The Penguins are proving that they can play teams any way they want to play as they extended their season record to 4-1 while getting scoring Cooke (1), Gonchar (1), Crosby (3,4) and Jordan Staal (2). Staal once again playing on Malkin’s line is giving Coach Bylsma plenty to think about as the young center could have a monster year playing in that coveted role if he remains there all year. Craig Adams once again proved that he could take Staal’s place on the third line by turning in another strong performance.

Despite several fights which did little to spark the Maple Leafs or their fans it was really just an exhibition being put on by the Penguins all night with the Pens superstars dangling with the puck in the offensive zone, Brooks Orpik passing out free candy as if Halloween had already arrived and Marc-Andre Fluery stopping pucks 18 of 20 times to backstop the Pens to victory.

Final score 5 -2 … now the Penguins take a short trip across Canada to prepare to play the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. Toronto remains winless on the young season at 0-4-1 and the fans were obviously restless during last night’s contest as they mock cheered Toskala a couple times for easy saves and rarely cheered loudly even after Toronto players attempted to switch momentum with fights.

Last nights victory by the Penguins without Gonchar in overtime completely changed the complexion of this second round match up. And it did so in more ways that one. First, it broke the curse of the team who scores first losing the game. Second, it put the Capitals down for the first time in the series. Third, it continued to show that there is a tried and true way to beat Varlamov – throw the rubber at him.

After a scoreless first period, the Penguins struck first in the second just over five minutes in. Jordan Staal (1) found the far post on Varlamov to break the ice. But then Ovechkin answered less than a minute later. Seemingly tired and hounded by Brooks Orpik as he entered the Penguins zone Ovechkin stopped up just inside the blue line and ripped a shot that found the only opening Fleury had allowed high to his glove side to tie the game. It was another soft goal allowed by Fleury who, after stopping twelve first period shots would go on to allow two on ten in the second to send the Penguins into the third down 2-1. The score first and lose curse seemed to be coming to fruition again.

But the Penguins answered less than a minute into the third. Malkin pushed deep into the Capital’s zone and dropped the puck to Fedotenko trailing the play. Fedotenko (4) beat Varlamov from long range to tie the game. Then at 6:27 of the third the Penguins third line struck again. Pressuring the Capitals net, the line had Varlamov scrambling when the rebound came out to his left. Both Kennedy and Cooke simultaneously jumped on the puck and it was Cooke who found it a fraction of a second before his line mate and tickled the twine for a 3-2 lead.

All the Penguins had to do was hold on from there. But they could not as late in the third the Capitals rushed the Pittsburgh Zone. Green fed Backstrom in front of the net who then fed Ovechkin (10) on Fleury’s left. Fleury was too far out of the net to seal off the post and the game was tied 3-3.

To overtime …

Both teams had golden opportunities in the opening minutes of play but both Fleury and Varlamov stood tall. That was until 3:28 of the OT frame. Killing a penalty, the Capitals pushed the puck into the Penguins zone and the Penguins gathered the puck and broke out. Capitals fans are still moaning that there should have been an interference on the play but, like the previous game when a Penguins was leveled from behind in an obvious piece of interference that led to a goal, there was no call. The Penguins stormed down the ice and Malkin carried the puck. He threw the puck to the net and it deflected off the stick of a sprawled out Capital and into the net behind Varlamov. The final score was 4-3. The series is now 3-2 Penguins.

But it is not over. The series resumes Monday at 7:00 in Pittsburgh. That is still a must win game for the Penguins because they do not want to go back to Washington for a game 7 on Wednesday. And with as good as the Capitals have played, they are bound to potentially have a better game than the Penguins. So the Penguins have to come ready to play.

Then of course, there is Varlamov. If he has a great game he could singlehandedly send the series to a seventh game.

Boucher was obviously overwhelmed in his first shift starting the game and quickly was replaced on the ice after several fumbles and missteps. The Penguins as a team played sloppy as well and took two penalties in the first five minutes which lead to an early 0-1 deficit for Pittsburgh. But Boucher and the Penguins stormed back. Boucher (3) scored off a rebound and, crashing the net late in the first to tie the game and the team never looked back as they rattled off five more unanswered goals from Dupuis (12), Cooke (13), Guerin (21), Crosby (33) and lastly Misterrrrrrrrrrr Kennnnneddyyyyyyyyyyy (15) to end the scoring.

The win keeps the Penguins with an outside chance at home ice advantage in the playoffs however, for that to happen Carolina must lose their final game against New Jersey (a possibility) and Philadelphia must do no better than split their remaining games against the Islanders and Rangers (also possible). But the Penguins must also win Saturday against the Canadiens which would give them, if this scenario plays out, two more points than Carolina, and the either the same or two more points than Philadelphia with the Penguins holding the head to head tie-breaker.

Regardless, the Penguins have the 6th seed locked up and can drop no further. All that is left to be determined is who they will face in round one and where.

The Devils put up a fight at points during the first 20 minutes and after the Penguins stormed out to a 2-0 lead just 6:31 in to the game. Matt Cooke (11) and Bill Guerin (20) each scored 36 seconds apart to make that score happen. The Devils got a goal from Gionta (19) midway through the frame to halve that lead but it was all the offense they would muster as the Penguins added another first period goal from Malkin (24) and tallies from Crosby (30), Staal (21) and Kunitz (23) to put New Jersey out of their misery. Fleury made 24 saves and the Penguins once again nearly chased Brodeur from the net. It appeared the only reason he remained in goal was just to not allow the Penguins the joy of knowing that they had gotten to him yet again.

The victory propelled the Penguins (42-27-8, 92 pts) over Carolina in to 5th place in the East and just behind Philadelphia who also has 92 points but a game in hand. Had the Penguins beaten the Flyers last month when the two squared off at the Igloo they would be ahead of them. Pittsburgh won the season series against the Flyers 4-2 and holds an important tie breaker in the standings.

The problem for the Penguins is that despite their incredible streak heading into the playoffs they have failed to separate themselves from the pack in the bottom half of the east and hold a mere 5 point cushion over 9th place Florida whom they play on Sunday. But first they have a showdown with Carolina which can help keep them in 5th place. A loss would mean falling behind the Hurricanes and back into at least 6th.

Things looked bad early on as the makeshift Penguins struggled to find their groove against the Ducks managing a pathetic 5 total shots in the period against Jean-Sebastien Giguere. But the fifth one was all they needed to take a 1-0 lead with only 21 seconds remaining in the period. It was Matt Cooke (6) who wound out from behind the Ducks goal and fed a puck to the far post that banked in with time running out that put the Penguins up heading into the locker room.

Early in the second it was Cooke (7) again who scored just 0:23 seconds in. He found a rebound from Giguere’s pads and with the Ducks netminder badly out of position he slammed it home for a 2-0 lead. The Ducks would cut the lead in half on a second period goal by Getzlaf (17) but the Pens were defensively sound and allowed only 7 shots in the period while amassing 10 themselves; a number that is impressive considering their recent weak totals.

In the third period Pittsburgh got into penalty trouble but was able to hold off a hard charging Ducks team determined to win. At 15:05 of the final period Hal Gill (1) scored his first goal of the season to make the game 3-1. Gill shot the puck from the circle and it found the back of the net.

Fleury played well, facing only 22 shots in the game to earn the victory.

The win moved the Penguins back into a playoff spot (8th to be exact) and they have won two of their last three and could have easily won the Washington game with a little commitment to defense. I am still not ready to say that the team has come out of its recent long and painful funk but things are certainly looking up. The question will be can they play hard enough to win games while the injury bug continues to decimate their team.