Penguins-Devils postgame

Saturday, 02 February 2013 17:09

Written by Dave Molinari

Final score: Penguins 5, Devils 1.

Why it matters: The Penguins turned in their most solid 60-minute performance of the season and earned their first victory on home ice in three tries.

In a nutshell: The Penguins used a highly effective forecheck to control play for most of their day, as evidenced by their 30-16 edge in shots on goal. Sidney Crosby'' line was particularly effective, as he and Chris Kunitz had a goal and two assists each, while Pascal Dupuis had a pair of assists.

Turning point: New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur thrives in close games, and the third period began with the Penguins holding just a 2-1 advantage. They never gave the Devils an opportunity to get back into the game, however, as Kris Letang, Crosby and Robert Bortuzzo scored before the middle of the period to put the game out of reach.

Under the radar: Penguins C Brandon Sutter didn't get a star, but scored the Penguins' first goal when he tossed in a loose puck from the right side of the crease at 2:27 of the second period for his first goal as a Penguin. He also won seven of 11 faceoffs and remains the only player on the team who hasn't been on the ice for a five-on-five goal-against.

The brightest star: Crosby had an outstanding game, contributing not only a goal and two assists but a 14-7 record on faceoffs and a couple of hits to complement his team-high five shots.

The last word: Newly acquired LW Zach Boychuk, on his debut with linemates Evgeni Malkin and James Neal: "Our line played great. We had a lot of scoring chances, a couple of two-on-ones. We were basically just inches away from getting a goal. I felt like I brought a little energy to the line, a little physicality. I was just trying to get pucks to them. Those guys are pretty amazing players and they'll do some good things with it."