Pens not singing the Blues

The Penguins won in St. Louis for the first time since December 12, 1998 and the last time they face-offed there was December 13, 2005. Ending the four game nine day road trip in St. Louis the Pens finally found a way to win. Maybe it was the new line combinations, or the new alternate captains, Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill, or the NHL debut of Janne Pesonen, or maybe it was all three.

Mid-way through the first period the Blues scored the first goal of the night, a slap shot from the point that brushed past both Penguin defensemen. Barret Jackman notched his second of the year at 9:29 with help from Jay McClement and David Backes.

Just seconds later Pens defenseman Brooks through a clean hip check that was called as a trip. This was jus the first of four penalties the Pens killed to keep the NHL`s best power play unit off the board.

The Pens tied it up when Miroslav Satan had no one open in the offensive zone and just took the shot himself. Satan's sixth of the year was assisted by Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang at 17:47.

The Blues however wanted to get an edge up and made it 2-1 just seventeen seconds later. T.J. Oshie notched his second of the year with help from David Perron and Paul Kariya at 18:04.

Coming into the second down a goal seemed to inspire the Pens as Alex Goligoski threw the puck to the net from the slot for his third of the season. Miroslav Satan and Darryl Sydor assisted at 6:03.

Just seconds later the Blues knocked the puck in for what would have been their third goal of the game if it weren`t for a high stick on the puck before it was put in. After a slight delay the game continued at a score of 2-2.

Evgeni Malkin kept his point streak alive, now eight games, with a blast from the point on the power play. Crosby put it to the middle where winger Petr Sykora made a light pass to Evgeni Malkin. Malkin wound up & blasted the biscuit passed Chris Mason at 12:22.

Thirty-seven second later Tyler Kennedy was battling at the side of the net where he tipped the puck over Mason's pads to make it 4-2 Pens. Matt Cooke and Hal Gill assisted on the dirty goal at 12:59.

Also in the second period for the second time in the game a Pens defenseman was slashed across the wrist while nothing was called. This time it was Rob Scuderi along the boards, and the first time Kris Letang was slashed while defending in front of the net.

Three quarters of the way through the third the Blues tired to get themselves back in the game with a goal from Patrik Berglund on which Paul Kariya and David Perron assisted on at 15:47.

But the Pens had other plans when they made it 5-3 when Max Talbot scored his second of the year forty seconds later. Brooks Orpik made a huge save in front of his own net getting the puck to Miroslav Satan. Satan took it up into the Blues zone where he passed it to Talbot and Talbot wristed it from the slot.

With over two minutes remaining the Blues pulled goaltender Mason for the extra attacker in hopes of scoring two goals. After playing for two minutes and ten seconds with an empty net in the offensive zone the Pens decided to go for the goal. Tyler Kennedy made a light pass to Evgeni Malkin who passed it up to Jordan Staal. Staal finally broke out of the slump with his first goal of the season at 19:40.

The Pens out-shot the Blues 28-22 and out scored them 6-3.

The three stars were 3. Evgeni Malkin, 2. Miroslav Satan, 1. Sidney Crosby.

Crosby returned to play after being injured Thursday against the Coyotes. Ryan Whitney (foot), Sergei Gonchar (shoulder), Pascal Dupuis (undisclosed), and Ruslan Fedotenko (undisclosed) all missed the game along with healthy scratches Mark Eaton and Paul Bissonnette. Blues' T.J. Oshie left in the second period after falling awkwardly during a face-off with Mike Zigomanis.

The Pens have four days off before taking the ice at home against the Edmonton Oilers Thursday night. The puck drops at 7:08 pm.