Toronto’s MacArthur Parks Penguins 1-0

Just when it seemed the high-flying Penguins might never lose, Toronto snapped the black-and-gold’s eight-game winning streak Wednesday night in a taut defensive struggle at Air Canada Centre. Nemesis Clarke MacArthur (seven goals in 20 games versus the Pens) supplied the offense, while James Reimer (25 saves) outdueled Brent Johnson in a battle of seldom-used backups.

In stark contrast to Tuesday’s wild-and-woolly goal-fest in Pittsburgh, the clubs engaged in a hard-fought, low-scoring affair.

“Just a tight-checking game,” Pens defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “The good thing is that we were better defensively. That was our focus coming in.”

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Penguins Burn Leafs 5-4 in Shootout

I’ve pretty much given up trying to come up with superlatives to describe the Penguins’ 5-4 shootout win over Toronto at CONSOL Energy Center on Tuesday night. Awesome? Too trite. Spine-tingling? Close, but no cigar. Amazing? Gettin’ warm.

It wasn’t enough that the Pens overcame a 4-1 third-period deficit—not to mention a stirring two-goal effort by birthday boy Mikhail Grabovski—to snatch their eighth win in a row. Rather, it was the way they accomplished the feat. They won with a riveting display of purpose and intensity that bordered on sheer savagery.

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Penguins Malkin-ize Capitals in OT

Ever since they were drafted No. 1 and No. 2 overall in 2004, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin have provided an intriguing contrast in styles—both on and off the ice. While the brash and colorful Ovechkin has grabbed the headlines and endorsement deals, Malkin has quietly gone about his business with a determined excellence.

On Sunday afternoon at CONSOL Energy Center, “Geno” snatched the spotlight from his countryman. Capping a typically brilliant display by the Russian rivals (each collected a goal and two assists) Malkin trumped Ovechkin with a game-winning goal in overtime to lead the white-hot Penguins to a 4-3 victory over Washington.

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Jeffrey and Malkin Shine: Penguins Beat Habs in a Thriller

In the midst of a roller-coaster season filled with desperate lows and equally dizzying heights, one thing about the Pittsburgh Penguins is certain. Win, lose or draw, the boys from the ‘Burgh give the fans their money’s worth. Take Friday night’s contest with the Montreal Canadiens for example. After spotting the visitors a 4-2 lead through 31 minutes of play, the Pens came roaring back with guns ablaze to snatch a thrilling 5-4 shootout victory.

Fresh off a huge victory over the Rangers the night before, the home team got off to a rocky start. Just 34 seconds after the opening draw Lars Eller parlayed a carom off of Deryk Engelland’s skate into a 1-0 lead for Montreal. Moments later the game took an emotional turn when Chris Kunitz fought Max Pacioretty, who sent Kris Letang to the IR with a brutal head-high hit back on November 26.

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Penguins Topple Mighty Rangers 4-1

It’s hard to believe that scarcely seven days ago observers (like me) were ready to shovel dirt on the Penguins following their sixth-straight loss. What a difference a week makes. In arguably their finest effort of the season, the piping-hot Pens rode the stellar goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury and another big-time performance by Evgeni Malkin to a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Determined to make a statement against the front-running Rangers, the visitors bolted from the starting gate like a pack of Kentucky Derby thoroughbreds. Just past the three-minute mark Paul Martin sailed down the slot and banged the puck off Henrik Lundqvist’s pads. Chris Kunitz pounced on the rebound and blew it past “King Henrik” for his first goal in eight games.

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Penguins Edge ‘Canes 2-1 in Shootout

The Penguins continued to distance themselves from an ugly six-game slide with a crisp 2-1 shootout win over Carolina at CONSOL Energy Center on Tuesday night. The victory—the club’s third in a row—vaulted the black and gold past idle Florida and into sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Although the Hurricanes entered the contest with the sixth-fewest points in the league, they hardly were an easy mark. The visitors pounced on the Penguins early, thanks to some fierce forechecking by the Jeff Skinner line. Jussi Jokinen outworked Steve Sullivan in the left-wing corner and dished a pretty cross-ice pass to Jamie McBain skating in from the right point. The young ‘Canes defender made no mistake and drilled the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury for his fourth goal of the season.

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Malkin, Penguins Short Circuit Lightning 6-3

The Tampa Bay Lightning entered Sunday afternoon’s contest with Pittsburgh lugging an unsightly six-game losing streak. If Guy Boucher’s crew was expecting any sympathy from the Penguins—who only recently snapped a six-game slide of their own—they were sadly mistaken. Paced by Evgeni Malkin’s natural hat trick and a pair of power-play tallies from James Neal, the black and gold burned the skidding Bolts 6-3.

Trouble started early for the home team. Scoring ace Steven Stamkos dug the Lightning a hole when he handed the Penguins a power play just 46 seconds into the contest. Malkin pried the puck off the right sideboards to Paul Martin, who found Neal stationed along the goal line. The big winger whipped his 23rd goal of the season past Mathieu Garon from a sharp angle to stake the Pens to a 1-0 lead.

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