Crosby's second career hat trick fuels 4-1 romp over Devils

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Well, that was fun. A solid team win over a solid team...

Sidney Crosby got things started with a beautiful goal on Scott Clemmensen. 87 took the puck in the neutral zone, walked around Bryce Salvador, and after losing the puck after Clemmensen failed on a poke check attempt, he swept it under the Devils' netminder on his backhand to make it 1-0, remaining red hot.

Miroslav Satan almost put home a powerplay goal when an Evgeni Malkin slapper clanked off the crossbar then off Satan's chest. The puck eluded 81's stick, however, and the Pens powerplay drought continued.

Crosby set up Petr Sykora for his fifth of the year on a powerplay a few minutes into the second while Zach Parise was serving an interference minor. After a great keep in by Malkin, Tyler Kennedy ran after the puck to swipe it from the grasp of a New Jersey defenseman and gave a between the legs pass to Crosby who broke in on Clemmensen and hit Sykora with a saucer pass for the tap in.

Matt Cooke laid a crushing check on Parise that sent Parise into his bench. While the door was open into the bench, Cooke made Parise pay for dumping in the puck. It was a doozy of a hit.

Sid struck again in a 4 on 4 midway through the period. Malkin skated after a loose puck to beat a lunging Clemmensen to it. He slid it to Crosby for a gimme and Sid's second goal of the game. Thos two are kind of a big deal.

Kennedy almost made it 4-0 when he missed an easy opportunity after a nice pass from Staal during a 2 on 1. That line played well as usual.

Mike Rupp got New Jersey on the board two minutes into the third with a snipe past the glove of Dany Sabourin to the top right hand corner of the cage. The goal was the result of some sloppiness by the Pens in an a failed attempt to get the puck out of the defensive zone.

The Devils had some golden opportunities to cut the lead in half during the bulk of the final frame, but some sketchy decision making cost them those chances.

Crosby capped off his night with a beautiful empty netter for the hat trick. He laid out on the ice and one handed it into the net. Malkin got an assist. Those two together....it's just not fair.

Notes-
-Crosby and Malkin.....they give you a tingly feeling.
-Fedotenko played well.
-Nice job by Sabu tonight.
-Gotta love Matt Cooke