HABS FALL TO PENGUINS IN A HIGH SCORING AFFAIR

GOAL SCORERS

PIT:   B. Sutter (PPG, 19:07 - 1st) , C. Kunitz (07:58 - 2nd) , M. Cooke (08:29 - 2nd) , M. Cooke (13:05 - 2nd) , C. Kunitz (08:33 - 3rd) , S. Crosby (10:24 - 3rd) , B. Sutter (00:52 - OT)

MTL:   B. Prust (05:41 - 1st) , M. Pacioretty (04:14 - 2nd) , B. Gionta (17:37 - 2nd) , P. Subban (19:59 - 2nd) , D. Desharnais (05:25 - 3rd) , B. Gionta (10:54 - 3rd)

GOALIES

PIT: T. Vokoun (W)

 MTL: C. Price (L)

               Earlier tonight in Montreal, it was a clash between first and second in the East. Habs,1st, Penguins, 2nd. 5 minutes into the first, Kaberles shot was stopped and Prust was there to put home the rebound. Then with under 5 to play, Letangs shot was stopped and Sutter put home the rebound to tie the game. The shots in the first were 14-12 Pittsburgh. 4 minutes into the second, Gallagher took the puck to the net and he was stopped, but Pacioretty was there to put home the rebound, 2-1 Habs. Kunitz would tie the game 4 minutes after.

            Then 29 seconds later, Cookes point shot beat Price to give the Penguins a lead. Cooke would score later in the period to make it 4-2. With under 3 to play in the second, Bouillons point shot was tipped in by Gionta to cut the lead to 1. Time winding down in the period, under 5 seconds to play, Gallagher gets the puck and throws it to the net and  Subban tipped the puck home past Vokoun with just a second to play to tie the game. The shots in the second were 15-12 Montreal.

         5 minutes into the third, Desharnais would score to give the Habs the lead. 3 minutes later, Kunitz's one timer from the slot beat Price to tie the game. Then at the halfway point of the third, Letangs shot was stopped and Crosby was there to put home the rebound to make it 6-5 Penguins. 32 second later, Eller skated up the left wing and dropped it back for Gionta and his one timer beat Vokoun to tie the game.The shots in the third were 12-9 Montreal. This game would need Overtime.

      52 seconds in,Sutters shot from the slot beat Price and the Penguins win a high scoring affair 7-6.
"Crazy games like that happen," Montreal defenseman Tomas Kaberle said. "Too bad we didn't get the two points at the end of the night. We talked between periods that we lost a lot of pucks in the neutral zone. They're a fast team. They can use their chances, and they certainly did. We don't want to see games like that again. The previous games, we played good defensively and we have to get back to that."

         In the loss, Price made 29 saves. In the win, Vokoun made 33 saves. In the win, Crosby scored his first goal at the Bell Centre since he was a rookie back in 2006."Nobody brought it up this morning, and I was glad," said Crosby. "It was something I was aware of.I enjoy playing here, and I think that you want to play well in a building like this. It's got so much atmosphere, and you know it's going to be a big game. It was nice to finally get one."Since the Habs lost 6-0 on Febuary 9th, they have been among the best teams in the NHL. They have picked up 17 of the possible 20 points in their past 10 games with a record of 7-0-3.  No regulation losses in their past 10, thats outstanding as the Habs are beginning to look like a Stanley Cup Contender.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo