Pittsburgh Penguins: 2009 Gallant Game Winning Goal Scorers
A few players who scored multiple GWG in 2009 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On Jun. 12, 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed their third Stanley Cup Championship in the team’s history with a 2-1 victory over Detroit in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Six players scored multiple game-winning-goals (GWG) during the Pittsburgh Penguins siege to reach the Stanley Cup in 2009 and here is a look back at those players in part four of our series.
The Penguins had four players score two GWG on the way to their third Stanley Cup title. Sidney Crosby, Sergei Gonchar, Bill Guerin, and Max Talbot (more on him later) all did their part to help the 2009 Penguins get their name chiseled in silver and nickel alloy.
Here is a look back at the players that score more than two GWG in the 2009 playoffs for the Penguins.
Tyler Kennedy
Mr. Kennedy played in 527 regular-season games and scored 89 goals (18 GWG) over nine seasons with Pittsburgh, San Jose, New Jersey, and the New York Islanders. In the playoffs, Kennedy scored 12 goals (6 GWG) in 79 career playoff games.
Kennedy collected three game-winning goals in the 2009 playoffs.
His first two GWG occurred in:
- Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals vs. Philidelphia
- Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals vs. Philidelphia
Arguably the biggest goal and GWG of Kennedy’s career was scored in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Kennedy’s marker five minutes into the third period gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead, in which they were able to turn into a 2-1 win, to force a seventh game against Detroit.
Evgeni Malkin
Malkin is well on his way to solidifying himself as one of the finest Russian born players to play in the NHL.
Malkin has appeared in 907 regular-season games with the Penguins and has scored 416 goals with 73 GWG and in the playoffs, Malkin has scored 63 goals (12 GWG) in 162 games.
Malkin scored three GWG in 2009 playoffs, and arguably the biggest goal occurred in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals vs. Washington, where Malkin scored the game-winner in overtime.
Max Talbot
Although Talbot scored one less GWG than Malkin, Talbot’s two GWG in the 2009 playoffs turned out to be two of the biggest goals in franchise history.
Talbot appeared in 704 regular-season games and scored 91 goals with 14 GWG, during his time with Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Colorado, and Boston. In the playoffs, Talbot played in 84 games and scored 18 goals with four GWG.
Talbot’s first GWG of the 2009 playoffs was scored in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. Carolina. The Penguins completed a clean sweep of the Hurricanes taking the game by a score of 4-1 and earned a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Talbot’s goal was credited as the GWG and Talbot added two assists for good measure.
The second GWG Talbot scored of the 2009 playoffs, became the third biggest goal in Penguins history.
Talbot opened the scoring early in the second period in the Penguins and Red Wings decisive Game 7 and added another goal less than nine minutes later, to help the Penguins secure their third Stanley Cup.