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Malkin's shootout goal lifts Penguins over Blackhawks

Feb 15, 2007 - 5:46 AM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins are on such a roll, not even a late controversial goal can stop them.

Rookie Evgeni Malkin tied the game late in the third period and scored the shootout winner in leading the Penguins to a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Penguins are 12-0-2 in their last 14 games and have won seven straight home games. The Blackhawks finished their road trip 4-3-0.

"It was an emotional game, very up and down emotionally," Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien said. "(Goaltender Nikolai) Khabibulin kept his team in the game, and they played with pressure, so you never know what's going to happen. The good thing is that we found a way to win, and I'm pleased about this group. We refused to quit. We want to be recognized as winners, and we work hard at it."

"There were a lot of young players out there and it was fun to watch," Chicago coach Denis Savard said. "We battled back to get something out of this. It was a good effort. Our guys competed the whole night. They skate well and we skate well, so a lot of chances came from both sides. It was a good hockey game."

With the score tied, 3-3, Chicago's Tuomo Ruutu scored the controversial goal that gave the Blackhawks a 4-3 lead with 6:50 left in the third period. The center jumped off the bench - becoming the Blackhawks' sixth skater - and picked up a loose puck at center ice before beating goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury on a breakaway.

"We thought that on their last goal they had too many men on the ice," Therrien said. "We need breaks, and we didn't get those breaks tonight. It's one of those games that was tough to play."

However, Malkin tied the game 1:11 later when he jammed his own rebound from the corner of the crease past Khabibulin.

In the shootout, Malkin netted the decisive tally in the beginning of the third round. He sped in and deked goaltender Khabibulin before slipping a backhand shot past him.

"It's not really a big deal," Malkin said through interpreter George Birman. "I tried that (move) during practice and just tried to make the same move, and I did and scored the goal."

"He (Malkin) was huge for us," Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby said. "When he got that one back right away to gain back the momentum after a tough goal like that, that was huge for us. And obviously on the shootout, he made a great move and beat the goalie. Those are two big plays for us that really made a difference in the game."

Malkin, who had a goal and three assists in Pittsburgh's 6-5 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, leads NHL rookies with 64 points. The 20-year old Russian, the second pick in the 2004 draft, has four goals and eight assists in his last eight contests.

Crosby assisted on Malkin's goal. The center's 63 assists and 88 points lead the league, but he has not scored in his last eight games.

Ronald Petrovicky, Maxime Talbot and Michel Ouellet scored while Fleury made 24 saves for Pittsburgh. Fleury is 9-0-1 in his last 10 games with 27 goals allowed.

"I'm just trying to make the saves, and give our team a chance to win," Fleury said.

Craig MacDonald, Patrick Sharp and Martin St. Pierre tallied for Chicago. Khabibulin recorded 29 saves.

"We had a good road trip considering the teams that we played were some good teams," Khabibulin said. "Coming in here we knew it was going to be tough, but we battled back and I think it was a good point for us."