Supercharged Sidney Crosby leads Pittsburgh Penguins over Buffalo Sabres 5-3 -NHL Update
A night after taking a puck to the face, Pittsburgh’s superstar captain, Sidney Crosby, emerged in a supercharged state as he picked up four points (1 goal, 3 assists), to lead Penguins past Buffalo Sabres, 5-3, on Friday, March 30, 2012, at the sold-out
First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York.
It had been a long time since the well-rounded Penguins team faced consecutive losses and that too against the New York Islanders. Crosby was bloodied after a flying puck struck him in the face a night earlier in New York and did not return for the rest
of the matchup.
Penguins might not be one of the most physical teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), but Pittsburgh definitely showed their offensive side against Buffalo.
“It was the best game we had on the forecheck and in the offensive zone. We really had a physical impact on the game. Our power play comes up with two big goals. It was a really good game for us in a tough building, with tough bounces and in tough situations.
A hard-fought game,” said head coach, Dan Bylsma.
Evgeni Malkin scored his impressive 48th goal of the 2011-2012 NHL regular season on their first power play opportunity with Buffalo’s Drew Stafford on the benches for tripping. Jordan Leopold levelled it nearly three minutes later followed by
Crosby with the tie-breaker at 12:52.
Tyler Ennis made it a 2-2 game at 15:45, forcing a tough second period with both teams tied.
James Neal took advantage of another power play, this time with Marcus Foligno out with a minor penalty while Steve Sullivan added Pittsburgh’s second straight.
Thomas Vanek got a breakaway goal for Buffalo at 16:59, making it a one point game entering the third and final period of regulation while Jordan Staal secured the match with six seconds left to go.
Luckily, Crosby did not suffer a serious facial injury due to the puck and having only a swollen nose, the young forward is committed to continue leading his team.
"Not really getting much air through there right now," Crosby said. "But other than that, it's pretty good."
Pittsburgh Penguins will be returning home to host Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, in what is expected to be a thrilling contest.
Buffalo on the other hand, is once again below the playoff line but tied with eighth place Washington Capitals. Sabres will definitely have to win against Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday to keep their postseason hopes alive.
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