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Penguins Fall to Rangers in OT, 2-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins came from behind in the 3rd period to force overtime, but gave up a powerplay goal to the New York Rangers in the extra marker to lose the game and the extra point that would have clinched the Atlantic Division title for them.  The Penguins need to get just 1-point in their remaining 2-games to lock up their first Division title in 10-years.  By earning a point in the overtime loss, the Penguins reached the 100-point mark on the season.  The Penguins now have a 2-point lead over Montreal for the Eastern Conference title, with the Canadiens having a game in-hand.   

In the 1st period, it was all New York Rangers as they outshot the somewhat listless Penguins 9-1.  The only sign of life for the Penguins in the period came at 5:22 when Ryan Malone took on Sean Avery in the game’s only fight.  Malone was never really able to get into a good fighting position, and only got in a few shots before going down to the ice after taking a blow to the head by Avery.  The Penguins failde to capitalize on a tripping call to Scott Gomez, but successfully killed off a boarding penalty to Georges Laraque. 

In the 2nd period, the Rangers got a 5-on-3 powerplay goal from Jaromir Jagr at 11:43 while Ryan Whitney (roughing) and Jeff Taffe (hooking) both sat in the box.  The goal was initially waived off as it appeared that Scott Gomez hit the puck out of mid-air and into the net with a high stick.  However, after a lengthy video review, it was determined that Rob Scuderi’s hand stopped Gomez’s stick just short of touching the puck.  The puck, still airborne above Fleury’s head from Jagr’s shot, then bounced off of Fleury’s mask and into the net for the goal.  The goal, Jagr’s 21st of the season, was assisted by Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan.  After a miserable start, the Penguins did manage to outshoot the Rangers 9-8 in the 2nd, but were 0-for-1 on the powerplay.

In the 3rd period, Penguins’ Coach Michel Therrien continued to shake the lines up and the Penguins found a way to score with a pairing of Max Talbot, Ryan Malone and Georges Laraque.  Georges Laraque made a beautiful up ice dish to Max Talbot who passed the puck to Ryan Malone for the give and go.  Malone made a nifty pass back to Talbot who shot across the grain and beat Henrik Lundqvist to tie the game at 1-1.  The goal was Talbot’s 12th of the season.  The Penguins failed to convert on 2 powerplay chances in the 3rd and killed off their only penalty as they outshot the Rangers 12-9. 

In the overtime, the Penguins’ Sergei Gonchar was assessed a penalty at 0:24 as he held Jaromir Jagr on a breakaway attempt.  The Rangers took full advantage of the powerplay and converted at 1:46 off from a screened shot by Chris Drury, his 24th goal of the season.  There were no less than 3 players in the line of sight between the Drury and Fleury, preventing him from even seeing the shot.  The goal gave the Rangers the much needed extra point to advance their standing in the Eastern Conference and bring them closer to a clinching a playoff berth.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Scoresheet
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The top two lines for the Penguins were held without any points tonight by the good defensive play of the Rangers.  Marc-Andre Fleury had his first loss in 8-games, and is now 9-2 since returning from the high ankle sprain that kept him out of the lineup for over 2-months. 

The Penguins host the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night before traveling to Philadelphia on Sunday for the last regular season game. 

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Penguins Beat Rangers, Reclaim East

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Rangers Sunday afternoon in the first game of a back-to-back, home-and-home series and reclaimed the top spot in the Eastern Conference from the Montreal Canadiens.  The Penguins win completed a 7-0 unbeaten record at home for the month of March, and was their 10th win in the last 13 games.  With 99-points the Penguins now lead the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Montreal, with both teams having just 3-games left in the season.  The Penguins need just 1-win in their remaining 3-games to clinch the Atlantic Division title.  If they can do it, it would be the first division title in 10-years for the franchise.  The Penguins last division title was in the Northeast Division in 1997-98. 

In the 1st period, the New York Rangers scored first on a power play tally by Brandon Dubinsky while Hal Gill sat for hooking.  Jaromir Jagr and Christian Backman were credited with assists on the play.  At 10:21, the Penguins evened it up on an even strength goal by Marian Hossa who showed no ill effects from the upper body injury sustained Thursday night against the Islanders.  Sidney Crosby moved the puck out from behind the net to Pascal Dupuis who was unable to get the shot off.  Dupuis kicked the puck back about 10′ to Hossa who snapped it past Henrik Lundqvist.  Then at 17:56 while on a 5-on-3 opportunity, Evgeni Malkin buried his 46th goal of the season with a wicked slap shot that flew over the right shoulder of a screened Lundqvist.  Sergei Gonchar and Sidney Crosby picked up the assists on Malkin’s goal.  The Penguins were outshot 7-6 in a very physical 1st period of play.  The Penguins were 1-for-3 on the power play and 0-for-1 on the penalty kill.   

In the 2nd period the Penguins were outshot 11-4, but Marc-Andre Fleury rose to the challenge and turned them all aside to keep the score notted 2-1 in favor of the Penguins.  The Penguins were unable to generate any chances on 3 powerplay attempts, but successfuly killed off two penalties of their own.  The Penguins got a scare late in the second when Evgeni Malkin fell along the boards and accidentally took Brandon Dubinsky’s skate blade across his face.  The play continued on and traveled to the Penguins defensive zone as Malkin lay on the ice behind the Rangers’ net.  He lingered there for a moment before getting up, removing his head gear and skating off to the locker room while holding his face.  It was reported that he required 10-stitches to close up a deep laceration on his cheek, near his eye.  He didn’t return in the 2nd period, but was back on the ice for the 3rd period.

In the 3rd period, the Penguins outshot the Rangers 10-9 and scored one more goal in the final minute of the game to seal the win.  Max Talbot collected a bobbled rebound off from a shot by Rob Scuderi and quickly beat goalie Henrik Lundqvist.  Jordan Staal picked up the other assist.  Lundqvist was never able to get off the ice for the man advantage.  The Penguins challenges on the power play continued in the 3rd as they were 0-for-3 on the man advantage.  They successfully killed off a cross-checking call to Kris Letang. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Locker Room Interviews w/Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal, Max Talbot
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange HIghlights
• AUDIO:  Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline Show
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa both looked phenomenal on the ice today with no apparent limitations to their game.  The combination of Hossa, Crosby and Dupuis was fun to watch and it seems likely that this line will be very hard to defend in the post-season.  Evgeni Malkin’s game-winning goal was his 104th point, 5-points behind Alexander Ovechkin for the league scoring title.  Malkin needs 4-goals in his final 3-games to break the 50-goal mark.  Marc-Andre Fleury continued his red hot play as he has gone 9-1 since returning from 3-months hiaitus on the injured reserve list with a high ankle sprain, including 2-shutouts.  He has given up just 12-goals in 10-games, with an amazing 0.955 save percentage and 1.2 GAA.   

The Penguins travel to New York to take on the Rangers again on Monday night, before hosting the Flyers at home on Wednesday and then closing out their regular season with a Flyers rematch in Philadelphia on Sunday.  The Penguins can clinch the Division title as soon as Monday, as they only need one win in their remaining 3 games to win the Atlantic Division.

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Ruutu Powers Pens Past Islanders 3-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins avenged their recent loss to the New York Islanders by beating them 3-1 on Thursday night to take over 1st place in the Eastern Conference.  Sidney Crosby returned to round out Pittsburgh’s offensively laden top-2 lines, but it was Jarkko Ruutu who put up the points by scoring a short-handed goal and two assists to power the Penguins into the Eastern Conference lead over an idle Montreal Canadiens.  Despite the win, the Penguins were yet again dealt adversity as Marian Hossa left the game in the 3rd period with an unspecified upper body injury after being hit from behind.  Hossa briefly left the game in the 2nd period after taking a hip-check to his previously injured knee, but returned and appeared to be fine. 

In the 1st period, Evgeni Malkin notched his 45th goal of the season to put the Penguins up 1-0 at 6:53.  Jarkko Ruutu and Georges Laraque picked up the assists on the play.  The goal was Malkin’s 103rd point of the season to draw him within 4-points of Alexander Ovechkin in the race for the NHL scoring title.  At 16:31, the Islanders tied it up on a goal by Josef Vasicek that eluded Marc-Andre Fleury.  Bill Guerin and Freddy Meyer were credited with the assists.  Shots were 11-10 in the first period in favor of the Penguins, who were 0-for-1 on the power play.

In the 2nd period, Jarkko Ruutu made a beautiful play to fool the Islanders’ goaltender and then scored on the wraparound with an unassisted short-hander.  It was a penalty laden period with a total of 14 infractions being called between the 2-teams for 40-minutes in penalty time.  The Penguins outshot the Islanders 11-5 in the period.

At 6:40 of the 3rd period, Georges Laraque took a nice breakaway pass from Jarkko Ruutu and chipped the puck past the Islanders’ tender to make it 3-1.  Despite being out of a playoff position, the Islanders didn’t give up and outshot the Penguins 13-7 in the final period.  Marc-Andre Fleury managed to weather the storm, and despite having 1:10 of empty net time, the Penguins failed to connect for a 4th goal.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Locker Room Interviews w/Jarkko Ruutu, Georges Laraque, Marc-Andre Fleury
• PHOTO:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

Marc-Andre Fleury recorded his 6th consecutive win and his 8th win in 9 starts since returning from his high ankle injury.  Jarkko Ruutu recorded his 4th goal and 6th point in the last 6-games.  The Penguins took a step closer to clinching the Atlantic Division title by expanding their lead to 6-points over the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers who are locked in a battle for 2nd place.  The Penguins host the surging New York Rangers in a Sunday matinee, the first of a back-to-back, home-and-home series with the Rangers.   

Sidney Crosby Returning Thursday Against Islanders

After speculation on Tuesday that he would return to the lineup soon, it was announced today that Captain Sidney Crosby will be back on the ice with the team as they host the New York Islanders on Thursday night at Mellon Arena.  Crosby has missed the last 7-games and 28 of the past 31 due to a high right ankle sprain.  On Tuesday, Crosby noted that his return was just waiting on conditioning and that he felt pretty strong as far as his ankle injury. 

Today, Crosby stated, “My ankle feels great and my conditioning is as good as it can get, really, without playing. It always takes a few games, but I feel good.”  Crosby stated that he feels a lot better than he did when he came back for a brief 3-game stretch on March 4-9.  “I hope to be a little bit quicker than before with being out a month and a half,” he said. “It’s going to be more physical hockey down the stretch, but I expect to come along a little faster. Last time, as far as conditioning and game shape and being hit, I wasn’t where I needed to be. You can’t get that unless you play. It doesn’t matter how much you practice.  Being hit, falling down, backchecking and things like that, that’s just stuff you have to go through.  It got better with each game and I hope it’s that way this time, too.”

Thursday will mark the first time that Sidney Crosby will get to play with his new linemate, Marian Hossa, who came to the Penguins via trade on February 26th.   Hossa, considered one of the best wingers in the league and the most anticipated transaction at the trade deadline, was injured in his first game as a Penguin and missed playing with Crosby during his brief 3-game return.  It is a matchup that has been anticipated for a month, both by the fans and by Crosby and Hossa themselves.  Crosby commented on Hossa, stating “I’ve done my best watching him, done my homework so to speak.  I’ve seen some of his tendencies. We play a similar way - he’s not afraid to go into traffic, get his nose dirty.”  Hossa has stated that he can’t wait to play with the reigning league MVP. 

With just 5-games remaining in the regular season, the Penguins will be looking for some instant chemistry between Crosby and Hossa.  They will also be looking for Crosby to rapidly return to game shape.  It is anticipated that Crosby, Hossa and Pascal Dupuis will share the ice, a combination of speed, intensity, creativity and skill.  While it may take a few games to get the timing down, great things are expected from this talent packed combination.  Add to that the red hot line of Malkin, Sykora and Malone and the superb play of Marc-Andre Fleury and it appears that the Penguins may be poised for a deep run into playoff season.  The win against the Devils on Tuesday night put some separation in the Penguins’ Atlantic Division lead and put them just 1-point behind the Eastern Conference leading Canadiens.  Sit down and buckle up for what promises to be one heck of a ride! 

Penguins Shutout Devils, Clinch Playoff Spot

The Pittsburgh Penguins traveled to New Jersey and shutout the Devils 2-0 on Tuesday night to clinch a spot in the playoffs and extend their lead over the New Jersey Devils for the Atlantic Division title to 4-points.  The Devils have a game in hand against the Penguins.  The Penguins are just 1-point behind the Montreal Canadiens for the Eastern Conference lead with 5-games remaining for both teams.  Marc-Andre Fleury was 1st star of the game as he stopped all 31-shots, including 16 in the final period, for his 4th shutout of the season and 11th of his career.

In the 1st period, the Penguins took advantage of a Patrik Elias interference penalty to make it 1-0.  Ryan Malone beat Martin Brodeur with a quick release as Brodeur pushed off from the post to notch his 27th goal of the season.  Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney picked up the assists on the play.  The Penguins were outshot 9-7 in the period, were 1-for-1 on the man advantage and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill. 

The 2nd period started out with 2-minutes of 4-on-4 as Brooks Orpik and Dainus Zubrus picked up coincidental cross-checking minors at the 20-minute mark of the 1st period.  The only other infraction called in the peirod was at 15:26 when Ryan Malone took a tripping penalty.  The Penguins managed to kill off the penalty and keep the game at 1-0 through 2-periods, and outshot the Devils 7-6 in the period.  It looked as if the Devils tied it midway through the period on a goal by Sheldon Brookbank, but the goal was waived off by the officials as incidental contact by Arron Asham prevented Marc-Andre Fleury from making a play on the shot.  The Devils’ bench argued the call, but the replay confirmed that the referee had made the right call. 

In the 3rd, the Devils poured on the pressure and outshot the Penguins 16-6.  Marc-Andre Fleury was equal to the task, however, as he turned aside every shot, including a few excellent chances.  Both teams were 0-for-1 on the powerplay as Geroges Laraque took a tripping call and the Devils took a bench minor for too many men on the ice.  In the end, the Penguins capitalized on the empty net as Marian Hossa put up his 28th of the season to put the game out of reach at 19:18.  Marc-Andre Fleury held on for the shutout despite being peppered with shots. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• PHOTO:  In-Game Photos
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

Evgeni Malkin failed to record a point, but was part of the play on the Malone goal.  Alexander Ovechkin picked up a point in Carolina tonight to extend his NHL scoring lead to 5-points over Malkin.  The Penguins played yet another game without Sidney Crosby as he remained sidelined with remnants of the high ankle sprain.  The Penguins expect him back soon, however.  Red hot Pascal Dupuis has missed the last 2-games to be with his family as his wife has just given birth to a new daughter. 

The win gave the Penguins the advantage in the season series against the Devils and guarantees that the Penguins will win a tie-breaker should both teams end the season with an equal number of points and wins.  The Penguins head back to Pittsburgh to host the New York Islanders on Thursday night and then the New York Rangers on Sunday.  The Penguins will be looking for a better performance against the New York Islanders than they put forth on Monday night.  The Islanders, out of a playoff spot, are playing for pride and could spoil the Penguins’ ambitions for Division and Conference titles. 

Penguins Explode in 3rd, Bury Devils 7-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins exploded for 5-goals in the 3rd period to bury the New Jersey Devils 7-1 and take over 1st place in the Atlantic Division.  Evgeni Malkin broke the 100-point mark as he picked up 3-points (2G, 1A) to pull back within 4-points (102) of Alexander Ovechkin (106) for the NHL scoring lead.  Ryan Malone had 2-points (2G), Marian Hossa had 3-points (3A), Pascal Dupuis had 2-points (1G, 1A), Petr Sykora had 3-points (1G, 2A), and Sergei Gonchar had 2-points (2A).  Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24-of-25 shots to notch a win against the Devils.  The Penguins trail the Montreal Canadiens by 1-point for the Eastern Conference lead, but have a game in hand against the Habs. 

In the 1st period, Jarkko Ruutu put the Penguins on the board first at 1:30 as he scored his 5th goal of the season, and 3rd goal in his last 3-games.  Marian Hossa and Darryl Sydor picked up the assists.  At 9:04, the Devils got the equalizer as Brian Gionta beat Marc-Andre Fleury on a short-handed opportunity to make it 1-1.  John Madden picked up the lone assist.  The Devils outshot the Penguins 13-8 in the first.  The Penguins killed off their only penalty and were 0-for-2 on the powerplay, but did give up the short-hander.  

In the 2nd period, Ryan Malone put the Penguins back in the lead as he took a beautiful feed from Pascal Dupuis and beat Martin Brodeur with a short-handed goal of their own.  Brooks Orpik picked up the other assist.  Both teams picked up 7-shots in the period.  The Penguins were 0-for-1 on the power play and successfully killed off 2-penalties as they picked up a short-handed goal.

In the 3rd period, the Penguins put the hurt on the Devils by scoring 5-goals.  The Penguins chased Martin Brodeur from the net after scoring 2-goals on 4-shots in the 3rd before peppering back-up goaltender Kevin Weekes and scoring 3-goals on 9-shots.  The first goal came on the powerplay at 3:00 as Ryan Malone deflected a Sergei Gonchar blast to score his 26th of the season and 2nd of the night.  Marian Hossa got the other assist.  Less than 2-minutes later, Pascal Dupuis got his 12th goal of the season as he sent Martin Brodeur to an early shower.  Marian Hossa got his 3rd assist and Sergei Gonchar got his 2nd assist of the night.  Then at 8:24, Evgeni Malkin scored his 43rd goal of the season and notched his 100th point and beat Kevin Weekes on the man-advantage.  Kris Letang and Petr Sykora assisted on the play.  Then at 11:21, Evgeni Malkin and Petr Sykora connected as Malkin beat Weekes again to make it 6-1.  But Sykora and Malkin weren’t done with Weekes as Petr Sykora took a Malkin feed at 18:18 to put an exclamation point on the Penguins offensive explosion.  Ryan Whitney was credited with the other assist.  The Penguins outshot the Devils 13-5 in the 3rd and were 2-for-3 on the power play, despite failing to score on a 5-minute boarding major to Travis Zajac after he pummeled Sergei Gonchar head first into the boards. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Locker Room Interviews
• PHOTOS:  In-GamePhotos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline Show
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The Penguins travel to New York to take on the Islanders on Monday night before reuniting with the Devils for a rematch in New Jersey on Tuesday night. 

Penguins Beat Lightning 4-2

The Pittsbirgh Penguins scored 2-quick goals in the opening minute of the 3rd-period to beat the down-and-out Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Thursday night.  Evgeni Malkin picked up 2-points (1G, 1A) to record his 99th point of the season, and fell just short of his 100th on an empty net goal by Marian Hossa that came just after the buzzer sounded to end the game.  The win ties the Penguins in points with the New Jersey Devils who have a game in hand.  The Penguins will have a chance to put themselves ahead of the Devils when they meet on Saturday at Mellon Arena and again on Tuesday in New Jersey. 

In the 1st period, the Penguins got on the board first as Jarkko Ruutu jumped on a rebound from a Brooks Orpik shot and notched his 4th goal of the season at 14:20.  Max Talbot was credited with the other assist.  After he put the puck in net, Ruutu took a high stick to the face from Dan Boyle.  Boyle was only assessed a 2-minute penalty despite the fact that Ruutu was bleeding and required 10-15 stitches before returning to the game.  Shots were even at 8 in the 1st, and both teams failed to convert on one man-advantage opportunity.

In the 2nd, the Lightning evened the score at 4:18 on a Vincent Lecavalier powerplay goal as Jarkko Ruutu sat for a boarding call.  Jussi Jokinen and Filip Kuba picked up the assists on the play.  Evgeni Malkin put the Penguins back in the lead at 10:05 as he scored his 42nd of the season on a bad-angle backhander that he lifted above a sprawling Mike Smith.  Ryan Whitney had the lone assist.  The Penguins were outshot 6-4 in the 2nd, went 0-for-1 on the powerplay, and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.

In the 3rd, the Penguins scored twice in the 1st minute of play to put the game out of reach for the Lightning.  The first goal came at 0:35 as Jordan Staal buried a rebound off from a Pascal Dupuis shot for his 12th goal of the season.  It was Staal’s 3rd-goal and 4th-point in the last 5-games.  Pascal Dupuis has been on fire for the Penguins as he recorded his 7th assist in the last 4-games.  Just 16-seconds later, Petr Sykora netted his 26th of the season off from a feed from Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Malone.  A minute later, the Lightning got the final tally on a powerplay goal by Filip Kuba as Petr Sykora sat for slashing.  Martin St. Louis and Jussi Jokinen picked up the assists.  The Penguins outshot the Lightning 11-7 in the final frame and were 0-for-1 on the powerplay and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Locker Room Interviews
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play 

Evgeni Malkin’s 99th point puts him 3-points behind Alexander Ovechkin in the NHL scoring race, with a game in hand.  The Penguins host the New Jersey Devils in a Eastern Conference showdown at Mellon Arena on Saturday night. 

Penguins Tripped Up By Rangers

After playing two games in which they outscored their opponents 14-4, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost 5-2 on Tuesday night to the New York Rangers.  Penguins’ goaltender Ty Conklin gave up 5 goals on 30 shots and fell short of the performance he has routinely provided for the Penguins this season.  The red hot line of Evgeni Malkin, Petr Sykora and Ryan Malone also failed to record a point after putting up a combined 14-points in just the last 2-games.  The loss prevented the Penguins from re-taking the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference lead from the idle New Jersey Devils. 

In the 1st period, the Rangers outshot the Penguins and established a 2-0 lead on goals by Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan just 40-seconds apart.  At 11:07, Sean Avery scored his 14th goal of the season to open the scoring.  Jaromir Jagr and Michal Rozsival got the assists on the play.  Then at 11:47, Ryan Callahan beat Ty Conklin to make it 2-0.  Chris Drury and Martin Straka were credited with the assists.  The Penguins were outshot 12-8 in the first and failed to convert on the lone power play advantage of the period.

In the 2nd period, it looked as if the Penguins might rejoin the game after they scored 2 early goals to tie the game 2-2.  At 1:38, Jarkko Ruutu picked up his 3rd goal of the season as he beat Henik Lundqvist with a backhander.  Ryan Whitney and Darryl Sydor were credited with the assists.  Then at 3:11, Jordan Staal wristed a goal past Lundqvist to tie it up.  Newcomers Pascal Dupuis and Marian Hossa assisted on the tally.  But a little less than a minute later, the Rangers regained the lead on an unassisted wrister by Fredrik Sjostrom.  The Penguins outshot the Rangers 11-9 in the 2nd, despite being short-handed 2-times as Dupuis (hooking) and Staal (tripping) each sat for 2-minutes. 

In the final frame, the Rangers added 2-more goals to put the game out of reach for the Penguins.  At 5:37, Sean Avery scored his 3nd goal of the night to make it 4-2 on a feed from Daniel Girardi and Brandon Dubinsky.  Then at 11:29, Martin Straka collected his 14th of the season on a feed from Chris Drury.  The Rangers outshot the Penguins 9-5 in the 3rd as neither team was given a man-advantage. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The Penguins return home to host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday evening before hosting the New Jersey Devils on Saturday in a continuing battle for the Eastern Conference title. 

 

Penguins Crush Flyers 7-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins crushed a withering Philadelphia Flyers 7-1 in a Sunday matinee, climbing back to within a point of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference leading New Jersey Devils.  It was the second consecutive 7-goal game for the Penguins who continue to play without the services of Captain Sidney Crosby who has been sidelined with a sore ankle.  Evgeni Malkin resumed his on-ice domination and picked up 4-points (2G, 2A) to back pull within 2-points of NHL scoring leader Alexander Ovechkin.  Petr Sykora also netted 4-points (2G, 2A) and Marian Hossa returned to the ice with 2-points (1G, 1A) while goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24 of 25 Flyers shots on goal. 

In the 1st period, the Penguins picked up 2-goals on just 4-shots as the Flyers outshot them 6-4.  The first goal came at 4:33 on a seemingly impossible backhand by Evgeni Malkin that beat Flyers’ goaltender Martin Biron.  The goal, Malkin’s 40th of the season, was assisted by Petr Sykora.  Then at 8:38, it was Petr Sykora’s turn as he notched his 24th of the year.  Pascal Dupuis and Evgeni Malkin picked up the assists on the play.  The Penguins killed off 3 short-handed situations in the first for penalties to the bench (too many men), Ryan Whitney (roughing) and Petr Sykora (hi-sticking).  Ryan Malone also took a matching 5-minute fighting major for a tilt with Riley Cote. 

In the 2nd period, the Penguins added to their total at 4:15 as Tyler Kennedy backhanded his 10th of the year past Biron to make it 3-0.  Max Talbot and Hal Gill assisted on the play, which chased Biron from the net in favor of Antero Nittymaki.  Then at 12:43, Mike Knuble got the Flyers on the board as he tipped in a Patrick Thoresen shot past Marc-Andre Fleury.  The Penguins bounced back just 2-minutes later as Evgeni Malkin put in his 41st of the season past Nittymaki to make it 4-1.  Petr Sykora and Ryan Malone picked up the assists on the Malkin goal.  Then just 31-seconds later, Marian Hossa made his presence felt in Pittsburgh as he snapped a shot that beat Nittymaki and realistically put the game out of reach for the Flyers at 5-1.  Sergei Gonchar and Pascal Dupuis picked up the assists.  The Penguins outshot the Flyers 16-9 in the 2nd and were 0-for-2 on the powerplay. 

In the 3rd period, the Penguins continued to punish the Flyers as Petr Sykora put up his 25th goal on a feed from Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Malone.  At 16:38, the Penguins punctuated the win on a goal by lumbering defenseman Hal Gill. his 3rd of the season.  Pascal Dupuis and Marian Hossa picked up the assists.  The Penguins dominated the 3rd, outshooting the Flyers 16-4.  The Penguins failed to connect on 3-power play opportunities. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Locker Room Interviews w/Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis, Brooks Orpik, Marc-Andre Fleury
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

Evgeni Malkin and Petr Sykora bothe had 4-points (2G, 2A).  “I had a good game,” Malkin said. “Hopefully, I’m going to keep getting points.”  Pascal Dupuis continued his very strong play picking up 3-assists.  Marian Hossa and Hal Gill both had 2-points (1G, 1A) and scored their first goals since being traded to Pittsburgh last month.  Ryan Malone picked up 2-points (2A).  Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24 shots and is 4-1-1 in his last six starts.

The Penguins travel to New York to take on the Rangers on Tuesday night.  The Penguins are chasing the New Jersey Devils for the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference Titles.  Both teams have 10-games left on the season and the Penguins trail by just a point.  The Penguins will match up with the Devils this coming Saturday and again the following Tuesday in what will likely be 2-games that will decide who wins the Atlantic Division and possibly the Eastern Conference.  The Penguins are tied in points with the Montreal Canadiens, but have a game in hand and have 1-more win than the Canadiens.  The Penguins also  have a game in hand against the Ottawa Senators who trail the Penguins by 2-points.

NHLPens.com Restored

If you attempted to visit www.NHLPens.com yesterday, you were likely surpised to find an anti-Bush splash page instead.  This site and my personal family blog were the subject of a webpage hacker attack that replaced my normal blog pages with anti-Bush propaganda.  The attack did nothing more than place their propaganda on my pages so that anyone who attempted to visit yesterday would see the hacker’s propaganda message instead of the NHLPens.com content that you would normally see. 

Unfortunately, I did not become aware of the hijacking of the site until late last night when I checked in on the websites after leaving for a family vacation yesterday morning.  Operating from my laptop, I did not have all of my normal website maintenance tools and backup material at my fingertips, so I was not able to get the site back online until this morning. 

If you tried to visit yesterday, I apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. 

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