Pens Rally in Edmonton

Fleury stopped 33 shots to help the cause

Facing a team that had won just one of its last 13 games and a goalie making his third career start, this was a game the Pens SHOULD have won. They did, thanks mostly to Jordan Staal.

Staal had three assists in the third period to lead the Pens to a come-from-behind 3-2 victory last night in Edmonton. Staal, who has 19 points in his last 22 games, set up Tyler Kennedy, Matt Cooke and Pascal Dupuis to give Pittsburgh back-to-back wins for the first time since mid-December.

Marc-Andre Fleury, however, may have saved this game – literally – for the visitors. He stoned Dustin Penner on a breakaway and then Fernando Pisani on a 2-on-1 break in the first two minutes of the third to keep it a two-goal game. The Oilers score on either of those, and the situation would have been made a lot tougher for the Pens. Fleury, by the way, followed up his 36-save performance against Calgary with 33 saves against the struggling Oil. It appears he may be breaking out of his little mini-slump.

It was a strange game – only 7 total shots in a very tight-checking first. Edmonton scored two power-play goals in the second to take the lead. For what it’s worth, it was the first time since Nov. 7 the Pens allowed two PP goals in a game.

But Pittsburgh got a PP goal of its own (Cooke) in the third, and that’s a real good omen. The Pens are an amazing 20-2 when scoring with a man advantage. Now we know how important the power play is to the team’s success.

On to Vancouver for a 10 p.m. start Saturday. It won’t be easy, as the Canucks are 7-1 against the Eastern Conference this season.

Random Thoughts:

• The win was the Pens fifth of the season when trailing after two periods. That is impressive. They’re never really out of a game. After Kennedy’s goal last night, you could sense that the Pens were going to complete the rally.
• Ben Lovejoy has played well since being called up to replace Brooks Orpik. He’s a +7 on the season, and very well may have moved ahead of Martin Skoula on the depth chart.
• Loved it when Fleury attacked Robert Nilsson after getting run over in the crease. Way to stick up for yourself, MAF.