Penguins win second game in a row with 6-3 victory over Tampa Bay
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TAMPA, Fla. -- The Penguins blew a three-goal, third-period lead but came back on the strength of a hat trick by Evgeni Malkin to win their second game in a row, 6-3, against the Tampa Bay Lightning today at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
Malkin had five points to move into second place in the NHL with 51 points.
The victory gave the Penguins 50 points and put them in eighth place, back above the playoff line, pending the outcome of Washington's evening game against Carolina. Tampa Bay lost its seventh game in a row.
The Penguins opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 2:43 of the first period. James Neal, from the extended goal line on the right side, took a backhanded pass from Paul Martin. Neal's tough-angle shot trickled between the pads of Tampa Bay goaltender Mathieu Garon to make it 1-0.
Richard Park gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead at 10:38 of the first period. He wrangled the puck from the Lightning's Tom Pyatt near the right point, moved into the slot and beat Garon using Tampa Bay's Matt Gilroy as a screen.
The Penguins outshot the Lightning, 17-5, in the first period.
Tampa Bay had a goal waved off at 12:42 of the second period. When the puck skipped high off the stick of the Penguins' Brooks Orpik, former Penguin Ryan Malone swatted into the net behind Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from beside the left post. It was immediately ruled he scored with a high stick, and that was upheld under review.
Neal struck again with his 12th power-play goal to make it 3-0 34 seconds into the third period, a blast from the right dot off of a feed from Malkin.
Gilroy spoiled Fleury's bid for a shutout at 2:00 of the third period when he one-timed a shot from Steven Stamkos, who was set up behind the net, to make it 3-1.
Malone pulled the Lightning to within one, 3-2, on his team's first power play. From near the left post, he tipped in a nicely threaded pass from Vincent Lecavalier at 4:53 of the third period.
Teddy Purcell tied it for Tampa Bay, 3-3, at 6:50 of the third period.
Fleury stopped a shot from the right point by Bruno Gervais, but the puck lay just above the crease. Purcell shoved it in. That gave the Lightning three goals in a span of 4 minutes.
Malkin got his third point when he scored at 7:38 of the third period to put the Penguins back on top, 4-3. He carried the puck out from the right corner and threw the puck into the far side of the net past Garon.
Malkin struck again just 1:49 later to make it 5-3. With Tampa Bay caught on a line change, Malkin drove into the Lightning zone. He got tripped up and went sprawling but still steered the puck past Garon at 9:27.
Malkin added an empty-net goal with 56 seconds left in regulation to make it 6-3 and complete the hat trick.
The Penguins' next game is Tuesday at home against Carolina.
First Published January 15, 2012 12:00 am
