Thomas Vokoun backstopped the Florida Panthers for two perfect periods and Steven Reinprecht scored two goals for his team as the Penguins found themselves down 2-0 heading into the third. Brent Johnson let in one so-so goal and one soft goal in the first but played strong for most of the night finding ways to keep Florida from making the deficit worse.

It was in the second period that Pittsburgh started to turn things around. But Vokoun was up to the task stopping all 14 shots by the Pens in that frame.

Then came the third period and who stepped up? None other than Sidney Crosby. Just 2:14 in and on a power play Sid found the back of the net as Vokoun was not able to move as fast as the cross ice pass. Then a little later Sid thought he had his second goal, but a review showed that the play was a hand pass to Bill Guerin and it was waved off.

That’s ok, because Sid was not to be denied. With the Penguins down a man it was both Malkin and Crosby on the ice together to kill the penalty. Malkin raced down the rink with the puck, looped behind the goal and fed Sid in front who buried it to tie the game.

After a scoreless overtime it was Sid that scored the only goal in the shootout to give the Penguins the comeback win. The victory pushes the Penguins record to 9-1-0 (18 pts) and keeps them atop the East and the Atlantic wit the season still young. Tonight they hit the ice again to host the New Jersey Devils (5-3-0).

Martin Skoula played well (+1) in his first live game action of the season filling in for the injured Sergei Gonchar.

With as tight as the Eastern Conference is, blowing two points and getting only one is not a good thing. While the Penguins will certainly take a point, they had the opportunity for two as they took a 3-1 lead into the third against Ottawa only to allow the Senators to not only come back but also win the game in a shoot out. Had the Penguins held on to win they would have vaulted over Montreal and into 5th place in the East. Instead, they are sitting in 6th and are not very secure in that spot heading into today’s game against the Conference leading Boston Bruins.

Perhaps it was karma. In the previous game the Penguins had to score three goals in the third against Columbus to take the game into overtime and then a shootout and salvage a point they probably should not have gotten. Then against Ottawa they lost a point they should have had and even wasted a rare goal by tough man Eric Godard.

Today, Pittsburgh must play well against Boston (5-4-1 in their last 10) to gain two points and help solidify their hold on a playoff position.

Pittsburgh dominated then slumped then dominated again last night against the Florida Panthers and in the process salvaged a much needed two points over a conference foe just barely a head of them in the standings. With the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings more jammed than the parkway at rush hour, the Penguins had to win last night. Anything less would have seen them once again on the outside looking in. Conceding a point to the Panthers was not the ideal way to win, but considering how the game transpired, the Penguins should be thankful for getting the win.

Vokoun allowed only 3 goals on the fifty shots that he saw. Many more were blocked. Had he not been on his game, the score would never have been tied heading into the end of regulation. Fleury stopped 18 of the 21 shots he faced in 65 minutes of regulation and sudden death overtime with a few spectacular ones as well.

Malkin (30) opened the scoring in the first and the Penguins opened the second period with a 1-0 lead. But Florida somehow managed to escape the period with not just the lead, but a substantial 3-1 lead on only seven shots in the period. The third goal by Ballard (6) was in fact a good goal despite what fans at the Igloo thought. There was no kicking motion as the puck came off his skate leading to a review and the goal being upheld.

Pittsburgh however answered back quickly in the third with goals from Staal (18) just 2:20 in and then Crosby (26) a hair over three minutes later to tie the game. Pittsburgh squandered many power play opportunities and their troubles with the man advantage continue.

In the shoot out Fleury was perfect, stopping both of Florida’s first two shooters. For the Penguins, Letang scored on Vokoun, Crosby was stopped and Malkin made Vokoun look foolish with a move that in the end was simply him dragging the puck past the sprawled out net minder and pushing it into a yawning net.

The win vaulted Pittsburgh over Florida in the standings and 6th place in the Eastern Conference and just a point behind struggling Montreal. At 36-26-6 (78 pts) the Penguins are just four points behind Philadelphia for fourth and just two points ahead of the Rangers who are in ninth.

Next, the Penguins have to travel to Columbus where they will meet the not as bad as previous years Blue Jackets in another must win game against a hapless opponent in order to maintain their playoff position. Columbus is 34-27-6 (74 pts) and at 6-4-0 in their last 10 games are also trying to hang on to a playoff spot in the West.