Game o' the Day

Lemieux Lifts Penguins Past Panthers
By Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

With Jaromir Jagr out of the lineup resting his sore groin muscle, Mario Lemieux rang up two goals and an assist in the third period to carry the Penguins back from a third-period deficit to stun the Florida Panthers 4-2 at the Civic Arena on February 18. Ken Wregget made 26 saves in goal for Pittsburgh to earn his first victory since December 23. The win snapped the Penguins' four-game losing streak and pulled them within three points of Buffalo for first place in the Northeast Division. Meanwhile, the loss was Florida's third straight.
Pittsburgh started the game strong, carrying the play to the Panthers with an aggressive attack. The pressure eventually led to a power-play goal by Joey Mullen at 7:52. The 39-year-old right winger bagged his 499th career goal by redirecting a Petr Nedved pass from the right corner behind Vanbiesbrouck.
After Pittsburgh dominated the first half of the period, the Panthers gradually began to find their stride as the first came to an end. By the second period it was the Panthers that were controlling the play. They drew even on the scoreboard at 12:30 with a power-play goal of their own, when Gord Murphy floated a wrist shot from the point that appeared to deflect off Penguin defenseman Chris Tamer and past a bewildered Wregget.
Florida increased its lead to 2-1 five minutes later thanks to a real nifty play by Penguin killer Tommy Fitzgerald. The Panthers moved the puck up ice out of their zone with little resistance and was able to hit the Penguin stripe with speed. Fitzgerald dangled with the puck for a moment just inside the line before slipping a beautiful pass ahead through a defender right on the blade of a breaking Mike Hough. The veteran winger snuck his sixth of the season behind Wregget to put Florida in front heading into the second intermission.
The Penguins were 1-14-3 when trailing after two periods this season. Mario Lemieux made sure that stat changed for the best. Lemieux visibly elevated his game in the third, carrying the puck with determination and looking to make the big play. But it was Ken Wregget that made the play of the game.
With the Pens still trailing 2-1, Robert Svehla launched a shot from the point that got away from Wregget after he made the save. The rebound was laying just outside the crease to his right with Rob Niedermayer bearing down on it. As Niedermayer tried to jam the puck into the open net, Wregget lunged back to his right and was able to reach out and get the shaft of his stick down in time to deny the goal. Before Niedermayer could get another crack at it, Kevin Hatcher raced in and carried the puck to safety.
Hatcher worked the puck to the corner and then got it back heading out of the zone. He spotted Lemieux ahead of the play and moved the puck quickly. Mario started into to the Florida zone down the right wing and then found Greg Johnson in the slot coming late. The pass was a bit behind Johnson, yet he still managed to spin and touch it over to Glen Murray on left wing. Murray fought off a backchecker and flipped a shot off the stick of a diving Svehla and over the catching glove of Vanbiesbrouck to tie the game 2-2 at 7:56.
Without a doubt that sequence was the turning point in the game, and perhaps the Penguin season. If Florida goes up 3-1 the game is over and Pittsburgh's losing streak would have been stretched to five games. Instead Wregget makes the big save and the Penguins go the other way and get the tieing goal.
Lemieux made sure Wregget's save would be a meaningful one by scoring his 40th goal of the season at 13:33 to put the Penguins in front for good. The goal came two seconds after the Panthers killed off a penalty to Rhett Warrener. Lemieux was at an almost impossible angle just off the goal line in the left wing corner when he somehow one-timed a slap shot between Vanbiesbrouck's pads for the eventual game-winner. The Beezer was at the post and waiting for the shot, yet Lemieux still found a way to beat him. It was just one of those goals that only Mario Lemieux can score... well, maybe Johnny Cullen could do it too, but that should go without saying.
The Panthers had a chance to tie the game when Jason Woolley took a holding penalty at 15:44. But the Penguins killed it off without even allowing a shot. Lemieux closed the game out with an empty-net goal at 19:02.

Best Performances

Florida
John Vanbiesbrouck (28 saves): The Beezer had a strong game, despite giving up the kooky game-winning goal to Lemieux. He made some spectacular saves. In the first period he stopped Kasparaitis on a 2-on-0 with Johnson by sliding right to left and stacking his pads. In the final seconds of the middle period he snuffed Johnson on a clean shot from about four feet in front of the crease after a perfect set up from behind the net by Lemieux. Vanbiesbrouck continued to shine in the third, stopping Barnes on a clear slap shot and then later stoning Nedved with a brilliant blocker save while Joey Mullen was taking out his legs after being hauled to the ice himself.
Robert Svehla (0-1-1): The Slovakian blueliner is quietly becoming one of the best in the game. He had another in a long line of solid games, getting involved at both ends of the ice and even going after Ron Francis physically.
Pittsburgh
Mario Lemieux (2-1-3): After coasting through the first two periods, Mario came to life in the third when the Pens needed it most. He now has 17 third-period goals, tieing him with teammate Jaromir Jagr for the league lead in that department.
Joey Mullen (1-0-1): Good ol' Joey had one of his strongest games of the season. After sitting out the two games against the Flyers, Mullen seemed to have plenty of pep in his step. He even blew around Rhett Warrener to set up a scoring chance and draw a crucial power play in the third period. When was the last time Mullen went wide on anybody?
Ken Wregget (26 saves): Wregget was sharp in his second start since coming back from his hamstring injury. The save on Niedermayer was incredible.

Wacky Game Fact

* The Penguins outshot the Panthers 31 to 28. It was only the 15th time this season the Pens have outshot their opponent.

Injury Update

Florida: The Panthers were without Dave Lowry (knee), Brian Skrudland (ribs), Ed Jovanovski (knee), Ray Sheppard (knee), and Geoff Smith (shoulder). All are pretty serious injuries except for Skrudland, who is pretty much day-to-day.
Pittsburgh: Craig Muni and Alek Stojanov both returned to action for the Penguins. Jagr (groin), Neil Wilkinson (shoulder), and Fredrik Olausson (fractured cheekbone) were out of action. In other roster news, Andreas Johansson was sent down to Cleveland (IHL).

Lines

Florida
OFFENSE (lw-c-rw)

Mellanby - Niedermayer - Garpenlov
Nemirovsky - Fitzgerald - Lindsay
Hough - Dvorak - Podollan
Hull - Wells - Straka

DEFENSE

Svehla - Carkner
Warrener - Murphy
Laus - Gustafsson 
Pittsburgh
OFFENSE

Johnson - Lemieux - Murray
Nedved - Francis - Mullen
Hicks - Barnes - Dziedzic
Roche - Wright - Stojanov

DEFENSE

Kasparaitis - Hatcher
Tamer - Moran
Muni - Woolley
Other Scores

Calgary tied at Buffalo, 5-5: Ronnie Stern and Aaron Gavey scored to third-period goals to bring the Flames back from a 5-3 deficit to tie the Sabres. Corey Millen, Jarome Iginla, and Jonas Hoglund had the other goals for the Flames, while Mike Peca had a pair and Audette, Holzinger, and Barnaby each added one for Buffalo. Dominik Hasek was in net and got beat five times on 42 shots. Trevor Kidd started for Calgary but got yanked midway through the third after stopping just 24 of 29 shots. Dwayne Roloson was perfect in relief to earn the tie, making just three saves.
Ottawa won at Washington, 6-1: Tom Chorske, Daniel Alfredsson, Randy Cunneyworth, Steve Duchesne, Alexandre Daigle, and Shawn McEachern all scored goals and Alexei Yashin recorded three assists as the Senators humiliated the Capitals. Ron Tugnutt stopped 31 shots for the win, while Jim Carey got carved up on just 29 shots. Peter Bondra bagged his 36th of the season for the Caps.
Los Angeles lost at Phoenix, 6-1: Jim McKenzie recorded a hat trick as the Coyotes devoured the Kings. That's right, Jim McKenzie! He ain't no joke. It was McKenzie's first career hat trick and the outburst gave him four goals on the season... oh boy. Anyway, Nikolai Khabibulin made 27 saves for another win in net. Mike Gartner, Kris King, and Darrin Shannon had the other Phoenix goals, while Matt Johnson scored his first of the year for the Kings.
Boston lost at Colorado, 3-2 in OT: In Joe Sakic's first game back from a severe leg laceration, Claude Lemieux poked home a rebound of a Sakic point shot on the power play with just four seconds remaining in overtime to edge the Bruins. Sandis Ozolinsh and Mike Keane also scored for Colorado, Ted Donato and Tim Sweeney had the Boston goals. Bill Ranford made 30 saves in defeat, Patrick Roy only needed 23 to earn the win. Adam Oates extended his point-scoring streak to 19 games with an assist.
Toronto won at Vancouver, 6-5: Toronto had a 6-2 lead in the third and held on for the 6-5 win. Doug Gilmour and Sergei Berezin each had a pair for the Leafs, and Felix Potvin made 30 saves to get the win.
Dallas lost at San Jose, 3-1: Kelly Hrudey made 29 saves and the Sharks got goals from Jeff Friesen, Tony Granato, and rookie Stephen Guolla. Arturs Irbe took the loss, allowing two goals on 18 shots, and Neal Broten had the lone Dallas goal.