Penguins 5 - 3 Flames
Final
  for this game

Penguins use big second period to beat Flames

Oct 9, 2011 - 6:15 AM Calgary, AB (Sports Network) - Helped by a four-goal second period, the Pittsburgh Penguins hung on to defeat Calgary, 5-3, in the home opener for the Flames.

Tyler Kennedy, Matt Niskanen, Craig Adams, Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin netted the five goals for the Penguins, who are off to a 2-0 start after defeating the Canucks, 4-3, in a shootout on Thursday night.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 16-of-19 shots.

Curtis Glencross, Olli Jokinen and Rene Bourque tallied for the Flames, while Miikka Kiprusoff saved 32-of-36 shots.

Mark Giordano made a move to elude a defender and then set up Glencross with a beautiful cross-ice pass as he one-timed it home at the 15:32 mark of the first period.

Just 1:04 into the second stanza, Kennedy wristed one through Kiprusoff's pads to tie the game.

"Our pace to our game dropped off in the second period and they fed off of it, they got momentum off that first goal," Flames head coach Brent Sutter said.

Niskanen followed his own shot and scored when his initial chance ricocheted right back to his stick as the Penguins took a 2-1 lead 6:04 into the second period.

Adams found a loose puck in the crease and lit the lamp when he deflected his shot off of Calgary's Anton Babchuk to make it 3-1.

Malkin kept chipping away at the puck in front of Kiprusoff until it slipped past him as the Penguins took a 4-1 advantage 13:04 into the second.

"We really put them back on their heels: physically, speed-wise, and playing in their end and getting shots on net," Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma said of the second period.

Bourque found the back of the net midway through the third frame to make it a two-score game.

Niklas Hagman found Jokinen from behind the net as Jokinen slapped the one- timer past Fleury to pull the Flames within a goal with 3:37 left.

Staal scored an empty-netter with five seconds remaining in the game.

Game Notes

Pittsburgh has won its last five games against the Flames.






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