Chris Conner Nets the Winner, Pens top Cats 3-2

Panthers Blog: Litter Box Cats

Nothing like watching the Pens drop a two-goal lead heading into the third to keep fans on the edge of their seats.  Thankfully Chris Conner cracked the roster on the right night and got the puck at the right time to give the Pens the win, improving the team's record to 12-8-2 and setting the Pens on a three-game win streak (or as I like to say, 5-0-1 in the last six).

More after the jump...

I've always had a certain respect for Panthers Tomas Vokoun.  On a yearly basis it seems like he has to work a little harder than every other goaltender because his defense makes a habit of issuing free passes to the net to forwards around the league.  And really, outside of that one Chris Conner goal in the third, he played a pretty solid game, stopping 23-of-26 shots faced.   Only thing that put him and the Panthers in an early bind was penalty trouble.

In other words (and I can't believe I'm typing this) but the Penguins power play was the difference maker.

Yes.  It's true.  The Pens were a stellar 2-for-3 on the man advantage, although if you watched the last power play you'd be forced to ask "how?" 

But the answer is simple: Kris Letang, who continues to punch holes on the All-Star ballot in each and every game and, of course, Sidney Crosby, who currently sits tied with Steven Stamkos' total of 36 for most points in the league.

Zbynek Michalek played a strong game on defense, stopping shots like it's his job (it kinda is) and even earning a secondary assist on Conner's game-winner.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 27-of-29 shots and is now 5-0-1 since getting yanked against the Coyotes on November 6th.  Not a bad turn around for a guy who went 1-0-6 to start the season. 

I was torn between comment of the night, so went with both.

wg1of5 with the greatest idea in the history of ideas:

Bacon mouthguards?

tehchico not hiding his adulation for Chris Conner following his goal:

that was a nice one…that cute little man!