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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
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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 Unleash Offense, Finish Season Sweep of Sabres

The Pittsburgh Penguins completed a 4-game season sweep of the Buffalo Sabres for the first time in franchise history by beating them soundly 7-3.  The Penguins continue to deal with an injury riddled lineup as Sidney Crosby and Max Talbot both sat out due to aggravation of their high ankle sprains.  However, despite dressing only 3-centers for the game, the Penguins found plenty of offense as 7-different players found the back of the net, including Chris Minard who picked up his first NHL goal.  Tyler Kennedy had a career game posting 3-points (1G, 2A).  Ty Conklin completed his dominance over the Sabres by saving 29-of-32 shots.  The win puts the Penguins back on top of the Eastern Conference in a points tie with the Canadiens, but with the advantage in games won.

In the 1st period, Tyler Kennedy put the Penguins on the board early with an amazing goal at 3:30.  Pascal Dupuis made a pass up ice to Kennedy who broke in on Ryan Miller and put the puck behind his outstretched leg for the goal.  The Penguins were outshot 8-7 in the first, were 0-for-1 on the power play and killed off 2 penalties against Connor James (tripping) and Petr Sykora (holding). 

In the 2nd period, Georges Laraque took a 5-minute elbowing major and a game misconduct on an innocent looking hit on defenseman Nathan Paetsch.  Paetsch laid motionless on the ice for several minutes before finally getting up and leaving the ice under his own power.  In the ensuing 5-minute penalty kill, the Penguins went on the offensive and took control of the game, eventually drawing a penalty on Maxime Afinogenov to even it up 4-on-4.  During the 4-on-4 play, Jeff Taffe beat Ryan Miller to make it 2-0.  Darryl Sydor and Kris Letang were credited with the assists.  Then at 18:08 while on the power play, Sergei Gonchar let a shot rip from just inside the blueline that deflected past a screened Ryan Miller to make it 3-0.  Ryan Whitney and Petr Sykora picked up the assists.  The Penguins outshot the Sabres 14-10 in the 2nd, were 1-for-2 on the power play and killed off the extended penalty to Georges Laraque. 

In the 3rd, the scoresheet filled up as a total of 7-goals were scored between the 2-teams.  The first goal went to the Penguins just 56 seconds into the period when Petr Sykora beat Ryan Miller on the power play to put the Penguins up 4-0.  Ryan Malone made a beautiful play to strip a Buffalo player of the puck and then dish it to Sykora who fired it into a wide open net.  Sergei Gonchar got the other assist.  Then, the Buffalo Sabres showed their first signs of life as they scored an even strength goal at 3:02 from Jochen Hecht with assists by Mike Weber and Maxim Afinogenov.  Then, with the Penguins on the power play, the Sabres’ Daniel Paille managed to skate in and beat Ty Conklin short-handed.  Derek Roy and Henrik Tallinder picked up the assists.  But the Penguins got it back at 8:56 on a power play goal by Evgeni Malkin, his 39th goal of the season.  Darryl Sydor and Tyler Kennedy got credited with the assists.  Then, just over a minute later, Jordan Staal made a great pass to Chris Minard who fired the puck past Ryan Miller for his first NHL career goal to make the score 6-2.  Ryan Stone picked up the other assist.  The goal resulted in Ryan Miller being replaced by former Penguin Jocelyn Thibault.  Just 46-seconds later, the Sabres managed another goal as Daniel Paille made a great play on the doorstep against Ty Conklin.  Steve Bernier picked up the assist.  The Penguins closed out the scoring on a hard shot by Kris Letang that found its way past Thibault.  Tyler Kennedy and Pascal Dupuis got the assists.  The Penguins outshot the Sabres 15-13 in the 3rd, and were 2-for-3 on the power play.  The Penguins had no penalties in the 3rd.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
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Tyler Kennedy had a 3-point night (1G, 2A) and several players picked up 2-points, including Darryl Sydor (2A), Pascal Dupuis (2A), Petr Sykora (1G, 1A), Sergei Gonchar (1G, 1A) and Kris Letang (1G, 1A).  Evgeni Malkin notched 1-point (1G) on the night to maintain 2nd place in the NHL scoring race with 93-points, 4-points behind fellow Russian Alexander Ovechkin who picked up 2-goals in his game on Wednesday.  The Penguins improved their record to 40-24-7, for 87-points.  The win tonight regained their lead of the Atlantic Division over the New Jersey Devils (86-points), and the Eastern Conference over the Montreal Canadiens (87-points, but 1 less win than the Penguins).  The Devils (12-games remaining) have a game in hand against the Penguins (11-games remaining).    

The Penguins have a few more days off before hosting the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, a noon game that will be broadcast as NBC’s game of the week.  The Penguins will hope to get Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa back for that game, but only time will tell if they are both healthy enough to play. 

Malone Scores Twice as Penguins Fall 5-4 to Senators

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost a tough one to the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on Saturday afternoon.  It is an afternoon that Sergei Gonchar would rather soon forget.  He would probably also like to forget the name Daniel Alfredsson.  Early in the 2nd period, Alfredsson blocked a Gonchar power-play shot and then blew past him to score a short-handed goal.  Then, late in the 2nd, Sergei Gonchar took a double minor for cross-checking Daniel Alfredsson after some chippy play.  During the ensuing 4-minutes in penalties, the Penguins gave up 2 goals.  The Gonchar penalty provided the game’s turning point by allowing the Senators to take a 5-3 lead.  Although Evgeni Malkin was able to get a goal late in the 3rd to draw within 1, the Penguins were never able to find the equalizer.

In the 1st period, the Penguins got on the board first at 8:43 as Ryan Malone tipped in an Evgeni Malkin feed.  Petr Sykora picked up the other assist.  AT 15:11, the Senators evened it up as Antoine Vermett tipped in a shot past Ty Conklin.  Wade Redden and Cory Stillman were credietd with the assists on the play.  Then, a minute later, Ryan Malone turned over the puck in the Penguins zone which led to a Daniel Alfredsson goal to make it 2-1.  Anton Volchenkov was credited with the lone assist.  However, with just 12 seconds left in the period and the Penguins on a power play, Petr Sykora roofed a shot over Martin Gerber to tie it back up at 2.  The Penguins were outshot 13-8 in the 1st, and were 1-for-1 on the man advantage. 

In the 2nd, the Senators got on the board first at 1:30 as Daniel Alfredsson blocked a Sergei Gonchar shot and then took the puck in and beat Ty Conklin short-handed.  But the Penguins would battle back to score a goal of their own about a minute later as Ryan Malone picked up a rebound and threw it behind Martin Gerber for his second of the night.  Alex Goligoski and Evgeni Malkin were credited with the assists.  Then at 13:40, Sergei Gonchar was assessed the double-minor for cross-checking Daniel Alfredsson.  The Senators took full advantage of the opportunity with 2 quick power play goals.  The first came from Martin Lapointe at 14:40.  Ty Conklin made the save, but the rebound deflected off from Darryl Sydor’s skate and into the net.  Then at 16:12, Dany Heatley rocketed one past Ty Conklin to make it 5-3.  The Penguins were outshot 11-9 in the 2nd and were 0-for-4 on the power play.  They gave up 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. 

In the 3rd, the Penguins doubled up the Senators by outshooting them 12-6, but it was enough to even the score.  At 14:06, Evgeni Malkin stripped Jason Spezza of the puck and skated it the length of the rink to blast it by Martin Gerber for an unassisted goal that made it 5-4.  The goal was Malkin’s 37th of the season and 3rd point (1G, 2A) of the night to extend his lead in the NHL scoring race.  The Penguins managed to kill off their only penalty in the 3rd.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
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The Penguins return to Pittsburgh for a 3PM matinee against the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday. 

Hossa Injured in Debut as Penguins Lose to Bruins 5-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost a road game to the surging Boston Bruins on Thursday night 5-1.   Goaltender Ty Conklin gave up 3-goals on just 13-shots before being replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury at 2:21 of the 2nd period.  Fleury, who made several good stops went on to save 16-of-18 shots thrown at him.  New acquisitions Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis and Hal Gill all played, but Hossa left the ice in the 2nd period after a knee-on-knee collision with Glen Murray and did not return.  Initial reports indicate that Hossa’s injury will keep him out of the lineup about a week. 

Boston’s Marco Sturm scored the first 2-goals of the game and picked up his 200th NHL goal.  Zdeno Chara, P.J. Axelsson and David Krejci also scored for Boston, which has back-to-back victories over two of the top three teams in the East.  Ty Conklin gave up 3-goals on 13-shots after posting a career high 50-saves against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.  Marc-Andre Fleury was called in relief, making it the first game he has played for the Penguins since leaving the ice on December 6 with the high ankle sprain.  The lone goal for the Penguins came late in the 3rd period from newcomer Pascal Dupuis.  Jeff Taffe and Tyler Kennedy were credited with the assists.   

Marian Hossa had completed just 13-shifts when the injury occurred.  “It was an accidental hit, knee-on-knee,” said Hossa, who could miss about a week. “This is disappointing. I was trying to get comfortable with my linemates. But injuries happen, and this is the tough luck of the business we’re in.”

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The regulation loss was the first for the Penguins in 7-games.  They completed February with an impressive 8-3-3 record and recorded 19-of-28 possible points (67.9%), much better than expected with Captain Sidney Crosby out of the lineup.  The surge can be largely credited to the play of Evgeni Malkin and Ty Conklin.  Although Malkin only scored points in 1 of his last 4 games, he scored 26-points (9G, 17A) in the 14-games during the month of February to take over the NHL scoring lead.  Ty Conklin went 6-2-3 in February and his 0.930 save percentage leads the league. 

The Penguins travel to Ottawa next for a matinee against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon, and then back to Pittsburgh for a Sunday matinee against the Atlanta Thrashers. 

   

Ty Conklin Stops 50-Shots as Penguins Beat Isles 4-2

The Pittsburgh Penguins capped an emotional trade day by beating the New York Islanders 4-2, despite being undermanned in the early going and being outshot 52-20.  Ty Conklin had a stellar night in net as he turned aside 50 shots while Marc-Andre Fleury looked on from the bench.  The Penguins appeared to be playing with a Hossa hangover for much of the game, giving up numerous chances to the Islanders and committing 10-penalties.  But it was the Penguins special teams that had the edge by scoring 2 power play goals and killing off 9-of-10 short-handed situations.  With Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen out of the lineup and on their way to Atlanta, the Penguins started the game 2-players short while they waited on call-ups Connor James and Jason Smith to arrive at the arena from Wilkes-Barre.   

In the 1st, the Penguins got on the board first as Evgeni Malkin scored his 36th goal of the season from Petr Sykora and Jeff Taffe at 10:50.  Malkin managed to circle around from behind the net to low circle and lifted the puck over Rick DiPietro to make it 1-0.  While on the power play at 17:52, Jeff Taffe picked up his 4th goal of the season as he poked in a rebound that was lost between the legs of an Islanders’ defenseman to the right side of the net.  Tyler Kennedy and Kris Letang were credited with the assists.  Despite leading 2-0 at the end of the period, the Penguins were woefully outshot in the 1st by 23-6.  The Penguins were 1-for-3 on the power play and killed off 4 of their own. 

In the 2nd, the Islanders got back into the game on a goal poked in by Frans Nielsen at 10:26.  Assists were given to Jeff Tambellini and Frederick Meyer.  The Penguins were outshot 11-4 in the 2nd, as they successfully killed off 4-penalties.  The Penguins had no power play opportunities in the period.

In the 3rd, it was Jordan Staal who finally converted on a chance as he picked up his 9th goal of the season on a beautiful feed from Evgeni Malkin at 12:55.  Petr Sykora picked up the other assist.  Then at 16:58, all the way from Wilkes-Barre, it was Connor James picking up his first NHL goal on the power play after taking a dead-on saucer pass over the stick of an Islander defenseman from Ryan Whitney.  At 17:03, a fiesty Tyler Kennedy took on Mike Comrie in a short bout in which Kennedy appeared to finish with the upper hand.  Finally, at 18:43 with Evgeni Malkin in the box for a tripping call, the Islanders’ Ruslan Fedotenko put up the final goal from Josef Vasicek and Trent Hunter to make the score 4-2 Penguins.

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The win capped an emotional day for the young Penguins who lost 2-close friends and teammates to the trade just prior to the deadline.  It was a likely distraction for the team as they didn’t have a great deal of time to adjust to the news before having to take the ice.  Despite the lack of offensive dominance, the Penguins took advantage of their chances.  Evgeni Malkin returned to the scoring sheet by picking up 2-points (1G, 1A) and regaining the league lead.  Petr Sykora netted 2-assists before leaving the ice late in the 3rd with an unspecified injury.  Jeff Taffe picked up 2-points (1G, 1A), extending his scoring streak to 3-games.  The Penguins extended their February record to 8-2-3, picking up 19-of-24 available points so far, and drew within 1-point of the Eastern Conference leading New Jersey Devils who picked up a point in an overtime loss.  The Penguins overtook the Ottawa Senators by a point tonight as the Senators lost to Boston. 

The Penguins travel to Boston on Thursday night to take on the Bruins.  New acquisition Marian Hossa is expected to join the team for the game.  “I’m really looking forward to joining this group,” he said. “You look at the centermen and you have Sid, Malkin and (Jordan) Staal. They are some really strong, great young players. They have good goaltending and good moving defensemen.  They create lots of offense. I am really looking forward to playing with these guys.”  It is presumed that Hal Gill and Pascal Dupuis will also be joining the team on Thursday. 

Penguins Battle Hard, But Lose to Senators in OT

The Pittsburgh Penguins missed an opportunity to move into 1st place in the Eastern Conference as they lost to the Ottawa Senators with just 3.2-seconds left in ovetime on Saturday afternoon.  Despite outshooting the Senators 17-8 in the 1st period and building a 3-0 lead through the fist half of the game, the Penguins played a little sloppy late in the 2nd and allowed the Senators to battle back and pick up 2 goals and then one early in the 3rd to send it to overtime.  It looked like the game was destined for a shootout when Daniel Alfredsson scored the game winner with just seconds left on the clock to make it 4-3.  Red hot Evgeni Malkin played like a beast, but failed to put up any points, ending his 10-game points streak.  Despite the loss, the Penguins played a very strong game.

In the 1st period, the Penguins came out and man-handled the Senators with the help of 4-power play opportunities.  Petr Sykora cashed in on the first opportunity just 1:47 into the game.  He was assisted by Ryan Whitney and Ryan Malone.  The goal was Petr Sykora’s 20th of the season, marking the 8th time in his career to reach the 20-goal plateau.  The Penguins were unable to notch another power-play goal in the first, despite some fabulous opportunities.  The Penguins managed to stay out of the penalty box.

In the 2nd, it looked like it was going to be all Penguins as they continued to dominate through the 1st half of the period.  At 4:09, Colby Armstrong came down the right wing and blew a shot to the top of the net above Ray Emery to make it 2-0 on his 9th goal of the season.  Max Talbot and Rob Scuderi were credited with the assists.  Then at 10:20, it was Jeff Taffe who gathered some trash to the right side of a flailing Emery and lifted it into the net.  The goal, Taffe’s 3rd, was assisted by Jordan Staal and Darryl Sydor.  But at 12:47, a misplay by Ty Conklin led to a Cory Stillman goal that put the Senators on the scoreboard and ignited some fire in the lifeless team.  Chris Kelly and Antoine Vermette picked up the assists.  Less than 5-minutes later, the Senators scored again as Dany Heatley picked up his 29th of the season with assists by Cory Stillman and Wayne Redden.  The Senators ended up outshooting the Penguins 11-7 in the 2nd, despite being short-handed twice.  The Penguins were 0-for-2 on the power play and again managed to stay out of the penalty box. 

In the 3rd, it was Dany Heatley again, notching his 30th goal at 6:09 from Randy Robitaille and Jason Spezza to tie it at 3-apiece.  It was the last goal to be scored in regulation as both teams put 7-shots on the board.  The Penguins killed off their only penalty and had no more power play opportunities.  Through 3-periods, Evgeni Malkin had 7-shots on goal but was unable to put one home. 

The Penguins had more opportunities in the overtime frame, missing on 4-shots, including one by Ryan Malone that hit both the left and right goal posts but failed to go in.  Malone, who thought he had scored raised his hands in jubilation, but it wasn’t meant to be.  Play continued as the clock ticked down to 3.2 seconds when Daniel Alfredsson managed to put a backhander past Conklin for the win.  Andrej Meszaros was credited with the assist. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
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The Penguins picked up 1-point in the standings, to fall 2-points behind the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference race.  The New Jersey Devils won their game this afternoon against the New York Islanders, to put them 1-point ahead of the Penguions in the Atlantic Division.  Early in the 2nd, the Montreal Canadiens were losing 2-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Penguins have an opportunity to bounce back on Sunday as they host the San Jose Sharks in another 3PM matinee game. 

Penguins Beat Panthers 3-2 as Malkin Grasps NHL Scoring Lead

The Pittsburgh Penguins clawed back from a 2-0 deficit in the 3rd period to beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 in regulation on Tuesday night, keeping them firmly in the hunt for the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference titles.  Evgeni Malkin picked up 2-assists in the game to push him a point ahead of fellow Russian Alexander Ovechkin in the race for the NHL’s scoring title.  Malkin now leads all NHL players with 79-points (34G, 45A), after an amazing February surge in which he has picked up 21-points (7G, 14A) in just 9-games.  In the 14-games since Sidney Crosby was injured, Evgeni Malkin has accumulated 27-points (11G, 16A) and has been the backbone of the team’s offensive production.  The win improves the Penguins’ record to 34-21-5 and a seemingly improbable 8-4-2 with Crosby out of the lineup.  Penguins’ MVP contender Ty Conklin had another very good game in net, advancing his record to 16-4-3;  his 0.932 save percentage leads the league.   

In the 1st period, the Panthers got on the board first with an even strength goal at 16:24 by David Booth, his 18th of the season.  Kamil Kreps and Bryan Allen picked up the assists on the Pathers’ goal.  The Penguins found themselves short-handed 3-times in the 1st as Brooks Orpik (tripping), Colby Armstrong (tripping) and Tyler Kennedy (roughing/cross checking) were called for infractions.  Kennedy’s double-call came on a quick fight with Panthers’ left winger David Booth for which the officials handed out matching roughing penalties.  Kennedy was assessed an additional 2-minutes for a cross check that preceeded the mini-fight.  The Penguins successfully killed off all 3 short-handed situations, but failed to convert on 1 power play chance of their own.  The Panthers outshot the Penguins 12-10 in the period.

In the 2nd, the Penguins inability to score on the power play became that much more costly when they turned over the puck to Brett Mclean at 12:18 and he skated in on Ty Conklin to score an unassisted short-hander to make it 2-0.  Despite being given 4-chances on the power play in the period, the Penguins were just unable to convert.  The Panthers effectively forced the Penguins to dump and chase on the power play, and then beat them to the corners to clear the puck.  The Penguins managed to stay out of the penalty box in the 2nd, and outshot the Panthers 11-7. 

In the 3rd, the Penguins pulled within a goal on a blast by Colby Armstrong that beat Tomas Vokoun with a 34-foot slapshot.  An ever-hungry Evgeni Malkin picked up his 44th assist on the play by feeding Armstrong with another perfect pass.  With just 3:20 left in the game, the Penguins tied it up as Ryan Malone redirected a blast by Ryan Whitney for his 18th goal of the season.  Evgeni Malkin got the other assist on the play that was reviewed to confirm that the puck was not kicked into the goal.  With 1:05 left in the game, Jay Bouwmeester was called for hooking Evgeni Malkin as he skated along the blueline and attempted to take a pass.  The Penguins, determined to take advantage of this man-advantage, finally converted on a power move to the net by Ryan Malone with just 23-seconds left in the game.  Malone carried the puck wide and then pulled up in front of Vokoun while trying to move the puck from his backhand to his forehand.  Although he lost the puck off his backhand, he managed to find it again between Vokoun’s pads and poked it in just as he was bowled into Vokoun by the Panthers’ defense.  Ty Conklin and Sergei Gonchar were credited with the assists.  The goal put a bold punctuation mark on the Penguins come from behind victory.

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The Penguins (5th in the East) travel to Montreal on Thursday to take on the Canadiens (4th in the East) in a battle between two top teams in the tight Eastern Conference.  There is plenty of speculation that Sidney Crosby may make his return on Thursday, but there has been no official confirmation of that plan.  Video highlights shown during Tuesday night’s game of Crosby in practice with the team on Monday showed no apparent ill effects of the high ankle sprain.  If not Thursday, it appears that Crosby’s return is fast approaching. 

Penguins Rattle Sabres 4-1, Regain Atlantic Lead

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 on Sunday night to regain the Atlantic Division lead alongside the New Jersey Devils.  After 59 games, the Penguins and the Devils amazingly share the exact same record (33-21-5) with 71-points, just 2-points behind the Eastern Conference leading Ottawa Senators.  Penguins goaltender Ty Conklin had another superb night in net as he turned aside 36-shots on goal to claim the game’s 1st star, and kept the Penguins in the game despite an offensive onslaught by the Sabres early on.  Red hot Evgeni Malkin continued his surge as he picked up 2-more points (1G, 1A) to pull within 1-point of Alexander Ovechkin for the NHL scoring lead.   

In the 1st period, it was all Buffalo as they outshot the Penguins 17-6.  Despite the lopsided play, Ty Conklin stood on his head, kept everything out of the net and kept the Penguins in the game.  The rest of the Penguins team continued their lackluster play of late throughout much of the period.  Aside from failing to keep their feet moving, they made some bad passes that resulted in turnovers.  As a result, the Sabres had the Penguins chasing the play through much of the period.  The Penguins managed to weather a lone penalty kill when Georges Laraque took a questionable roughing call at 3:05. 

In the 2nd, the Penguins got on the board first with a breakaway chance by Jarkko Ruutu as he emerged from the Penalty box at 7:28.  At the expiration of his 2-minute hooking call, Ruutu stepped onto the ice and skated to his own blueline before wheeling around towards the Sabres net and taking a long up-ice pass from Ryan Malone for the breakaway on Buffalo netminder Ryan Miller.  Ruutu made a couple of moves and then beat Miller on the backhand.  Rob Scuderi picked up the other assist.  Just 2-minutes later, Petr Sykora scored a power play goal on a 2-on-1 break with Evgeni Malkin to put the Penguins up 2-0.  Malkin attempted the shot, but it was deflected by the lone Sabres’ defenseman and bounced in front of Sykora who whacked it out of the air and into the net behind Miller.  At 14:45, Buffalo drew within one when Thomas Vanek wristed a power play goal while Colby Armstrong sat for an unsportsmanlike conduct call.  Derek Roy and Jason Pominville were credited with the assists.  The Penguins were outshot 10-6 in the 2nd and were 1-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill. 

In the final frame, Evgeni Malkin picked up his 34th goal of the season at 8:13 as he drove the net hard and poked in a rebound as Max Talbot and Petr Sykora crashed the net.  Malkin’s momentum carried him into the net with the puck after the goal was scored, but the hungry scorer was quick to come back out with a fist pump and a bounce off the glass to celebrate.  Talbot and Sykora were credited with the assists.  Trailing by 2-goals, the Sabres pulled Miller with 57-seconds left to go in the game.  Colby Armstrong took advantage of the open cage by flipping the puck past two defenders from the blueline, with the puck finding its way right into the middle of the net.  Ryan Malone was credited with the assist, his 2nd of the night.  The Penguins outshot the Sabres in the 3rd 13-10 and were o-for-1 on the powerplay and 1-for-1 on the kill.

• VIDEO:  Video Highlights
• 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

“Certainly we had to weather a bit of a storm early, but I think we got our legs under us as the game went on,” said Conklin, now 15-4-3. “We capitalized on our breaks.”  Coach Therrien was quick to credit Conklin on his play, “When your goalie’s giving you the performance like Ty gave us, it gives your team some confidence.  He’s a big part of the reason why we had success.”  One has to hope that the Penguins have awoken from their brief slumber over the period of 2 and a half games and will regain their momentum from the win over the Sabres. 

During the game, a Buffalo announcer stated that he had spoken with Crosby between periods and he had indicated that he could be back as soon as Tuesday when the Penguins host the Panthers.  However, the Penguins official website noted on Sunday night that Crosby is still expected to be out through the end of the month.  Nonetheless, the fact that he has started full contact practice with the team is very encouraging news.  It was also stated that Gary Roberts could be back within a week, although, one has to wonder if he will spend any time at WBS getting back into game shape.

The Penguins are back on the ice Tuesday night as they take on the Florida Panthers at Mellon Arena. 

Penguins Stumble Against Bruins and Hurricanes

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost back-to-back games against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night (2-1) and the Carolina Hurricanes (4-2) on Thursday night.  Despite the losses, they still retained 1st place in the Atlantic Division, however they are just 1-point ahead of the New Jersey Devils who have a game in hand against the Penguins.  Both games frustrated the Penguins who struggled to find the offensive flair that they had exhibited in their previous 3-games.  Workhouse Evgeni Malkin continued his scoring streak, but picked up just one point (goals) in each game after delivering 5-straight multi-point games. 

On Wednesday night, the Penguins finished out their 4-game home stand as they hosted the Boston Bruins.  The Penguins, rested since a Sunday win over the Flyers, were outplayed by the Bruins who were playing their 2nd game in 2-nights.  The Bruins did a tremendous job of clogging up the neutral zone and preventing the Penguins entry into the offensive zone.  This forced the Penguins to dump the puck and try to win the chase into the corners, but they were often beat to play by the Bruins.  It resulted in few scoring opportunities for the Penguins who were outshot 33-21, including a 13-4 1st period in favor of the Bruins.  Goaltender Ty Conklin kept them in the game, despite giving up 2-goals in the lopsided 1st period, but he Penguins were only able to muster 1-goal in the latter half of the 3rd period off from the stick of Evgeni Malkin.  Petr Sykora and Jordan Staal picked up the assists.  The final score was 2-1, Bruins.

• Penguins/Bruins Video Highlights
• Penguins/Bruins Game Summary

On Thursday night, there was no love for the Penguins on Valentine’s day as they lost to Carolina 4-2.  While the Penguins played a bit better than they did on Wednesday night, they were dominated by the Hurricanes who outshot them 46-22.  The Hurricanes were playing with an injury depleted roster, and lost the services of Rod Brind’Amour to a knee injury early in the game.  The Penguins frustration was evident, particularly with Evgeni Malkin who found the net once, but was played very physically by the Canes and was stymied seevral times.  The Penguins continued to struggle with poor puck decisions, with several turnovers resulting by bad passes onto the sticks of the Hurricanes’ offense.  The Penguins found an unlikely goal in th e1st period off from the stick of Brooks Orpik, his 1st of the season, from Colby Armstrong and Jarkko Ruutu.  Then in the 2nd, Evgeni Malkin picked up an unassisted goal to put the Penguins up 2-1.  Despite getting 6-man advantage opportunities, the Penguins were only able to capitalize on one (Malkin’s goal).  Despite giving up 4-goals, Dany Sabourin made 42 saves for a 0.913 save percentage.

• Penguins/Canes Video Highlights
• Penguins/Canes Game Summary

The Penguins get a few days off before traveling to Buffalo on Sunday to take on the Sabres. 

Malkin Sizzles as Penguins Beat Flyers 4-3

Evgeni Malkin continued his torrid play and the Pittsburgh Penguins added some pad to their lead over the Atlantic Division on Sunday as they beat the Philadelphia Flyers for the first time this season by a score of 4-3.  The 3-point lead that the Penguins now have in the Atlantic Division is the largest any team has enjoyed in weeks, as the Devils, Flyers and Penguins have been in a pitched battle for division supremacy.  Malkin led his team to their 3rd consecutive win with another outstanding multi-point performance, playing a part in every Penguin goal scored and picking up 4-points (1G, 3A).  He now trails Alexander Ovechkin by just 3-points for the league lead (76) and is tied for 2nd with Daniel Alfredsson at 73 points.  Surprisingly, no Russian has ever won the NHL scoring title…..yet. 

It has been 3-weeks since Sidney Crosby was sidelined with a high ankle sprain, an injury that many thought would severely handicap the Penguins ability to make the playoffs.  Michel Therrien asked that his team step up in Crosby’s absence and try to play 0.500 hockey.  For Evgeni Malkin, that wasn’t good enough!  He stated that he wanted to lead this team in Crosby’s absence, and he has now left no doubts about his abilities as an elite player and team leader.  Malkin has put the team on his back and has driven the Penguins record to 6-2-2 since Crosby was sidelined.  Over that timeframe of 10-games, Malkin has picked up 21-points (8G, 13A).  He may be just getting started, however, as he has posted 5-consecutive multi-point games.  He has managed to score 15-points in those 5-games.  Malkin has figured in 62% of the Penguins goal scoring since Crosby was injured.  Because of his play, the Penguins are not playing 0.500 hockey…….they have garnered 14 of 20 possible points with Crosby out of the lineup, an amazing 70%.  Instead of hanging onto a playoff spot, they find themselves in 1st place in the Atlantic, 2nd in the Eastern Conference and tied for 4th in the league.  Malkin’s parents arrived from Russia this weekend for a 2-week stay to watch him play.  “Hopefully we’re going to win all these games and I’m going to play good,” Malkin said through an interpreter. “I’ve never had a stretch like this over here in NHL or back in the Russian league.”  Coach Therrien complimented Malkin on his play.  “He’s upgraded his game a big notch, so give him a lot of credit,” said Therrien. “He showed everyone that he is a great player. He is showing that he can be a great leader.”

In the 1st period, the Flyers got on the board first with a power play goal by R.J. Umberger at 6:34 while Maxime Talbot served a double-minor (slashing/roughing).  Jeff Carter and Randy Jones picked up the assist on the Flyers’ goal.  At 16:20, Petr Sykora tied it up on a wicked snap-shot that beat Martin Biron.  Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Malone were credited with the assists.  At 17:21, Steve Downie and Jarkko Ruutu tangled in a lengthy fight that ended when an exhausted Downie dropped his fists, turned and skated away.  The Penguins outshot the Flyers 8-7 in the first and failed to score at the end of the 1st on a man advantage opportunity that spilled over into the 2nd period. 

In the 2nd, the Penguins capitalized quickly on the carryover man-advantage from the 1st period.  Sergei Gonchar picked up his 9th goal of the season on a wrist shot, with assists by Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.  The score remained 2-1 until late in the 2nd when Evgeni Malkin took a feed from Petr Sykora and roofed it over Biron for his 31st of the season at 18:43.  Ryan Malone picked up the other assist.  The Penguins outshot the Flyers 12-9 in the 2nd, and there were no penalties for either team. 

In the 3rd, the Flyers scored quickly as R.J. Umberger wristed one past Ty Conklin at 0:43 for his second of the night.  Steve Downie and James Vandermeer gathered the assists.  The Penguins regained the 2-point lead, however, when Kris Letang scored his 4th of the season at 12:14.  Evgeni Malkin and Petr Sykora were credieted with assists on the play.  The Flyers continued to press the Penguins and managed to get one more at 19:27 with their goalie pulled, but were never able to catch up.  Scott Hartnell picked up the goal from Mike Richards and Kimmo Timonen.  The Penguins were 0-for-1 on the power play and killed off 2 short-handed situations for the win.

Ty Conklin turned aside 12-shots in the 3rd as the Flyers outshot the Penguins 14-5.  The win improved Conklin’s record to 14-3-3 on the season.  Petr Sykora picked up 3-points (1G, 2A) for his 5th consecutive game with a point.  Ryan Malone picked up 2-assists and Kris Letang finished with 2-points (1G, 1A).    

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post Game Locker Room Interviews w/Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Jarkko Ruutu, Ryan Whitney, Petr Sykora
• 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

The Pittsburgh Penguins close out their 4-game homestand as they host the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night, February 13th.  They will then travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes on Thursday night. 

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