Pens 3, Flames 2 SHOOTOUT!

An unlikely hero, Kris Letang, netted the game winner in for the Pens in a shootout victory over the Calgary Flames last night. Letang was the round four shooter and lifted the puck beautifully over Calgary's goaltender, Miikka Kiprusoff. Preceeding Letang in the shootout were Sykora (goal), Crosby (saved) and Malkin (saved). Calgary's Kristian Huselius was the lone scorer in the shootout for the Flames.

Marc Andre Fleury left the game a few minutes into the first period with an apparent leg (or ankle) injury and was replaced, admirably, by Dany Sabourin. Future updates on Fleury's status will be posted as they become known.

Regulation goals for the Pens were from Malkin, a power play goal, and Ryan Malone with an outstanding short handed goal that tied the score midway through the third period.

All in all an outstanding effort from the Pens the last three games. They have managed to come from from behind in two of the three and put a thorough pounding on the Coyotes in the other. They have played soundly in the defensive end and have been gritty up front, constantly crashing the net.

Pittsburgh has now won three in a row and 6 out of the last 7. Quite a good streak considering 5 of those 7 games have been on the road.

There has been a lot of media interest in the Pens this week as this trip was the first time Sid Crosby has played in Western Canada in his three years in the NHL. This is a result of the unbalanced schedule the the NHL recently trashed in favor of one where each team plays all other teams as least once a season. There will always be intense media scrutiny on Sid but should not be as much if Pittsburgh plays every other season in each arena. And by the way, how is it possible that a 20 year old is able to be so mature and stand up to all of the pressure placed on his shoulders the way Crosby is able to do?

Just a point of interest that I noticed and was dicussing with a co-working this morning - the ice up north is awesome! Just watching the past two games, and making a comparison to what I've seen in Pittsburgh this season, the speed of the game is incredibly different. The puck does not bounce around on the ice and the players are able to make crisp, clean passes without wondering where the puck is going to go. Great job to the ice crews in Edmonton and Calgary!