Sidney Crosby nets shootout goal in 2-1 win over Sharks

Did anyone catch the name of that one team on the ice tonight?  Not the ones in the white jerseys - I'm pretty sure that was San Jose.  That other team in black and gold.  They looked like the Pittsburgh Penguins but they played like they actually wanted to win.  I'm confused.  This isn't the 2009 Penguins team we've come to love and/or hate on a nightly basis.

But I'd like to see them more often, that's for sure.

Confidence builder.  Statement game.  That's exactly what this win poses as.

Sidney Crosby was 0-for-4 on the shootout this season but left this game 1-for-5.  Clutch.

Marc-Andre Fleury was beyond amazing and should not be overlooked for his effort to keep the Pens in it tonight.  But you know what?  Even the Penguins kept the Penguins in it tonight.  Case in point the shots on goal.  Pitt hit San Jose with 36 shots.  For all the juicy rebounds Brian Boucher teased the Pens with, guys like Tyler Kennedy and Evgeni Malkin were unable to stuff it home.  Is it good rebound control because he kept it out, or poor control because the chances were offered?

I really hope San Jose fans don't attribute this loss to Boucher's play.  For all it's worth the guy played a fantastic game as well. 

The Sharks skate with a purpose out there and really look like a tight-knit team.  It's hard to knock them for their chemistry and hard to hate them for their success.  Most hockey fans know a good team when they see one, and San Jose is it.  Pitt took them to overtime and managed two points in shootout fashion.  Can this provide the spark to a late-season run?

The good: Bill Thomas' first NHL goal wasn't pretty but it was all the Pens would need for at least a point.

The better: The offense put shots on goal and created chances.  Let's see more of that.

The best: Tie - Crosby and Fleury.   Both superb.