Pens close out regular season with convincing win over Habs

Evgeni Malkin essentially wrapped up the Art Ross Trophy just over a minute into the first period. Carey Price coughed up a juicy rebound resulting from a weak wrister by Sergei Gonchar. Malkin slid the puck five-hole on his backhand to stake the Penguins to a 1-0 advantage.

On a penalty kill, Pascal Dupuis jetted past Matheiu Schneider at top speed for a breakaway, and made a brilliant move that handcuffed Carey Price. His shot, however, hit the crossbar, and was batted in with a high stick by Max Talbot. The goal was rightly washed out.

Roman Hamrlik floated a wrister on net that bounced off Hal Gill's shoulder and into the net. It was a tough break and a bad bounce...nothing could have been done to avoid it once the shot was taken.

In the second, each team had prime scoring opportunities. Matt Cooke and Billy Guerin were robbed on nearly identical stops by Price where the Montreal tender slid cross-crease to snare the puck with his glove, and Alex Kovalev and Georges Laraque were denied in close by Marc-Andre Fleury.

Nobody scored, though, and the game went to the third period even at 1-1.

Brooks Orpik went to the penalty box for cross-checking Laraque with a shade over 12 minutes to go in the final frame on a questionable call, and the ensuing turn of events would turn out to drastically favor the penalized Pittsburgh squad.

Dupuis and Talbot got another shorthanded two on one break, and Dupuis made a beautiful pass that found its way to Talbot's stick and into the net, giving the Pens the edge once again.

Later on the same Habs powerplay, Kris Letang walked down the left boards and ripped a slapshot that left Price looking silly, beating him to the left corner and providing the Pens with an important insurance marker.

After that, the Habs and Pens traded jabs both literally and figuratively, but Montreal could not muster up any kind of a comeback.

Notes-
-The Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers will meet in Round One of the playoffs.
-Home-ice advantage for that series hinges on Philly's game tomorrow against the Rangers.
-If the Flyers lose in regulation, the Penguins have the home-ice to start the series.
-That was a great way to close out the regular season for Dan Bylsma and the Pens.

It's playoff time, baby.