Pens bounce back with win over East's beasts

It was a good start for the Penguins, as less than a minute in, Sidney Crosby found Billy Guerin from behind the net in the high slot. Guerin snapped a shot past Tim Thomas to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately, the B's got it back seconds later when Mark Recchi tipped in a slapshot from the point that got past Mathieu Garon. Each netminder allowed a goal on the first shot he saw.

After each team blew a few powerplay opportunities, Phil Kessel poked in an easy one on his backhand through the legs of Garon. The ineptitude of Garon was becoming very obvious, very quickly, though he did get it together for the end of the period.

After Steve Montador and Dennis Wideman both took undisciplined penalties to put the penguins on a five on three, Chris Kunitz deflected in a dribbler by Crosby to tie it all up.

Crosby was playing like a man possessed, but Evgeni Malkin had not recorded a point.

The penalty parade continued in the second, but the team with the edge could not get the puck into the net. Kessel put a trickler five hole on Garon, but Brooks Orpik cleared it out at the last possible second.

Mike Yeo, the worst coach in hockey, stuck Malkin on the left point again. Malkin and Sergei Gonchar lost the puck in the Pens' defensive left corner to David Krejci, who found Blake Wheeler in front. Garon hardly moved, and it was 3-2.

Wheeler went to the box for hooking at the start of the final frame, and this time, the Penguins didn't squander their opportunity.

Gonchar took a big slapper from the point, and Kunitz deflected it in to tie the game. Of note, it was the first powerplay of the day that did not feature Malkin on the point. Crosby was in that spot, and he assisted on the goal, his third of the day.

Kunitz would net the hat-trick quickly after.

He took a blocked shot at the Penguin line, and broke away from Boston's defense. On the breakaway, he opened up Thomas' legs and slid a backhander through the wickets. It was the second hat-trick of Kuni's career.

Boston went to its own powerplay with 17 and 1/2 minutes to go when Petr Sykora was called for hooking Kessel. That's exactly what you can't do after going on a run like the Pens had.

Immediately, Mike Ryder beat Garon with a soft wrister.

Fleury, please.

Anyway, Petr "Gunn" Sykora put the Pens back ahead with more or less half the period. Jordan Staal made a great dish from behind the cage, and Sykora made no mistake about burying it.

Max Talbot found Pascal Dupuis right in front with an empty net, but Dupuis completely missed the net with a floating redirect that was gloved by Thomas.

With Thomas pulled, the Bruins made a late surge toward tying the game. Staal ended that by picking off a pass in his own end, walking around Wideman, and sneaking the puck inside the post.

Checkmate.

Notes-
-Malkin was invisible, but it's nice to know the Pens can win without him producing.
-Kunitz, Crosby, and Guerin combined for 10 points today.
-Crosby is a man possessed right now.
-Staal is actually playing like a second overall draft pick.
-Garon was terrifying, but he did pull it together and get a "W".
-5th place!