Letang the 1st Star of the Game, Pens win 4-2!

Click the above image to go to the game album!PITTSBURGH (AP) – Evgeni Malkin took the puck at the blue line and flipped it toward the empty net in search of his ninth career hat trick.

Clank. The shot caromed off the right post and out of harm’s way just before the buzzer sounded in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.

Turns out, the NHL’s hottest player isn’t perfect. Then again, nobody in the league is closer at the moment. Malkin’s two goals pushed his league-leading point total to 69 as the Penguins won their sixth straight home game.

“It looks like he did in 2009 maybe when (Sidney Crosby) went down and he kind of took over, that was kind of unbelievable,” Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang said of Malkin. “But his game is better than it was two years ago. I think he’s playing great hockey, and this is the first time I’ve seen him being that dominant.”

Letang and Chris Kunitz each added a goal and two assists for the Penguins, while James Neal chipped in three assists as Pittsburgh kept Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos in check. Continue Reading >>

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Videos:
PPG – Evgeni Malkin, Slap Shot – Assists: K. Letang & J. Neal
G – Kris Letang, Wrist Shot – Assists: C. Kunitz & J. Neal
G – Chris Kunitz, Wrist Shot – Assists: K. Letang & B. Johnson