PITTSBURGH (AP) - Unusual enough that the Pittsburgh Penguins
scored seven goals without Sidney Crosby. Stranger still, their
highest-scoring game all season swung not on all that offense, but
a game-changing penalty kill.
Ty Conklin beat Buffalo for the fourth time this season and the
Penguins got goals from Evgeni Malkin and rookies during a 7-3
victory over the Sabres on Wednesday night.
Tyler Kennedy scored his first goal in 17 games during a
three-point night, Chris Minard netted the first goal of his
10-game NHL career and Malkin put in his 39th of the season as the
Penguins improved to 12-6-4 when Crosby doesn't play because of an
ankle injury.
Crosby, coming off a two-goal effort Sunday against Washington
in his third game after missing 21 with a high ankle sprain, had
recurring pain during the morning skate. He has missed 22 of the
Penguins' last 26 games with the injury but hopes to play Sunday
against Philadelphia.
"I think guys feel now that if we do have to play with a
shortened lineup, they feel comfortable with what they can do and
what they can produce," said Conklin, who was strong in net until
Buffalo scored three times in the third.
The Penguins swept the season series 4-0 for the first time
since the Sabres joined the NHL in 1970, withstanding a five-minute
elbowing penalty on Georges Laraque for injuring defenseman Nathan
Paetsch early in the second period.
Paetsch passed the puck from along the goal line in the Buffalo
zone moments before Laraque leveled him with a raised elbow.
Paetsch lay motionless for several minutes before being assisted to
the locker room with a concussion. He is out indefinitely.
Buffalo not only couldn't take advantage of what would have been
an extended power play, the Penguins - leading 1-0 - had four good
short-handed scoring chances before Jeff Taffe scored 9 seconds
into Maxim Afinogenov's hooking penalty. Afinogenov's penalty wiped
out the final 1:08 of the extended power play and the Penguins went
on to score three goals in the period.
"That got the fans into it and I think everyone on the bench
really got going after that," forward Ryan Malone said. "We did a
great job of killing that (penalty) and controlling that."
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Laraque should be suspended.
"It was cheap shot," Ruff said. "How is it that not
suspendable, taking an elbow to the chin and (being knocked) out
cold? Somebody would have to explain to me why it's not."
Petr Sykora, expected to be out with a back injury, Sergei
Gonchar, Kris Letang and Taffe also scored for the Penguins, who
moved past idle New Jersey and into the Atlantic Division lead.
They also tied idle Montreal for first in the Eastern Conference.
Buffalo, beginning to slide out of the playoff race, is 1-4-2 in
its last seven and couldn't gain ground on Philadelphia, which
leads by four points for the eighth and final spot in the Eastern
Conference chase. The Flyers lost to the Maple Leafs.
The Sabres scratched five players with injuries, including
defensemen Jaroslav Spacek (ribs) and Dmitri Kalinin (shoulder),
and Paetsch's injury further depleted them.
Goalie Ryan Miller - 0-3-1 against Pittsburgh this season - said
the injuries are taking a toll on a team that needs to play with
more desperation.
"It comes down to grinding and battling, and a lot of young
guys are in new roles," Miller said. "I'm not trying to make
excuses, but that's what I think it is. ... What we do we have to
lose? We're already on the outside looking in. We're already out of
the playoffs."
Notes: Penguins GM Ray Shero needed seven stitches to close a gash
that occurred during an afternoon pickup game. ... Ryan Stone's
assist on Minard's goal midway through the third was his first NHL
point. ... Buffalo is 1-5-3 in its last nine games against teams
ahead of it in the conference. ... The Penguins were 3-of-6 on the
power play after having only one goal with a man advantage in six
games. ... Pittsburgh scored six goals three times previously this
season. ... Malkin's goal was his 93rd point, four fewer than NHL
leader Alex Ovechkin of Washington. ... Minard had a team-leading
17 goals at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL). ... Until the third
period, Conklin - who ended last season with Buffalo - had allowed
only two goals in four games against the Sabres, including the 2-1
outdoor game win at Buffalo on Jan. 1.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)