Penguins Beat Panthers In OT Comeback, Crosby Scores

The Florida Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Nathan Horton with his 7th and defenseman Keith Ballard who got his 1st of the season beating Pittsburgh's netminder Marc-Andre Fleury. Horton, who is on a 6-game point streak, has 7 goals, 12 assists for 19 points to lead the Panthers. But the big story was Sidney Crosby, scoring the overtime winner. Horton was penalized for a 4-minute highsticking infraction about a minute and a half into the extra frame and Crosby capitalized on the man advantage, breaking his own scoring drought.

Pascal Dupuis and Michael Rupp both scored for the Penguins to tie the game 2-2 forcing overtime with 3rd period goals. Pittsburgh sniper Evgeni Malkin had several great chances to score, and did get assists on Rupp's tying goal and Crosby's OT game winner. Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun had twice the workload that Fleury faced, taking on 45 shots, 16 in the 3rd period alone as the Pittsburgh pressed for the tie.

This was the Penguins' 2nd win in a row, and they improve to a 5-5-0 record in their last 10 games and remain 3 points up in the Atlantic Division over the New Jersey Devils. Florida has an even more respectable 6-2-2 record despite the loss and are tied for 3rd place with the Atlanta Thrashers in the Southeast Division.

Both teams play again this Wednesday, with the Penguins playing the Montreal Canadiens at the Mellon Center, while the Panthers host the New York Rangers.