Pens overcome two big losses to surge toward postseason

By Bud L. Ellis

There is no denying Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are hockey’s top one-two punch. Any team losing just one player of their ilk would struggle.

Both players being out for an extended period? It might be a death sentence for any team’s playoff hopes, but the Pittsburgh Penguins have done the unthinkable.

Without their top two playmakers, Pittsburgh is surging in the Eastern Conference. With nine games remaining, the Penguins are fourth in the East with 92 points, just five points behind first-place Philadelphia.

The Penguins are 16-11-4 since Crosby was lost to concussion-like symptoms following two brutal hits suffered in the first two games in January. Crosby has started skating again but won’t see game action anytime soon. Meanwhile, Malkin tore up his knee and is lost for the season.

But Pittsburgh keeps on trucking. Since beating Boston 3-2 in overtime on March 5, the Penguins are 5-2, including Monday’s 5-4 shootout victory at Detroit. The Penguins can move even closer to the top spot in the East when they hit the road Thursday for Philadelphia.

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Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 8:17 pm by bud

Tags: Detroit Red Wings, Evgeni Malkin, National Hockey League, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins news, Pittsburgh Penguins schedule, Pittsburgh Penguins tickets, Sidney Crosby