• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Malkin shines as Penguins edge Lightning

Feb 5, 2009 - 5:20 AM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- With each passing game, the chances of the Pittsburgh Penguins missing the playoffs continue to grow. A thrilling comeback could be the perfect tonic.

All-Star Evgeni Malkin scored two goals - including the game-winner with 16 seconds remaining in overtime - and added an assist as the Penguins overcame a three-goal deficit in their 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.

Defenseman Mark Eaton tallied in the third period and Petr Sykora forged a 3-3 tie with 3:29 left in regulation for the Penguins, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

"We showed a lot of character in the third," Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said. "It was frustrating in the first couple of periods. We had a lot of power plays and some pretty good chances, and we didn't put them in.

"Finally, (we) kept pushing, got some bounces there in the third and finished it in overtime."

Martin St. Louis and fellow All-Star Vincent Lecavalier each scored a goal and set up another while former Penguin Ryan Malone also tallied for the Lightning, who have dropped four in a row.

"There's a lot of good signs still," Tampa Bay interim coach Rick Tocchet said. "We've struggled on a couple things, but there's some good pieces here, definitely."

The Penguins entered with a dismal 9-17-1 record since December 4, collecting the second-fewest amount of points in the NHL over that span. However, Malkin woke up his slumbering team by beginning its comeback with a backhander 2:25 into the third, cutting the deficit to 3-1.

"(Malkin) really took the game over at a crucial time," Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien said. "You could see the fire in his eyes. He was ready to do everything in his power to try to win this hockey game."

Eaton brought the Penguins within 3-2 by firing a wrist shot past goaltender Mike McKenna with 5:54 remaining.

After former Penguin Gary Roberts was whistled for roughing, Sykora evened the game late in the session, gathering a loose puck in front of the net and pushing it under the pads of McKenna, who accidentally kicked it over the goal line.

"We've got to build on that," Sykora said. "If we're going to come out flat the next couple of games, it's not going to mean anything. We have to build on this win tonight, especially when you come back in the third.

"It doesn't matter who you play. It feels good, it gives confidence to the guys, to the person and the team, too."

Malkin finally lifted Pittsburgh to its second win in six games by unleashing a wrister from in front of the net over the shoulder of McKenna.

"We talked after the second period and said, 'Let's go guys, we have to shoot the puck,'" Malkin said. "I'm mad because we're losing."

After the game, Crosby wondered if Malkin's efforts could be the start of a season-saving run for the Penguins.

"You always look back at seasons and look at turning points," Crosby said. "Hopefully, this is one for us. It was a big character-builder for everyone, and everyone was a part of it. We need to just build off of this now."

Malone, whose rights were traded to Tampa Bay along with Roberts' in the offseason, opened the scoring with 4:35 left in the first. St. Louis registered his 19th goal of the season exactly five minutes into the second session to double the advantage.

Lecavalier ballooned the Lightning's cushion to 3-0 with three minutes left in the second, but Pittsburgh netminder Marc-Andre Fleury was impenetrable the rest of the way.

Fleury finished with 21 saves, while McKenna stopped 31 shots in his first career start.

"It doesn't matter if it's my first game or my 300th game. We lost," the 25-year-old McKenna said. "We were up 3-0 on a team going into the third period and then we didn't play well. I let in too many goals. It's not good enough.

"You can't let in three goals in the third period and then one in OT and expect to give your team a chance to win. It's not good enough."