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Penguins extend streak on late goal by Sykora

Nov 21, 2008 - 5:30 AM By Phil Foley PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Sidney Crosby may have solved the Philips Arena jinx.

Crosby scored a goal and set up two others, including Petr Sykora's power-play tally with 2:40 remaining in the third period that snapped a tie and lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Thursday.

Miroslav Satan scored his team-leading ninth goal for the Penguins, who improved to 7-0-1 in their last eight games.

Evgeni Malkin notched his league-leading 31st point with an assist and Dany Sabourin made 21 saves for Pittsburgh, which has won four straight on the road but claimed just its second victory here in seven tries dating back to the 2005-06 season.

"Those guys played so good in front of me," Sabourin said. "They worked hard."

Vyacheslav Kozlov extended his goal-scoring streak to three games and Jim Slater also tallied for the Thrashers, who had their three-game home winning streak snapped.

"It's tough to lose like that, especially on a power-play goal," Slater said. "Not much else to say but a tough way to lose."

Even though Crosby has had moderate success in Atlanta, registering five goals and four assists in his last four games here, his team had struggled, dropping its previous three in the Peach State.

Pittsburgh's captain single-handedly took control of this one.

With former Penguin Chris Thorburn in the penalty box for roughing, Crosby unleashed a blistering slap shot from the right faceoff circle that hit the stick of Sykora on the doorstep and sailed past goaltender Ondrej Pavelec, snapping a 2-2 tie.

"We picked the right time for a big goal," Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien said. "We kept fighting."

Kozlov opened the scoring with his team-leading 11th goal. With Atlanta on the power play, superstar Ilya Kovalchuk fired a shot from the slot that deflected to Kozlov, who beat Sabourin from the left side of the net at 4:41 of the first period.

Satan knotted the contest midway through the session, receiving a pass from below the left circle by former Thrasher Pascal Dupuis and depositing the puck past Pavelec from the the right side of the crease at 10:57.

Crosby gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead with 7:36 remaining in the middle period with a highlight-reel goal. Tyler Kennedy a grabbed loose puck after checking defenseman Ron Hainsey behind the net and fed Crosby in the slot.

While falling backward, the 2007 Hart Trophy winner released a shot that caromed off the left elbow of the net and in for his seventh tally of the season.

"It was a great pass," Crosby said. "A great heads-up play. Give (Kennedy) credit, he had his head up and saw me wide open and made a great pass."

The improbable goal ended a five-game drought for the superstar.

"It's a monkey off my back," Crosby said. "I was starting to feel the pressure. It keeps going and it keeps going the tighter you squeeze the stick. Obviously, it feels great to get that one out of the way and stop thinking about it now."

Atlanta drew even 84 seconds later as Eric Perrin delivered a pass to Slater, who came out from behind the net and swept the puck past Sabourin for his second of the campaign.

Sabourin once again was solid in place of starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. Pittsburgh's backup survived a barrage of 12 shots in the third period, including one on a shorthanded breakaway by Hainsey in the game's final minutes.

"I didn't want to look at it," Therrien said of Hainsey's attempt. "(Sabourin) made some big saves, especially in the third period."

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Pavelec stopped 28 shots for the Thrashers, who last lost to here to the Penguins on December 9, 2006.

"We got some chances, but Sabourin made some good saves," Slater said. "But you know, Pavelec played really good, too."