Top 5 Goals of the Season
Despite what happened in the Stanley Cup playoffs this year, let’s remember that during the regular season, the Pens were one of the hottest teams in the league. The goals they scored were certainly ones to remember.
Let’s take a short walk down memory lane and remember 5 of the best Penguins goals scored this season
5. Kris Letang goes coast-to-coast
vs Colorado Avalanche November 15, 2011
The Pens were down 3-0 during the first period when the decided enough was enough and scored 6 unanswered goals to win the game. Kris Letang’s goal was the last one scored, and it was a nice one. Collecting the puck from Jordan Staal at the red line, Letang skated down the length of the ice and, with a backhand shot, scored past Semyon Varlamov.
4. 2 Goals in 2 Minutes
vs Washington Capitals January 22, 2012
So technically, this is 2 goals. But who cares? It was a nice sequence. Kris Letang let a slapshot rip past Michal Neuvirth in the first 5 minutes of the game during a powerplay (wow, remember what powerplay goals are?). Less than a minute later, Evgeni Malkin won the faceoff, passed it to James Neal, who shot and scored.
3. Cooke-d to Perfection
vs Philadelphia Flyers February 18, 2012
5-on-3 goals aren’t usually that spectacular, but they are when your team is the one down 2 players. Even sweeter when the goal scorer is Matt Cooke. That was the case during this game against the Flyers. With Brooks Orpik and Pascal Dupuis both in the box, the Pens were trying to get the puck away from the Flyers when Kimmo Timonen mishandled the puck and let Matt Cooke get to it before he could. Cooke got it and scored. That goal made the Flyers pull Bryzgalov from net.
2. The Comeback Kid
vs New York Islanders November 21, 2011
It had been 10 months since Sidney Crosby skated in a game, much less scored a goal. He was finally back. The sports world was waiting to see what would he do. Well, score a goal of course. After receiving a pass from Pascal Dupuis, Crosby raced up the ice, pushed aside the Islanders defensemen, and scored a backhanded beauty. The Consol Energy Center erupted with cheers. Hockey fans let out a breath. Crosby was back and nothing seemed to change.
1. Malkin Channels Lemieux
vs Tampa Bay Lightning February 25, 2012
Malkin had been knocked down by Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson in the middle of the game, and that turned out to be the stupidest thing he could have done. Roloson awoke the beast. Malkin ended up with a hat trick, but his most memorable goal was the second one. After picking up a pass from Matt Niskanen, Malkin tore up the ice, passing 3 Tampa forwards, splitting their defensemen, and slid the puck past Roloson.
Now, I hate calling a player “The Next So-and-So”, but everyone could see the similarities between Malkin’s goal and a goal belonging to a certain Pens Hall of Famer.
Black Tie Required 