Tough Blow

Since Sidney Crosby joined the team the Pens were 10-1-1 and Marc-Andre Fleury was 7-0 against the Caps. This however is not he case anymore; the Pens blew a three goal lead to get their third loss of the season, second in regulation, and first to Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Alex Goligoski scored his second goal of the season after snapping a shot behind Jose Theodore at 12:58 of the first period. Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby assisted on the power play goal.

With less than a minute remaining in the first period the Pens were on yet another power play and Evgeni Malkin ripped the biscuit passed Theodore to give the Pens a 2-0 lead. With four second remaining in the period the Caps received a too many men on the ice penalty and to start the second period were down two men with John Erskine in the box for delay of game.

1:51 into the second period the Pens increased their lead to three goals with third power play goal of the night, this one coming with just seconds remaining with the two man advantage. Miroslav Satan tipped the puck in on the goal line after a shot from Petr Sykora; Evgeni Malkin received the second assist, his third point of the night.

The Caps got themselves in the game at 5:45 of the second, a goal from Tomas Fleischmann. The face-off took place at center ice where two wings dropped their gloves immediately after the puck was dropped. Pens rookie Paul Bissonnette dropped the gloves with former Penguin Matt Bradley. The fight was short lived as Bissonnette took Bradley to the ice, Bradley made his way to the locker room for repairs as Bissonnette made his way to the sin bin at 5:46. Bradley did return to play later in the game after receiving stitches.

Early in the third period the Caps brought themselves within one goal when Alexander Semin scored his fourth of the season with help from Brooks Laich at 3:38. At 10:00 the Caps tied it up; Michael Nylander scored his second of the season.

At to take the lead Boyd Gordon bounced the puck off the white post inside the net. Officials did not rule it a goal at first, two minutes later when the whistle finally blew it was reviewed & the Caps were awarded their fourth goal of the game.

Out of five games played this year the Pens have blown four leads, only winning two of the games.

The three stars of the game were 3. Michael Nylander, 2. Evgeni Malkin, 1.Alexander Semin.

Ryan Whitney (foot), Sergei Gonchar (shoulder), and Matt Cooke (torso) missed the game along with Bill Thomas and Darryl Sydor who were the healthy scratches. Paul Bissonnette started his first game in Mellon Arena filling in for the injured Matt Cooke.

The Pens take the ice Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:08 at Mellon Arena.