Crosby scores OT winner in 3-2 win over Panthers

10:32pm - Monday, November 23rd, 2009 by DePaoli

Post-Florida Thoughts

The Florida Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 third period lead and did the worst thing you can do against the Penguins; sit back and play conservative

The Panthers let the Penguins hang around just long enough and Pittsburgh's role players came up big in regulation as Pascal Dupuis (6) scored at 4:49 of the third period to cut the Panthers lead to 2-1 and Michael Rupp (5) scored with 2:32 remaining in the third period to tie the game at 2-2.

Just over a minute into overtime, Panthers winger Nathan Horton was called for a controversial four minute double minor for high-sticking Brooks Orpik which led to Sidney Crosby (11) scoring the game winner (PPG) at 3:07 in overtime as the Penguins prevailed 3-2.

Pittsburgh outshot the Panthers 45-21 in the game, including a 16-3 advantage in the third period and a 6-0 advantage in overtime. Marc Andre Fleury made 19 saves to earn his 13th victory of the season.

Post-Game Wrap

*You won't hear too many analyst criticize Evgeni Malkin publicly for any parts of his game but Penguins TV color analyst Bob Errey criticized Malkin's effort on face-offs tonight in the third period when Malkin was 1-for-9 at that time.

Errey's critique of Malkin was warranted. Malkin's never going to be a dominant or even average on face-offs but on some occasions he shows no interest in trying to win a draw. That needs to change. Malkin finished the game 3-for-11 in the face-off circle.

*Pascal Dupuis has been a valuable asset to the Penguins and who would have thought Dupuis would be tied for second on the team in goals with 6. Dupuis (6) and Michael Rupp (5) have either outscored or are tied with three of Pittsburgh's top 2-line wingers; Guerin (5), Fedotenko (4) and Kunitz (3).

*Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy has been heavily scouted over the past two games. Some scouts see him as an asset for Pittsburgh in the trade market while others aren't sold on him just yet.

The coaching staff is gaining confidence in Lovejoy who has seen increased minutes on the power play due to the fact that he's not afraid to get the puck to the net.

*Sidney Crosby (8 shots) and Evgeni Malkin (6 shots) combined for 14 shots on goal against the Panthers.

*The Penguins were 1-for-5 on the power play and have scores a power play goal in four consecutive game. Pittsburgh improved to 16-8 on the season with their win tonight.

Pittsburgh's Three Stars

1. C Sidney Crosby (1 goal, 8 SOG,)

Analysis: Netted the overtime winner and had a team high 8 shots on goal.

2. D Brooks Orpik (1 assist, 6 hits)

Analysis: Had a team high 6 hits and played a sound defensive game.

3. LW Michael Rupp ( 1 goals, 5PIM, 2 hits)

Analysis: Scored the game tying goal with 2:32 remaining in the game and played his role to perfection, receiving a 5 minute fighting major for fighting Panthers defenseman Bryan Allen after Allen knocked Evgeni Malkin down to the ice in front of the net, which led to a small scrum after the whistle.

Florida's Three Stars

1. G Tomas Vokoun ( 42 saves)

Analysis: Florida was out shot 45-21 that included a 22-3 advantage for Pittsburgh in the third period and overtime combined. Vokoun was the prime reason the Panthers earned a point as the Panthers got conservative in the third period and let the Penguins dictate the play.

2. LW Nathan Horton (1 goal, 1 assist)

Analysis: Horton is a better fit at wing and that clearly showed tonight. He was a force in the offensive zone, scoring a goal and an assist. Horton was strong in one-on-one situations beating Ben Lovejoy wide at the blue line in the first period for a clear lane to the net.

3. D Keith Ballard ( 1 goal)

Analysis: One of the most under-rated defenseman in the league, Ballard had strong game at both ends of the ice. He's the type of defenseman that can matchup against a Sidney Crosby and also push the play in the offensive zone.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

*FLA - 17:33 Nathan Horton

Assists: Stephen Weiss, Michael Frolik

Florida 1-0

2ND PERIOD

*FLA - 10:21 Keith Ballard

Assists: Michael Frolik, Nathan Horton

Florida 2-0

3RD PERIOD

*PIT - 4:49 Pascal Dupuis

Assists: Brooks Orpik, Deryk Engelland

Florida 2-1

*PIT - 17:28 Mike Rupp

Assists: Evgeni Malkin, Martin Skoula

Tied 2-2

Overtime

PIT - 3:07 Sidney Crosby (Power Play)

Assists: Evgeni Malkin, Bill Guerin

Pittsburgh 3-2

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Comments

Nxt_1_Cometh

tough fought win. I thought that the Pens did everything right tonight and without Vokoun's amazing play this game would have gotten out of hand early.

11/23/2009 10:39pm

Monrovian12

yes it could have...Vokoun is a hell of a goalie...I also think the Panthers make the playoffs this year.

11/23/2009 10:46pm

SV84

If Fluery wasn't here I would easily take Voukon on my team.

11/23/2009 11:03pm

Skip37

Whats sad is that as much as I love Fleury, I think if he faced 40+ shots every game we would barely win any games. Don't know how Vokoun does it but he is extremely underrated and definitely one of the best in the game.

11/24/2009 12:20am

Samtheman

like i said b4 if vokun is in a good team .The team will get couple stanley cups .Also this 3 2 ot reminds me of the same 3 2 comeback game we had earlier this year whit panthers

11/24/2009 12:58am

Samtheman

toronto is unliky this year they out shot almost every team but looses the game tonight they lost again but they shot 61 shots

11/24/2009 1:00am

Sports70

well what do you know...dupuis is on pace for 20 goals...who would've thought...

11/24/2009 1:58am

bob_sacamanto

i really think rupp should be playing on malkin's line. what he did last night is why he's such an asset.

11/24/2009 8:05am

vokoun has never won a playoff series, and hes teams in Nashville were more then descent. Hes a pretty good goalie, but multiple stanley cup winner samtheman? And did it ever occur to you the type of shots Toronto is getting, shots by Jason Blake shouldnt count as shots, because they are never a threat to go in

11/24/2009 9:11am

Skip37

I think the way Dupuis is playing and the hardwork that he has put in all season that he should definitely be on the top two lines. I really hope Shero lets Fedotenko walk next summer. This guys a joke and one of the most inconsistent hockey players around. Also, with how well Lovejoy is playing, Does anyone on here think that Shero might consider not resigning Letang in order to resign Gonchar and go after a Winger?

11/24/2009 9:48am

Chancebd7

I could see that happening skip...but the front office is very high on letang. i also think talbot maybe shouldnt be on the top line yet . not sure if its just me be he looks very rusty out there

11/24/2009 10:03am

fyinzall

Noway ... Letang and GoGo are the future ... Now they may use Lovejoy as trade bait for a winger

11/24/2009 10:07am

mwalluk

Go get Horton!

11/24/2009 10:11am

bob_sacamanto

no way you let letang go. you let guys like mark eaton and dupuis and feds go and maybe bring in a cheaper enforcer instead of godard and that way you save money for letang and go get a winger. sheesh would love to have a guy like afiniganov over feds right now. ugh.

11/24/2009 10:26am

zerocool6687

Yes skip... great call... lets allow a young player with mountains of potential walk so we can sign Gonchar for the last 3 yrs of his career and roll the dice on a winger! We have a lot of up and comers that play the wing in WBS and due to the fact that Gonchar only has a few good yrs left we would be stupid to let a puck mover with all that potential leave! As for the game last night, wow Vokoun was great. At the same time it only took the Pens 20 mins of real hockey to beat the Panthers as they kinda selp thru a lot of the first 40. Ah well the still came out with a W. Oh and I recall getting into quite the discussion earlier with someone in regrads to Kunitz vs Horton... care to retract your stance... Horton has been a machine and now may be to rich for us to land!

11/24/2009 10:42am

rkrichter

Afinogenov doesn't have the work ethic to succeed on this team. And is anyone really shocked by Feds so far? We all knew how he would perform during the regular season. He is a playoff performer. And Godard is the best at his job and makes $750,000. The most you could save with a "cheaper" option is $250,000. I think he's worth that extra little bit. At least he's not making $1.5 mill like Laraque and Brashear. Oh, and Letang stays unless he decides he doesn't want to.

11/24/2009 10:50am

Cory7321

Keep it up, Pascal. I'm happy that he is being rewarded for all of his hard work that he puts in day after day. Would love to see him put up 20-25 goals to silence the critics.

11/24/2009 10:52am

orsulak

I like the way Lovejoy and Engelland have played. A silver lining to all these injuries is that we are developing depth on D. We need a top 6 winger badly, though Hopefully we can package a young D-man with Kunitz/Feds/Guerin by the deadline to get a winger.

11/24/2009 10:58am

rkrichter

Kunitz was just getting going when he got hurt. He's not as young and sexy as some other $4 mill wingers, but he brings a lot to a team, this team in particular, including 2 Stanley Cup rings. Still, I'll admit, it'd be a lot nicer if he was only making $2.5-$3 mill.

11/24/2009 11:11am

bob_sacamanto

krichter im not sayinghim im just saying a guy like him. a proven goal scoring winger. and i've never heard that he's had a lack of work ethic. godard for soem reason i thought made more. he has oen of the best at what he does, but i would've loved to have kept bizznasty bcause the guy's a much better skater and player than godard. but i agree at least he's not making as much as those other guys. and also in regards for dupuis, i'm glad he's scoring. but the guy is not a top line guy. he's a role player. and anything after that is a bonus. but if everyone wants him to do so wella nd think he's a top 2 lilner, why don't alot people think thatof rupp. the guy is 6'5 and can skate very well for a guy his size. he's physical, goes to the net and he can drop the gloves and if anyone messes with geno ... well you see what happened last nite. him on that 2nd line makes room for malkin and he causes havoc infront of the net. dupuid doesn't do that. but also the winger on the other side makes a big difference as well.

11/24/2009 11:22am

bob_sacamanto

wow didn't realize that was so long.

11/24/2009 11:23am

Skip37

I'm not saying don't sign Letang so we can resign Gonchar. I was suggesting it cause im sick of these yearly rental wingers such as Fedotenko. We need to spend 4 or 5m and sign a legit 30+ goal scorer to a decently long contract.

11/24/2009 12:21pm

rkrichter

Or give Tangradi and Caputi a chance and save a buttload of money. I'm not saying they are going to be 30+ goal scorers, they have a lot to prove before anyone can say that, but they also really haven't been given their chance, rightfully so. But maybe management has a lot of confidence in these guys for years to come, hopefully starting next year.

11/24/2009 12:41pm

acewhiplash

If Lovejoy keeps improving, the Pens best trade bait is Gogo, because he's locked up cheap for 2 more years. Given his size, this injury occurrence could become a pattern. Letang you have to keep, I think.

11/24/2009 12:42pm

rkrichter

You just argued your own argument. Gogo is locked up cheap for a couple more years. Our top scoring and top +/- dman with a world of potential locked up under $2 mill. What are you smoking? And where can I get it?

11/24/2009 12:49pm

zombie-x

Wasn't it Orpik who took the high stick from Horton?

11/24/2009 1:09pm

rkrichter

Yes it was Orpik who crushed Horton and then took the stick to the face, not Staal.

11/24/2009 1:11pm

bob_sacamanto

richter, i agree i hope that tangradi and caputi make it and i think they will. we just need guys on that other side of them to make their lines you know. that other winger is key. hopefully they get those wingers at some point in time.

11/24/2009 1:18pm

zerocool6687

FTR I was not stating that I want Kunitz gone... I like the kid, I wish he was a little more consistent however in truth its not really his game to be a bonafide NHL sniper but he does bring a lot of energy and does chip in (although getting his goals before he got hurt could not be more inaccurate... he has 3 on the yr and correct me if I am wrong but they were all in a single game. He has not scored at a great level thus far and it would nice to see more goals from him as he is currently on pace for 12 over an 82 game schedule) however there was rumours or maybe just idle chat about Kunitz for Horton (maybe a toss in from our side on top) that I was interested in. Horton is younger and is a very good NHL goal scorer, plus he hits and fights plus adds size! Imagine him on our PP with Sid and Gino as opposed to old man Guerin whos age is starting to show immensly!

11/24/2009 1:54pm

zerocool6687

Oh and Shero... LOCK UP RUPP.... LONG TERM!

11/24/2009 1:55pm

zerocool6687

Lastly... dont forget YEO HAS TO GO! 1 for 5 and it took a 4 min penalty in OT to create the goal.... The players are NOT responding to YEO... its time he is let go!

11/24/2009 1:57pm

rkrichter

You can't have Malkin, Sid, Staal, Fleury, all those dmen, and hope to lock up either Tangradi or Caputi (or both) and expect to have top flight wingers as well. You can't create a video game lineup, it just can't be done. Its just not do able with a cap. Kunitz scored his goals in three separate games, not a hat trick in one game. Rupp has been a great signing, we'll see what happens there. And I agree about Yeo. Something's just not working. Maybe they should have freedom to be more creative, I don't know.

11/24/2009 3:12pm

bob_sacamanto

i figure at the end of the year or at the deadline if you let go of billy, feds, eaton, mckee, skoula, dupuis and depending if gonchar reconstructs his contract you're gonna have 13.5 million to sign a free agent or two and maybe sign caputi and tangradi. plus all those guys i named are replaceable within the organization as well.

11/24/2009 4:03pm

bob_sacamanto

plus resign letang as well.

11/24/2009 4:03pm

Michael Rupp is living proof that u dont need to resign mike rupp, nothing against rupp but i just wouldnt rush to resign a 4th liner

11/24/2009 4:11pm

zerocool6687

My bad I though Kunitz tricked one night! Part of the reason i liked the horton move when it was potentially available is that his contract is only 250K more the Kunitz is and has an extra yr or two that Kunitz does not!

11/24/2009 5:00pm

zerocool6687

Mike Rupps stock is increasing in a major way in the burgh. IMO people will recognize that he does have more ability then people had initially thought. He was used in a checking ONLY role in NJ and was not being asked to score. He has been asked to add some secondary punch and has succefully under Bylsma. Im sure other teams will recognize this and he may be looked at as a cheap all around guy that may be more sought after then one could imagine. Id like to see him get some PP line parked in front of the goal and see if his numbers dont reflect that bonus PP time!

11/24/2009 5:03pm

zerocool6687

Rumour has it Peter Mueller has played himself out of Phoenix. Phoenix is looking for a puck moving d-man and some scoring up front. Im not sure what exactly they want up front but Im sure we could look at one of our cuurent wingers in a package with say Lovejoy (Id like to keep Engelland anyway) for a guy like Mueller. He may not have done so great in Phoenix but here is another guys with tons of potential and has a goal scorers shot. It would be interesting to see him patrol one of our top 2 lines. Your thoughts.

11/24/2009 5:58pm

deakka

I wouldnt wanna give up letang or gogo. so itll have to be lovejoy. But what forward would you think theyd want from us? Kunitz? i doubt theyll take guerin or feds seeing they only have 1 year deals

11/24/2009 7:00pm

zerocool6687

Kunitz may be too much right now.... They may inquire about a our kids but Id have to say that Tangradi is off limits for sure.

11/24/2009 7:24pm

zerocool6687

FTR this is just fan speculation as I have not been able to find anything connecting Mueller with the Pens!

11/24/2009 7:25pm

I cant believe they would give up on him already, but if hes available id see if Dustin jeffrey, lovejoy, pick if needed would get him. Young, cheap, good scoring touch. But still don't believe they'd trade him

11/24/2009 11:28pm

deakka

Not that i think it will happen but we would have to move some salary back phoenix way. since Mueller makes 1.7 million.

11/24/2009 11:34pm

Cory7321

Can Mueller play wing?? He's a center by nature.

11/25/2009 7:27am

jackattack8771

if TK can, im sure mueller can

11/25/2009 8:19am

If you can play center you can play wing, unless ur jason speeza

11/25/2009 9:09am

feels like a hockeybuzz rumour

11/25/2009 9:10am

Cory7321

I saw it on The Fourth Period yesterday, jeff. I think the article mentioned Toronto but I don't remember.

11/25/2009 9:37am

Cory7321

What's going on in Pens Land, D? Haven't had an update in a little while..

11/25/2009 9:43am

wolfman

big ben and and his concussion is getting all the attention.... sorry ben. Let's Go Pens!

11/25/2009 10:11am

zerocool6687

jeff2266, the talk about us linked to Meuller is purely fan speculation as we all know are wings have not been a strength this yr... the Mueller on the block Rumour comes from the Toronto Star. Now I have not seen a ton of BS from this paper in the past however it could very well be BS (not like the Ottawa Sun where everything from it is some kind of BS lie)!

11/25/2009 10:15am

↑ previous comments ↑

Toronto Star is usually legit. Any mention of Mueller im sure interests alot of Canadians especially, alot of people would remember the World Jrs 2 or 3 years back when, Mueller and Toews had that battle in the shootout.

11/25/2009 11:02am

Cory7321

Anyone else having trouble opening the trade talk article?

11/25/2009 12:15pm

OU812

Gotta say, I liked Florida's 3rd jersey. I wish the Pens' 3rd jersey looked more like this, with the dark blue highlighted by light blue. Also like the circle crest with the emblem inside.

11/25/2009 12:18pm

zerocool6687

Funny I thought the Panthers "third" was a direct and blatant rip off of the "Vintage" HNIC jerseys... which already do bare a striking similarity to the Pens 3rd!

11/25/2009 3:19pm

OU812

I havn't seen those...just saying, I like the dark blue with a little light blue better than the light blue with a little dark blue. Like the stripes on Florida's too...

11/25/2009 3:39pm