Penguins 7 - Coyotes 2: Coyote Ugly, Sidney Pretty

Last season, Alexander Ovechkin scored 'The Goal' during a game in Phoenix.

This season? Sidney Crosby returns to the scene of the crime and records a beautiful goal of his own. Check it out!



Beauty!!

It was that kind of night for Sidney Crosby and the Penguins as they routed the Coyotes 7-2. Sidney finished with 1 goal, 3 assists, and +1 in just 18:33 of ice time. Make that 6 points in 2 games since the big ZERO at the All-Star Game.

Crosby's 78 points now put him 10 ahead of Alexander Ovechkin (and in 2 less games). W00t!!

More importantly, the win gives the Pens an important two points as they try and keep their playoff spot for the rest of the season.

From NHL.com:

Another game, another highlight for Sidney Crosby.

Crosby scored on a backhand shot as he fell to the ice and added three assists, and Mark Recchi also had a goal and three assist, to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 7-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday night.

With the Penguins holding a two-goal lead early in the third, Crosby gained control of the puck near the inside of the edge of the right circle but tripped backward over Fredrik Sjostrom's stick. As he left his skates, Crosby muscled a backhand shot over goalie Mikael Tellqvist to make it 5-2.

"I tried to pull the puck in and fell back," Crosby said. "I just tried to get a shot off. I just tried to stay with it. You can't go out there and try to do things like that. You just have to react. I was lucky enough to get my stick there."

Pittsburgh coach Michel Terrien added, "the guys on the bench couldn't believe it. That was another highlight goal."

The goal was Crosby's second point from a more-or-less horizontal position. He left his skates to lunge forward from behind the net and pass the puck to Ryan Malone in front of the crease for the game's first goal 24 seconds in.

Crosby said having such a performance in front of Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky was an added bonus.

"It's a unique experience for all of us," Crosby said. "We grew up watching him. I don't think you come up here with something to prove but it's a unique experience to play against a team coached by one of the best players of all time."

Gretzky said Crosby is an "exceptional hockey player and a great athlete."

"You can't stop people making comparisons," Gretzky said. "That's always going to be there and that's the good thing about the game. I was telling people today that it's pretty amazing how quickly the time goes. Here he is, he's 19 and he's going to be compared to guys for a few years. Before you turn around a new guy comes in and everybody says he's the new Crosby. It definitely happens quickly."

Yeah, well until the next Crosby comes along, we'll enjoy the current one.