:33 1st--Ice tilted in the Penguins' favor early on...Columbus comes out banging though...they aren't intimidated physically at all.
19:18 1st--Fleury makes his first save, some rough stuff after the whistle.
20:00 1st--Columbus wins the draw, but Pittsburgh quickly retrieves the puck
Pregame--Teams are on the ice! Get ready, hockey fans!
Pregame--The time is almost upon us, Penguin and Blue Jacket fans! The road to the Stanley Cup begins momentarily!
Pregame--Columbus is only making their second playoff appearance in their history. They were swept by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round in 2009.
Pregame--Little doubt that Marc-Andre Fleury is playing for his future in Pittsburgh after the last few playoff collapses. He needs to have a solid playoff run, and his team needs to pick him up and give him some help. Team defense has been questionable at best.
Pregame--We are roughly 35 minutes away from puck drop in this one. Stay tuned, folks...this has the potential to be a classic matchup.
Pregame--The Blue Jackets don't have the same talent the Penguins do, but they make up for it with grit and determination. Pittsburgh will have to fight and claw for every inch of ice they want against Columbus.
Pregame--Pittsburgh boasts an incredible lineup of offensive power in the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Crosby won the Art Ross Trophy this season, taking the scoring title with 104 points.
Pregame--Good evening everyone, and welcome to the live event for Game One between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets. This is the first time in their two histories that the two teams have met in the playoffs. Pittsburgh won the season series 5-0, sweeping the Jackets. This series will hinge on goaltending, as the Pens face the reigning Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky. Pittsburgh will turn to their own Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Fleury has something to prove as he has turned in less than stellar playoff performances in the past two years.