The Pittsburgh Penguins made a statement Thursday night by taking the Pacific Division leading San Jose Sharks behind the woodshed with a 5-1 thumping. A four-goal second period burst made up for a scoreless first period as the Pens snapped the Sharks’ six-game win streak.
San Jose came to Pittsburgh’s Consol Energy Center riding some serious momentum with wins over rivals Anaheim, Los Angeles and St. Louis. Goaltender Antti Niemi was particularly impressive during the run, which began after an identical 5-1 skunking at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks. The loss was only the second for San Jose in their last 11 games, and matched a season high for goals allowed.
For Pittsburgh it provided a sigh of relief for the Penguins’ faithful who were already dealing with the unexpected loss of Evgeni Malkin who left the Thursday morning skate with a “lower-body injury”. The reigning NHL player of the month had recently caught fire and was pushing teammate Sidney Crosby for supremacy in the NHL scoring race. With Malkin out, Crosby and line mate Chris Kunitz took charge of the offense, combining for two goals and three assists.
The star of the night however, was also the number one star of the game: Marc-Andre Fleury. The oft-embattled Pens goaltender stopped 44 of 45 San Jose shots for the game, including a spectacular second period when Fleury was peppered with 24 shots. San Jose dominated possession for large chunks of the game, and after falling behind 4-1, kept the pressure on Fleury, outshooting the Pens 14-3 in the final frame. After a brutal November that saw Fleury post a 6-5-1 record, Pittsburgh has to be pleased after Thursday night’s brilliant effort.
The Pittsburgh win propels them further out in front of the putrid Metropolitan Division, 11 points ahead of the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals. The Sharks fell to 19-4-5 and remain two points in front of second place Anaheim. It was a signature win for Pittsburgh, which made the most of their 30 shots on goal. The Western Conference had dominated the NHL, since the start of the season, but Pittsburgh improved to 5-2 against teams out west. The three assists by Crosby give him 26 on the season with 41 total points. He extended his lead over the inactive Malkin to four points, and looks like he has shifted into the gear that separates him from almost everyone else in the NHL. The balance of power might still be in the Western Conference, but the Penguins took a stand at home to remind the rest of the league that they could be the team to beat.NHL Player Profile: Chris Kunitz