Penguins at Maple Leafs
THE STORY: Evgeni Malkin didn't let the All-Star break slow him down. The NHL's point leader scored the game-tying goal with 6.6 seconds remaining in regulation and added the winner in the shootout as the Pittsburgh Penguins collected their season-high eighth straight victory with a 5-4 triumph over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. Malkin has collected 14 points (10 goals, four assists) during the team's winning streak. How blessed is the Russian these days? Well, the game-tying tally went in off his chest to cap the comeback. "You've got to win a lot of different ways," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "I'm not sure we deserved the fate we got." Malkin, Bylsma and the Penguins won't have long to savor the flavor of this victory as they'll head north of the border on Wednesday to face Toronto in the back end of a home-and-home series.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN, RIS
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (29-17-4): While Pittsburgh continues to win on the ice, it received a boost off of it as well. The team revealed that captain Sidney Crosby is dealing with a soft-tissue injury in his neck. While there is no timetable for his return, the diagnosis is considered a positive since it is treatable. "The biggest thing I can take from this is this is something I can work on. I can come in and get my neck worked on," Crosby said Tuesday. "There is a pretty big possibility this (the neck problem) could be causing some of the issues. I hope that's the case and with treatment it will improve and hopefully that's the end of it."
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (25-19-6): Mikhail Grabovski looked like he was going to celebrate his 28th birthday in style when he netted the first two goals of the game. The NHL's First Star of the Week, Grabovski has secured eight tallies in his last three contests and 10 goals and 10 assists in 16 games. G Jonas Gustavsson stopped 31 shots on Tuesday, but has received better fortune at home. The 27-year-old Swede has posted an 8-5-0 mark with three shutouts and a 2.47 goals-against average at the Air Canada Centre.
OVERTIME:
1. Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury is showing no signs of wear and tear as he recorded his career-high 23rd straight start on Tuesday. Fleury, who made 35 saves, improved to 4-2-1 in his career versus Toronto.
2. Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf snapped an eight-game streak without a point by collecting an assist on Tuesday.