Pascal Dupuis got a great cross ice pass from Brooks Orpik. He kicked it to himself, and broke in down the left wing on Antero Nittymaki. Dupuis wound up, and undressed the Flyers netminder with a wicked slapper over his left shoulder where grandma hides the cookies. So there it was, an overtime winner for #9, his first big goal as a Penguin, when his team desperately needed a win.
Eric Godard and Riley Cote dropped the mitts in the first period in what was the best fight a Penguins has been involved in for years. Godard and Cote whaled on each other for 45 seconds, with each landing a few bombs, and Godard coming away with a narrow edge.
With Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney out, it is obvious that the Pens need as many people as possible to step up in key situations and deliver for the team. Brooks Orpik did that tonight with a goal on a slapper that just got over Nittymaki, and Rob Scuderi did that with a few fantastic defensive sequences, inlcuding backing up Fleury to keep the puck out of the net in the second period.
Mike Zigomanis, newly acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes, scored on a one timer off of a great pass by Matt Cooke. Cooke and Godard worked on the end boards, and got the puck out to Ziggy who pinballed it past Nittymaki. That goal and Orpik's a few seconds earlier gave the Pens a 2-0 lead.
The lead would not last for long.
The Flyers scored twice in the second period's final minute. Hal Gill put another pick in his own net, redirected home a Jeff Carter pass, and Simon Gagne tipped in a Kimmo Timonen slapshot seconds later to tie it up at 2-2.
After a third period full of stupid penalties and missed scoring chances, the game went to OT.
A few minutes passed before Dupuis scored on the only quality shot of the extra frame.
The Penguins are 2-1-1.
Notes-
Jordan Staal looked out of place on the left wing
Mike Zigomanis is a steal of a pickup
Sidney Crosby was absolutely flying
Evgeni Malkin rebounded nicely from a rough game Saturday
Alex Goligoski, Brooks Orpik, and Rob Scuderi were solid
Star of the Game- Mike Zigomanis- He was phenomenal in the faceoff circle, and he scored a huge goal.
GO PENS
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