Malkin did not make himself available for comment after this victory over Tampa Bay, though his bullish play spoke volumes.

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1 Daily Clips 3/5/13 Malkin, Crosby stand tall in Penguins victory over Lightning By Rob Rossi Published: Monday, March 4, 2013, 10:30 p.m. Updated 2 hours ago Evgeni Malkin returned Monday. He returned to the Penguins after missing four consecutive games with a concussion, and he flashed the MVP form that carried his club last season during captain Sidney Crosby's absence. Malkin's breathtaking goal and Crosby's inspired shift in the third period turned around a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and sparked the Penguins' 4-3 victory at Consol Energy Center. We try to make sure we produce, Crosby said. At a big time like that, I think it was just more a product of the way we played. Crosby's 11th goal and assist on left winger Chris Kunitz's opening marker allowed him to keep a two-point lead in the NHL scoring race. Lightning center Steven Stamkos, who scored his 16th and 17th goals, is second with 34 points. Malkin, one of two current NHL players with multiple scoring titles, is well behind Crosby and Stamkos. Malkin has 23 points (five goals, 18 assists). Upon returning to Pittsburgh after the NHL lockout, which he spent playing for his hometown Metallurg Magnitogorsk of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League, Malkin said Crosby was probably the best bet to win the scoring title and MVP. Malkin did not make himself available for comment after this victory over Tampa Bay, though his bullish play spoke volumes. He had the puck on his stick what seemed like the whole night, said Matt Cooke, who resumed playing left wing on a line with Malkin and right winger James Neal. Malkin finished with five shots and a plus-1 rating. The Penguins were trailing, 2-1, when he scored in the fifth minute of the third period that center Brandon Sutter said made teammates on the bench kind of laugh.

2 With defenseman Brooks Orpik behind the net in the Penguins' zone following a big hit by Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier, Malkin carried the puck into the other end and, in a sudden burst, split two Tampa Bay players while cutting to his left into the slot, falling then whipping a shot past goalie Anders Lindback. I mean, what else are you going to do when a guy scores a goal like that? Sutter said of the laughing Malkin's tally inspired. What a goal. What a sequence by Crosby about two minutes later. He stole a puck from Stamkos in the defensive zone, and then finished a rush by hammering home a slick feed from defenseman Kris Letang, who passed across and into the slot while on both knees after circling from behind the net. By that point, Crosby already had produced at least a point in 27 of 37 regular-season games dating to his return from a concussion last season. He has racked up 17 goals and 59 points over that span. The Penguins (15-8-0, 30 points) won a second consecutive game and looked a lot better defensively than they did at any point during a three-game road trip during which they allowed 16 goals. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury again played better than his 25 saves suggested. Neal's empty-netter kept him within striking distance of Stamkos. Neal has 14 goals. However, the story of this win was the return of Malkin both to his team and to the form the Penguins will need if they are to contend for the Stanley Cup. He looked really good, Crosby said. I don't know if he was doing any stick-handling while we were gone, but that looked pretty sharp. When he's going like that, it's pretty tough to stop him. So are the Penguins when Malkin and Crosby get going as they did against Tampa Bay. That's what we need, Cooke said. They're our two offensive powerhouses. They lead the way. Penguins notebook: Despres could see more time on D with Letang By Josh Yohe

3 Published: Monday, March 4, 2013, 11:39 a.m. Updated 10 hours ago The Penguins were 12-4 with defenseman Simon Despres in the lineup entering Monday's game against Tampa Bay. Despres has recorded six points in 16 games and entered the game leading all Penguins defensemen with a plus-8 rating. Given those numbers and coach Dan Bylsma's assessment of Despres' recent play the youngster's days of being a healthy scratch might end. And he might start seeing more time with defenseman Kris Letang. Bylsma said Despres' performance Saturday in Montreal may have been his best in the NHL. Despres set up center Brandon Sutter's overtime game-winner, was sound defensively and continued his trend of playing a more physical game. Despres and Letang played together at times during the first six weeks of the season. Seeing the ups and downs of Despres' first lengthy stint in the NHL reminds Bylsma of a young Letang. It was really helpful for Simon to play with Kris, Bylsma said. Defenseman Paul Martin remains out with an injury that Bylsma called day-to-day. There is a chance that Martin could return to the lineup when the Penguins play Thursday in Philadelphia. Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik was incensed with officials early in the third period when a blindside hit from Tampa Bay captain Vinny Lecavalier was not penalized. Lecavalier said the hit was essentially an accident. I saw him at the last second, Lecavalier said. I was going for the puck. It was kind of a collision. He didn't see me. I didn't see him. It was a heavy hit or both of us. We kind of surprised each other, I think. Don't expect left wing Beau Bennett to remain in Wilkes-Barre. In fact, he will probably be back with the Penguins by Tuesday. The organization sent Bennett to the AHL on Monday, but it was a procedural move. Right wing Zach Boychuk was placed on waivers on the same day that center Evgeni Malkin was activated. Because Boychuk's status was unknown Monday afternoon, the team needed to clear a roster spot. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, wingers James Neal, Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke, and defenseman Deryk Engelland welcomed Monday's student rush line with pizza. Bylsma joined his players by greeting fans who waited for 500 available tickets.

4 Former Penguins left wing Ryan Malone remained out of Tampa Bay's lineup with a lowerbody injury. He is expected to return within a week. Sales of protective socks up among hockey players By Bob Cohn Published: Monday, March 4, 2013, 11:03 p.m. Updated 10 hours ago On Feb. 13, Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson suffered a serious injury and likely a career setback against the Penguins. But because of that, the severity of such injuries might be reduced and even prevented and hockey careers prolonged. Sales and use of so-called cut-resistant hockey socks made of Kevlar and other protective materials have increased at all levels of the sport since Matt Cooke's skate almost completely severed Karlsson's left Achilles tendon. The 2012 Norris Trophy winner underwent surgery and will miss the rest of the season. Word is really getting out there, said David Nerman, president of Montreal-based Tuff-N-Lite Hockey, one of several companies that makes protective socks. It's made people go, Oh my God, this could really happen.' Nerman said sales have risen about 70 percent since Karlsson's injury, with orders coming in from as far away as Norway and Australia. Perani's Hockey World in Mt. Lebanon said it quickly sold out its supply of socks, which cost about $40 a pair. They hadn't been a popular item until (Karlsson's injury). It definitely changed things, store manager Carla Jeke said. Beth Crowell, category manager of performance apparel for Bauer, based in New Hampshire, said retailers told her the socks were quickly moving after the injury. There's been a heightened awareness about the types of safety products that are out there, she said. The socks are designed to protect the area between the shin pad and the top of the skate, that little space, said Nerman, adding that Karlsson's injury might have been prevented or lessened if he was wearing protective socks. Nerman and others in the industry agree, however, that no sock is guaranteed to prevent the worst type of cuts.

5 Kevlar, which is used in bulletproof vests, has been the material of choice going back to the advent of protective speed skating socks. Other companies, such as Nerman's, have introduced other fabrics. Swiftwick, a Brentwood, Tenn., firm, introduced a protective sock it has made available only to NHL clubs. The online site Brentwood Home Page reported that 14 Predators players wore the socks in a game against Phoenix following Karlsson's injury. But the overall NHL response has been less than enthusiastic. Some players find the socks uncomfortable, others are creatures of habit. Penguins equipment manager Dana Heinze said five players on the team wear the socks. Some of those who don't are considering them. I'm not opposed to trying to change, I just haven't gotten to it yet, Penguins defenseman Matt Niskanen said. Rookie forward Beau Bennett said he has worn protective socks since the start of the season when he played for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Anything you can have an advantage in as far as not getting injured or having a freak accident, you might as well take advantage of it, Bennett said. The Pittsburgh Interscholastic Hockey League does not require its players to wear protective socks, but it's going to be discussed at one of our meetings, commissioner Ed Sam said. Malkin scores tying goal to spark Penguins' 4-3 win over Lightning By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette This team has its flaws and soft spots, and most of them have surfaced at some point in the first six-plus weeks of this season. But it also has some of the game's most gifted and creative players. And every now and then, those guys make that point to anyone who might have forgotten. Occasionally, like in the third period of the Penguins' 4-3 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning Monday night at Consol Energy Center, they do it just a few shifts apart. The Penguins were trying to overcome a 2-1 deficit when Evgeni Malkin, playing in his first game after sitting out four because of a concussion, set the bar of individual excellence with what coach Dan Bylsma called "a great, unbelievable power move."

6 Malkin stole a pass by Lightning defenseman Eric Brewer in the neutral zone and skated into the right circle, then cut toward the slot and, after knifing between Brewer and defense partner Matt Carle, threw a shot past goalie Anders Lindback to tie the score at 5:38. "It didn't look like there was any way to get between those two guys," teammate Sidney Crosby said. "And he found a way." Less than two minutes later, Crosby and Kris Letang found a way to make a run at the standard Malkin had established. And, in the process, to generate the goal that put the Penguins on top to stay. Crosby carried the puck across the blue line then gave it to Letang. He took it around the Tampa Bay net before throwing a cross-ice pass to Crosby, who beat Lindback from inside the right circle. "Mine wasn't quite as nice [as Malkin's]," Crosby said. Nice enough, though. And certainly more dazzling than the innocuous goal that turned out to be the game-winner. Right winger James Neal scored that one into an empty net with 51.5 seconds remain in regulation to put the Penguins up by two. His goal became the one that decided the outcome, however, when Steven Stamkos of the Lightning swatted a puck out of the air and past Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with eight seconds to play. The victory raised the Penguins' record to 15-9 and tightened their grip on first place in the Atlantic Division. The Penguins played their second game in a row without defenseman Paul Martin, who has an unspecified injury, and it looked for a while as if they might lose his frequent defense partner, Brooks Orpik, as well. Earlier on the shift that ended with Malkin's goal, Tampa Bay center Vincent Lecavalier dropped Orpik with a hit behind the Penguins net. Orpik seemed shaken by the check and angered by the lack of a penalty call, but said after the game that he is not injured. "He's usually a pretty honest player, so I'll refrain from making comment until I see a replay," Orpik said. "I'm fine. I thought it was a head shot, or interference. Either one. Take your pick." Chris Kunitz got the only goal of the opening period, as he took a feed from Crosby and beat Lightning goalie Mathieu Garon from the slot.

7 That goal not only marked the 17th time in 23 games that the Penguins scored first, but established a couple of personal bests for Kunitz. He has at least one goal in each of the past four games and at least one point in six consecutive games. The Penguins had a chance to pad their lead on a power play early in the second period, but Kunitz, Malkin and Neal each were unable to capitalize on excellent chances near the net. Garon, who was brilliant on that penalty-kill, left the game with an undisclosed injury shortly after the Lightning returned to even strength. He barely had made it to the locker room when Stamkos steered a Victor Hedman pass behind Fleury from the front lip of the crease to tie the score. Tampa Bay moved in front, 2-1, with a strange goal at 11:59. After Penguins center Brandon Sutter got his stick on Nate Thompson's shot from the slot, the puck struck Tom Pyatt of Tampa Bay in the face before it fluttered over Fleury and dropped into the net. That was the final puck the Lightning got past Fleury until Stamkos got his second of the game as time was winding down. The Penguins won this game, in large part, because of solid team defense, but it didn't hurt to have guys such as Malkin and Crosby on hand when the outcome was being shaped. "That's the kind of players they are," defenseman Matt Niskanen said. "They're gamechangers." Penguins notebook: Quick moves opened a spot for Malkin By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The Penguins scrambled a little Monday to open a roster spot for center Evgeni Malkin, but there was nothing half-cooked about allowing him return from a concussion. Malkin -- who was hurt Feb. 22 and diagnosed with a concussion two days later -- was in the lineup Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Consol Energy Center, one day after he got clearance for contact and practiced with the team but said he thought he needed "a couple more" practices to be ready. But he passed an ImPACT neurocognitive test Sunday, went through a normal morning skate Monday and dressed for the game.

8 Despite some setbacks and frustration when fellow Penguins center Sidney Crosby was recovering from a concussion, the team had no reservations about Malkin's return. "We clearly followed [NHL concussion] protocol carefully and have taken every precaution possible," coach Dan Bylsma said. "In this case, Evgeni had some memory loss that [abated], and he's felt good for... seven full days. He's worked out hard on and off the ice for part of those days, had full contact, full go in practice [Sunday]. "We're not talking about gut feelings and what we feel. He's spent the time going through the protocol, seven full days. As coaches, we're not really involved with the protocol. He's seen doctors and gone through the regimen and finished all those [Sunday]." Malkin, the defending NHL scoring champion and MVP, missed four games. To clear a roster spot for him, the Penguins placed winger Zach Boychuk on waivers and assigned winger Beau Bennett to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Boychuk will remain on the 23-man roster until noon today. If he is not claimed by another team -- Carolina previously expressed an interest in reacquiring him -- he could be sent to Wilkes-Barre. That would clear the way for Bennett to be returned to the NHL roster in time for a game Thursday at Philadelphia. Bennett, 21, a Penguins first-round draft pick in 2010, has a goal and two assists in eight NHL games and is seen as a potential regular on one of the top two lines. Boychuk, 23, was a 2008 first-round draft pick by Carolina. The Penguins picked him up off of waivers Jan. 31 as a potential left winger for Malkin. In eight games, Boychuk had no points and didn't convert at least a handful of prime scoring chances. He then was a healthy scratch for nine games in a row, including, technically, Monday night. Despres praised Defenseman Simon Despres dressed for the Penguins' 7-6 win Saturday at Montreal after being scratched for two games, and Bylsma was impressed with the rookie's play. Despres had a plus-minus rating of plus-2, three hits, one blocked shot and an assist on Brandon Sutter's overtime goal. "Simon played, we can safely say, one of his better games, if not his best game, in Montreal," Bylsma said.

9 Despres did that in front of many family members and friends. He is from the Montreal suburb of Laval. That means the Penguins couldn't replicate Despres' motivation. "We tried to get all of his family that were there at the game to come to this game [against Tampa Bay], too. They weren't all able to come down," Bylsma cracked. Bylsma said the key to Despres playing well is consistency. "Again, I'm not sure I can bring all his family in, so he's got to bring that consistency on his own," Bylsma said. Tip-ins The Penguins played for the second game in a row without defenseman Paul Martin, who has an undisclosed injury. He worked out on the ice with conditioning coach Mike Kadar before the morning skate and is listed as day to day by Bylsma.... In what has become an annual event, Penguins players surprised those in the student rush line before the game with pizzas. James Neal, Deryk Engelland, Matt Cooke, Marc-Andre Fleury and Pascal Dupuis, along with Bylsma, delivered the pies.... In addition to Boychuk and Martin, the Penguins scratched defenseman Robert Bortuzzo.... Injured winger Ryan Malone, an Upper St. Clair native and former Penguins player, did not play for the Lightning. Cook: Fleury's mental strength shines By Ron Cook / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Marc-Andre Fleury is a true pro, not just a winner but a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender. He is as tough-minded as they come despite going through life with a smile on his face, seemingly without a care in the world. He's strong enough to shrug off bad goals, bad games and even the occasional bad decision by his coach. Fleury proved that again Monday night. He played a huge part in a 4-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning two nights after being disrespected in a big way by coach Dan Bylsma. Like other NHL players, Fleury likes playing in his hometown. That's why it was so baffling and inexcusable that Bylsma didn't play him Saturday night in Montreal. Fleury refused to complain publicly about the decision to start backup Tomas Vokoun in the Penguins' 7-6 win. "I always like to play in front of my friends and family, but it wasn't such a big deal," he said. But don't be fooled. Just because Fleury is a good team man doesn't mean he's happy about sitting in Montreal. Bylsma said it was the plan all along to start Vokoun against the Canadiens. If that's the case, the plan was flawed. Bylsma said he didn't want Fleury to play five games in a row. That's

10 nonsense. Fleury has been playing exceptionally well and wouldn't have been overly taxed by playing in Montreal. He could have sat for Vokoun Monday night if he needed rest. This is the second time this season Bylsma has made a curious call with Fleury. He didn't start him in a home game Feb. 20 against the Philadelphia Flyers because it would have been Fleury's fourth consecutive start. The Penguins couldn't overcome the six pucks that Vokoun fished out of his net that night, losing, 6-5. Fleury started the next game against the Florida Panthers in a 3-1 win. Am I missing something? Wouldn't it have been better to play Fleury against the Flyers and sit him against the Panthers? As bad as it was for Fleury to be benched against the hated Flyers, it had to be much worse for him not to play in Montreal. It brought back memories of former Penguins coach Mike Therrien making defenseman Brooks Orpik a healthy scratch in three consecutive games in December 2007, including one in Boston, where Orpik played his college hockey. "Brooksie, at that point, wasn't playing his best hockey. Why should I punish other guys who are playing well?" Therrien asked later, pointing out that Orpik was from Buffalo, not Boston. "I make exceptions for family, not for friends. If that game had been in Buffalo, he would have played." Orpik got past the slight and played a big part in the Penguins getting to the Stanley Cup final that season. But it hardly helped his relationship with Therrien. Orpik's teammates also noticed. It might not have been the biggest reason they grew tired of Therrien's tough-love approach and quit on him in February 2009, leading to his firing. But it was a factor. I'm not suggesting that will happen with Bylsma. I'm just saying the Fleury benching wasn't his finest moment as Penguins coach. It's one thing not to want to overwork Fleury, although it's debatable what part fatigue played in his poor playoff series against the Flyers last season. Bylsma appears convinced it was a big factor, but it's just as reasonable to think Fleury just had a poor series. So did his teammates in front of him. Still, there are times when common sense has to prevail. Egos are a part of hockey. Managing egos are a big part of coaching. When the Penguins' power play struggles, people suggest splitting stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and putting them on separate units. But it's not that easy. Who goes on the No. 1 power play? Who goes on No. 2? Will the No. 2 man be happy? Egos matter. Bylsma is lucky Fleury is so strong mentally. Fleury was on top of his game Monday night from the start, stopping the world's best goal-scorer, Steven Stamkos, coming alone down the slot midway through the first period when the Penguins led, 1-0. He made his best save midway

11 through the second period, sliding across his crease to rob Keith Aulie after a wonderful centering pass from Martin St. Louis when it was 1-1. "We needed a couple of big saves from Marc," Bylsma said. "That allowed us to stay in the game." It's hard to blame Fleury for any of the three Tampa Bay goals. Stamkos got the first on an easy tap-in after a nice pass from Victor Hedman. Tom Pyatt got the second the hard way, using his face to deflect a shot by Nate Thompson over Fleury, who appeared not to see the puck. Stamkos picked up the third with just 8 seconds left, when he batted a puck out of the air into the net. The win made for a nice night for Fleury and the Penguins. His evening started when he delivered free pizzas to the kids in line for the team's student ticket program. It ended with him getting his ninth win in his past 11 starts. Know this: It was a heck of a lot more fun for Fleury than his Saturday night in Montreal. Endgame: Penguins 4, Lightning 3 Monday, / 10:44 PM / Features By Michelle Crechiolo The league s best players, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, showed why they are just that on Monday night at CONSOL Energy Center playing inspired hockey and lifting the Penguins to a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the Penguins down 2-1 in the third period, Malkin making his return to the lineup after missing four games with a concussion and Crosby scored a pair of crucial goals less than two minutes apart that got Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead and got them back in the game. "In a very short order you see two displays of skill and offense, turning the game quickly from behind down in the third period to being ahead," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. James Neal made it 4-2 when he scored an empty-netter with 51.5 seconds left (which would stand as the game-winner), and Steven Stamkos scored his second of the game to make it 4-3 with eight seconds left. Pittsburgh s Chris Kunitz and Tampa Bay s Taylor Pyatt rounded out the

12 scoring. Marc-Andre Fleury starred in goal for the Pens, while Lightning starter Mathieu Garon left the game in the second period with an injury. He was replaced by Anders Lindback. TWO-HEADED MONSTER AWAKENS After the Pens got off to a strong start in Monday s game, scoring within the first five minutes, the Lightning started surging like the Tesla coils that go off in their home arena when they get a goal. They gained much-deserved momentum following a terrific penalty kill in the second period, where they somehow managed to keep Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the Penguins' top power-play unit off the scoresheet with lots of blocks and big saves. Well, that didn t please the Pens two-headed monster. Crosby and Malkin went into beast mode to score a pair of huge goals that got the crowd on their feet roaring their appreciation for the two superstars, got the Pens back in the game and gave them their first win of the season when trailing after two periods. They weren t garbage goals, either. Malkin's was especially beautiful, a work of art. On the play, Malkin picked up a turnover by Eric Brewer in the neutral zone and charged to the net. He somehow slithered through between Brewer and Matt Carle, pulling the puck under the sliding Brewer s outstretched stick with his backhand while simultaneously leaping over it, and finishing it off by slamming the puck past goalie Anders Lindback. WATCH IT HERE. It didn t look like there was any way to get through those two guys and he found a way," Crosby marveled of Malkin's goal, which tied the score 2-2 with 14:22 remaining in the third period. "You don t see that happen too often. Less than two minutes later, Crosby gave Pittsburgh the lead. He managed to settle a bouncing puck and break out of his own zone, carrying into the other end and dropping a pass to Kris Letang. Letang patiently wrapped around the net and found Crosby open in the slot, who slammed it into the cage before Lindback could react. Mine wasn t quite as nice, but they all count, Crosby smiled. Tanger made a great play. He showed some great patience coming around the net and I just tried to find an open area, but I

13 had a lot of net to look at there. Kunitz said the sequence of goals, which energized the building, certainly energized the team. I think that was the reason we won tonight," he said. "We kind of went through a little lull there in the second. They scored a few goals. We didn t have the same energy that we did in the first. One goal like that by Geno, I think the next shift out I think Sid gets one and that s a big moment for us. MALKIN RETURNS AND DOMINATES For those wondering how long it would take Malkin to return to reigning MVP form after missing the last four games with a concussion suffered Feb. 22 at Florida, let me tell you: no time at all. Tonight was a night where you truly appreciated just how elite of a talent he is, what a difference his presence makes in the lineup and made you marvel at just how fast he got back to being Geno. He was explosive from the moment he stepped on the ice for his first shift. Malkin stickhandled the puck all over the ice like only he can, forcing turnovers, skirting around defenders and making elite plays look routine. He s obviously a huge part of our team," Kunitz said. "It s nice to see him not only be healthy, but out there doing the things he does and bringing the fans out of seats. Tampa Bay is a team Malkin dominated last season. In his last three games against the Lightning prior to Monday, he scored eight goals (including a pair of hat tricks) and 11 points. He carried that over into tonight's game. Malkin swarmed the net all night, and finally cashed in with an absolutely sick goal to tie the score 2-2. I think he just has that talent level and he can do whatever he wants out there," center Brandon Sutter said. "He s great and he made a great play. He looked really good," Crosby agreed. "When he s going like that it s pretty tough to stop him.

14 FLEURY STARS However, the Lightning could have struck a lot more if it hadn t been for the play of Marc-Andre Fleury. He made some big saves," Sutter said. "There could ve been a few more they could ve put in, but for him to kind of hold the net and do a good job, it s great to have him playing well. The Pens had a fast start, scoring just 4:13 into the game. But the Lightning turned it on and stormed the zone hard as the evening progressed. Fleury had to come up with a number of magnificent stops against the NHL s highest-scoring offense and kept his team in the game with his defensive play, allowing Crosby and Malkin to work their magic offensively. He finished the night with 25 saves. Flower doesn t get enough credit," Kunitz said. "We haven t played good enough defensively for him. He s been making big saves at different points in all games. It s something that he does, he rises to the occasion. But we have to get better at not giving up those opportunities. Fleury s greatest save came on a 2-1 attempt with 9:09 left in the second period and Tampa Bay holding a 2-1 lead. Martin St. Louis carried into the zone and sent a cross-ice pass to defenseman Keith Aulie crashing the net. It looked like a tap-in for Aulie, but somehow, some way, Fleury slid over to make the save and cover it up. Chants of Fleury! Fleury! rang out through the building as a result. That was a fun one, definitely," a cheerful Fleury said after the game. "I was confident that if I could make a few key saves, we could get a few goals and get the win at the end. CAREER STREAK FOR KUNITZ I saw a tweet during the game that joked, Man, is Sidney Crosby ever riding Kunitz s coattails. I had to laugh. Of course, Crosby is arguably the best player in the NHL, the league s top scorer

15 and he was flying in this game. But the tweet came right after his linemate Kunitz scored his 12th goal of the season in the opening period, which puts him just two behind James Neal for the team lead. Kunitz extended his career-long point streak to six games with the score. He has six goals and nine points during the stretch. He now has at least one point in 18 of the Penguins 23 games and points in 14 of his last 16. What's been noticeable about Kunitz's hot streak is that he's getting goals off one-timers from the slot area. He's made a living off crashing to the paint and working the dirty areas, but has been trying to shoot more when he has the chance. If you put it on net sometimes it goes in," Kunitz said. "So if I m in that area, obviously I have a centerman who can put the puck in and find you wherever you are. So you just try to find a soft area and put the puck on net and good things happen. Pens Deliver Pizzas to Student Rushers Monday, / 4:31 PM / Features By Wes Crosby Local high school and college students started lining up in frigid weather along Fifth Avenue at about 9 a.m., nine hours before tickets went on sale, for the Penguins game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, for a chance to purchase discounted Student Rush tickets. The Pens decided to give their young fans an extra surprise. Continuing a past tradition that is unique to the Penguins, head coach Dan Bylsma, Marc-Andre Fleury, James Neal, Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke and Deryk Engelland hand-delivered pizzas to the students in line at 5 p.m. They re out there since like 5 in the morning, so to be able to go out there and show our appreciation for them, that they re out there for 12-plus hours just waiting for tickets to watch us, Engelland said. So, anything we can do for them is big for us.

16 Neal, Dupuis and Engelland also took part in the first pizza delivery of the season. This along with a DJ, prizes and giveaways showed that the Pens appreciate the students support and dedication. The players even took some time to autograph signs and take pictures with the students. A pair of Duquesne University students, Ashley Sutaria and Erin Seiner, took a photo with Dupuis, while Sutaria, who turned 20-years-old Monday, received a happy birthday wish from Neal. It was really exciting because I ve never actually seen them bring out pizza before, Seiner said. Dan Bylsma was the person that gave me the pizza and I got my picture with Dupuis, so it was definitely exciting. Bylsma also took some time to chat with the fans before heading back into the American Eagle gate. He said he thought delivering the pizzas was the least he and his players could do for the students and that the fans excitement would translate to a big-game atmosphere during the game. I walked by them for lunch and they were all excited and pumped up, Bylsma said. We took some pictures. I think they re a little more excited to get the pizza from Deryk Engelland and Matt Cooke. These guys are true fans, young fans, excited fans. It s great to see them out here and it means we re going to have a loud building tonight. The Pens will also hold an expanded Student Rush on April 2 vs. the Buffalo Sabres and April 17 vs. the Montreal Canadiens. The team showed that it appreciates the fans, and that feeling was mutual. The Penguins organization as a whole is just great. They re doing so many good things for so many people, for the (military) veterans and now us as students, said Nick Salak, a student at Pittsburgh Technical Institute. They re great people. Fleury Personally Delivers Free Tickets to Students Monday, / 4:15 PM / Features Pittsburgh Penguins It doesn t get much better than receiving free seats on the glass to a Pittsburgh Penguins home game. That is, unless those tickets are being hand-delivered by the Penguins starting goalie.

17 Marc-Andre Fleury has bought four seats directly behind the net in the front row of CONSOL Energy Center s Section 118 for every home game this season, starting with a Feb. 2 contest against the New Jersey Devils. Thanks to Fleury s Flower s Front-Row Seats initiative, four lucky fans who purchased discounted Student Rush tickets have received the front-row tickets and a full refund in each of the Pens last seven home games heading into Monday. Chosen fans have responded enthusiastically in past games, but Fleury upped the ante for Monday s contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning by personally handpicking the four students who received the tickets he purchased. They were the first four girls in line Kelly Ruffin, Kacy Ruffin, Christina Cherico and Emily Mcburney who had gotten there at approximately 5 a.m. this morning to stake out their spot. Fleury laughed and shook his head when he realized just how early the girls had arrived. "I know, that s before us," Fleury joked. "That s a little crazy, but it just shows what kind of fans we have in Pittsburgh. It s great that we have such great support from them." Mcburney said they had a hard time waking up this morning, but they re so glad they did. I got the covers ripped off me this morning because I didn t want to get out of bed, she said. So we almost didn t make it here, but we did and now we re sitting front row. Fleury brought the girls into the American Eagle gate lobby to hand them their tickets and personally thank them for their support. Needless to say, it s an experience they won t soon forget. I don t even have any words right now, Kelly Ruffin laughed excitedly. We didn t know what was going to happen when (director of communications Jen Bullano) came over and was like can you guys come inside? I think we died inside. It was unbelievable! It was crazy. Fleury has been Pittsburgh native Cherico s favorite player, and the chance to not only watch him play from the glass, but to meet him in person, left her truly speechless. I wanted these seats the first time I heard about them, she said. He is my favorite player and always has been. I am so appreciative for them. It was definitely a surprise and a very, very good one. The event took place during the Penguins first extended American Eagle Student Rush of the season. More than 500 discounted tickets were distributed to high school and college students with a valid ID, but only four were chosen by the Pens Stanley Cup winning netminder.

18 They re looking forward to watching him from the glass behind the net tonight. It s going to be amazing, Kelly Ruffin said. We ve never had front-row seats before, so it s going to be so fun. Oh my god. I can t wait. We are big fans, Cherico added. We support them any way possible through the lockout. We re happy it s over and happy to be back and playing. Authors: Michelle Crechiolo and Wes Crosby Crosby, Malkin lead Pens past Lightning Monday, / 11:51 PM Chris Adamski - NHL.com Correspondent PITTSBURGH -- About the only people who weren't surprised to see Evgeni Malkin shake off nine days of rust and any lingering effects from a concussion were his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates. Playing for the first time in five games after a scary collision into the boards, Malkin had a highlight-reel, game-tying third-period goal, added an assist and was generally his National Hockey League reigning MVP self in leading Pittsburgh to a 4-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night. Malkin had just been cleared for contact in practice Sunday -- after which the two-time NHL scoring champion opined that he might need more time to return to game action following an injury that led to temporary short-term memory loss. Based on his strength and performance during the practice, his teammates didn't think he required any more fine-tuning. It was the same old "Geno." "He had guys shaking their heads at how strong he was yesterday," coach Dan Bylsma said after Monday's game. "They were pretty amazed at how physical and strong he was on the puck yesterday, so to see him come out and play that way and be confident, I'm not real surprised." Sidney Crosby added a pretty goal of his own to give the Penguins the lead 1:51 after Malkin tied it 5:38 into the third. Chris Kunitz had given Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead off a feed from Crosby in the first period, and James Neal added an empty-net goal with 51.5 left.

19 The Penguins improved to in their past 24 home games against Southeast Division teams and in March games since Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 25 saves, has 31 of those March home victories. He has won six straight home starts. Steven Stamkos scored twice to give him a League-leading 17 goals and Tom Pyatt scored a peculiar off-his-face goal for Tampa Bay, which lost its fifth consecutive contest. "I thought we played... one of our best first two periods all year, real solid, we had the lead, we weren't giving them much... and then Malkin scores a nice goal and they get some momentum," Stamkos said. "It's just little assignments we're missing, little things that sometimes you get away with in a game and no one ever talks about it and right now they're costing us. When you're on a streak like that, it's the little things.... It's pretty frustrating." Malkin showed no visible ill effects from his concussion, firing a team-high five shots on goal and attempted three others that didn't make it to the net. He also won seven of 12 faceoffs in 15:29 of ice time, adding an assist on Neal's empty-netter. "I don't know if he was doing any stickhandling while we were gone (on a road trip), but he looked pretty sharp," Crosby said. "It's fun. When he's going like that, it's pretty tough to stop him." Especially when he's given the puck at the opponent's blue line. Malkin corralled a Lightning turnover, skated hard down the right wing, briefly left his skates to split defensemen Eric Brewer and Matt Carle and deposited the puck behind Tampa Bay goalie Anders Lindback. "He made a great play -- but we gave it to him," Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said. "We just turned it over at our blue line and gave Malkin the puck at our blue line. Might as well just put the gun to our heads. That's just unacceptable for us. "You give it to Sidney or Malkin, there you might as well just shoot yourself." Soon after, Crosby gave the Penguins the lead with his NHL-leading 36th point. Kris Letang circled behind the net to find an open Crosby in the right slot, and Crosby one-timed it in for his 19th point in his past nine games. Letang added another assist to give him 21 points to lead all NHL defensemen, and Crosby has 11 points in a five-game point streak to maintain his two-point lead over Stamkos in the scoring race. After the morning skate early Monday, Stamkos unequivocally called Crosby the League's best player, saying "the way he controls the puck -- exciting things happen every time he touches it."

20 It took all of three shifts for Crosby to give Stamkos a firsthand example. Crosby took the puck along the left-wing boards and fought off, among others, Stamkos in holding it until he fed a wide-open Kunitz in the high slot. Kunitz beat Tampa Bay goalie Mathieu Garon for his 12th goal of the season, establishing new career highs for a point streak (six games) and goal streak (four games). After Garon denied several quality Penguins power-play chances during the first two minutes of the second period, he left the game with a lower-body injury. Tampa Bay is expected to promote Cedrick Desjardins from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League prior to Tuesday night s game against the New Jersey Devils. Twenty seconds later, Stamkos tied the game at 1 with his ninth goal in a 10-game point streak. Victor Hedman slid a pass to Stamkos, who was alone to the left of Fleury. Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead on a bizarre goal 12 minutes into the second when Brandon Sutter's stick met Nate Thompson's stick as he attempted to shoot from the slot. The puck fluttered through traffic in the air toward the net, deflecting off of Pyatt's face before settling into the net behind an unsuspecting Fleury. Ondrej Palat, who was making his NHL debut, earned the second assist on the goal, which was Pyatt's fifth of the season. Stamkos scored at 19:52 of the third after Tampa Bay had pulled its goalie for an extra attacker, his 10th in his past 10 games. But the Lightning could not get the equalizer. The Penguins have a six-game home winning streak at home against the Lightning, who have never won at Consol Energy Center. Tampa Bay is since a 6-1 start. "We didn't think we'd be in this position after the way we started the year," Stamkos said. "We're in it now, you can't change the past. "We've got to execute. The coaching staff's preparing us for games -- that's the easy way out when people start talking (about a coaching change). We're not thinking that. The coaching staff's working hard; we're in these games." Crosby, Stamkos wowing everyone -- even each other Monday, / 2:58 PM / NHL Insider

21 By Chris Adamski - NHL.com Correspondent PITTSBURGH -- Steven Stamkos smiled sheepishly, a blush almost apparent. The affable Tampa Bay Lightning star was seemingly embarrassed he's being asked to weigh his game against that of Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby. "To be compared in the same sentence to him is pretty special for me," the Tampa Bay Lightning sniper said. "I think I still have a long way to go and a lot of things to work on before you get mentioned with a guy like that." When it comes to this season's National Hockey League scoring race, there aren't any other players more worthy of mentioning. Crosby's 34 points lead the League heading into Monday's head-to-head matchup (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN) with Stamkos, who is second with 32 points. No one else is within five points of the two respective No. 1 picks (Crosby in 2005, Stamkos three years later), who shared the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals. Stamkos might be uncomfortable answering a question comparing him to Crosby, but there's no hesitation in his direct answer when asked who the best player in the game is right now. "A healthy Sidney Crosby," Stamkos said. "It's tough to argue that fact, in my eyes personally. "Everyone has their own opinion, but just how dangerous he is on the ice, the way he controls the puck -- exciting things happen every time he touches it. It's always a challenge when you play against (Pittsburgh), and since he's got back healthy this year he's been a force out there." Crosby has seven three-point games over the previous 30 days and has at least a point in eight of his past nine contests to give him 10 goals and 24 assists in 22 games. Stamkos carries a nine-game scoring streak into Monday's game, having scored at least one goal in seven of the past eight. His 15 goals lead the League as Stamkos strives for his third Rocket Richard Trophy over the past four seasons. But Stamkos wants to be known for more than just goals -- and Penguins coach Dan Bylsma says he's done exactly that. "Initially, you'd like to say that Steven Stamkos is a pure shooting goal-scorer star in our League," Bylsma said. "I think that's a misnomer of where he is good. "Certainly he can fire the puck and he can shoot the puck, and I think the year he won the goalscoring race, a majority of his goals were in a certain area of the ice. But he's tough around net, he can skate real well and has got speed and explosive power in his skating, and he's good down low -- and a lot of those areas I'd say the same thing about Sidney Crosby."

22 Crosby had a career-high 51 goals in tying Stamkos for the League lead in Due to injury, he's been limited to 85 regular-season games since but has 50 goals -- a similar pace. Stamkos has averaged 52 goals over the past three seasons; his.71 goals per game this season would give him 59 over the course of 82 games. Perhaps most impressively, only once this season has he gone more than one game without a goal. "Everyone knows about his big shot, and he doesn't need much time or space to get a shot off," Crosby said. "But I think he competes every night, and that's why he's definitely been a consistent player." Bylsma, likewise, marvels at Stamkos' consistency -- with one small caveat. "Seeing him at 15 goals and 32 points," Bylsma said, "I think that's a good number to stay at for at least one game." Evgeni Malkin scores in return as Penguins rally PITTSBURGH -- The puck ended up on Evgeni Malkin's stick, and Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher could feel a sense of dread. It didn't matter that the Pittsburgh Penguins center hadn't played in more than a week due to a concussion. Give the reigning NHL MVP a sheet of open ice in a tight game and things typically aren't going to end well. "We gave it to him," Boucher said. "That's unacceptable." So was the result for Tampa Bay. Seconds later, Malkin split two defenders and tucked the puck into a wide-open net to tie the game, sparking a furious third-period rally as the Penguins beat the Lightning 4-3 on Monday night. Malkin later added an assist on James Neal's empty-net goal, punctuating the Russian's return 11 days after suffering short-term memory loss and headaches when he slammed into the end boards during a win over Florida on Feb. 22. The 26-year-old was cleared to return to practice Sunday and was given the OK to play after passing the litany of NHL-mandated tests. Considering the way Malkin dominated his teammates during workouts, Penguins coach Dan Bylsma wasn't stunned to see Malkin play so brilliantly.

23 "He had guys shaking their heads at how strong he was yesterday," Bylsma said. "They were pretty amazed at how physical and strong he was on the puck, so to see him come out and play that way and be confident, I'm not real surprised." Neither was teammate Sidney Crosby, who knows a thing or two about coming back from concussions after the injury cost him the majority of two seasons. "He looked really good, I think, for a first game back," Crosby said. "I don't know if he was doing any stick-handling while (he was out) but it looked pretty sharp. It's fun. When he's going like that it's pretty tough to stop him." The Penguins, too. Less than 2 minutes after Malkin put the puck by Anders Lindback, Crosby gave Pittsburgh the lead for good with a one-timer from the slot. Crosby also collected his NHL-leading 25th assist as the Penguins remained unbeaten against the Lightning at Consol Energy Center during the regular season. Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos scored twice to boost his league-leading total to 17, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Lightning from dropping their fifth straight. "It's the little things sometimes you get away with in the game and nobody ever talks about it, and right now it's costing us," Stamkos said. "When you're on a streak like that, those little things, it's almost like you have to play a perfect game." The Lightning did for the better part of two periods, taking a 2-1 lead before giving it away. "We sabotaged ourselves with two turnovers," Boucher said. "There's no excuse. There's no reason for it. They're easy plays. Make the easy play and that's it." Marc-Andre Fleury helped shore up a leaky Pittsburgh defense by making 25 saves as the NHL's two highest-scoring teams kept things in check until the final 20 minutes. "We were a lot more responsible in the defensive zone," Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "Once we got to the offensive zone, it wasn't like we were cheating and cheating." Tampa Bay starting goaltender Mathieu Garon left early in the second period with a lower-body injury, pressing Lindback into action. Boucher wouldn't elaborate on the severity of Garon's injury, but said the team will promote a goaltender from the AHL just in case. The Lightning play in New Jersey on Wednesday. Lindback stopped 16 shots, but was overmatched when two of the league's best players put on a show early in the third period.

24 "We're playing good against the top teams, and they've got a great lineup and our young guys are matching up with them, and we're right there and we're so close," Boucher said. "We've just got to learn to get rid of those turnovers and being impatient with our offense when we didn't need to at all." Pittsburgh allowed the Lightning one power play and kept Tampa Bay in check for long portions -- save for a brief breakdown in the second period. Stamkos scored from the front of the net when the Penguins decided to leave him by himself on the doorstep. The goal tied it 1-1 and Tom Pyatt put the Lightning ahead with just over 8 minutes to play in the second period. Nate Thompson's wrist shot from between the circles smacked Pyatt in the face before floating softly over the head of Fleury, who was on his knees and never moved until the red light came on. The Lightning, who blew an early two-goal lead in a loss to Boston on Saturday, again faltered in the third while Pittsburgh continued its mastery of Tampa Bay -- at least during the regular season. Game notes The Penguins scratched D Paul Martin, who remains day to day with a lower body injury. Pittsburgh also scratched LW Zach Boychuk and D Robert Bortuzzo... Tampa Bay scratched D Brendan Mikkelson and D Marc-Andre Bergeron... Pittsburgh is off until Thursday, when it plays at Philadelphia. Canadians favour larger ice surface if change would make hockey safer ROY MacGREGOR The Globe and Mail Bigger ice, smaller risk. It didn t make the headlines when to introduce bodychecking took care of that but there is more to the survey released this week by the Rick Hansen Institute than when 12-year-old hockey players should be allowed to hit each other. One of the online questions put to the 2,017 Canadian adults by pollster Angus Reid asked about the size of the ice surface.