|
 Perron scored in a shootout to help the Penguins beat the San Jose
Sharks 3-2 on Sunday at Consol Energy Center after they blew a
two-goal lead.
The left winger had missed Saturday afternoon's win against Arizona
and did not come to the arena for Sunday's morning skate, but a lot
of rest and willpower got him ready to play. He and center Sidney
Crosby beat San Jose goaltender Alex Stalock in the shootout, while
Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury -- who made 31 saves by the
end of overtime -- stopped center Melker Karlsson, and Sharks center
Logan Couture hit the post in the shootout.
"I woke up this morning feeling a lot better, I'll tell you," Perron
said.
"I came to the rink yesterday, and 20 minutes before warmup I had go
in and throw up a little bit. That's not a good feeling. I went home
and I got a lot of rest. I probably slept from 4 to 9, 9:30ish at
night. I was wondering if I was going to sleep at night, and I slept
the whole night. When I woke up, I felt a lot better."
The Penguins were not feeling a lot better about themselves given
that a two-goal lead forged goals by right winger Patric Hornqvist
and left winger Chris Kunitz 56 seconds apart in the first period
got negated by second-period Sharks goals from right winger Ben
Smith and Couture.
To make things tenser, Hornqvist got a stick into the face of San
Jose defenseman Brent Burns 1:11 into overtime. Burns was bloodied,
and Hornqvist got a double-minor penalty, leaving the Pittsburgh
short-handed for the rest of the five-minute overtime.
"We knew when we got a four-minute penalty that we probably weren't
going to score in overtime, so we were playing for the shootout,"
Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy said. "I thought that our
penalty-killers did awesome jobs. I thought (defensemen) Rob Scuderi
and Paul Martin were outstanding, and once we got to the shootout,
their night was hopefully over. It worked out well. They could get a
nice rest on the bench and leave it to the skill players to go get
us that extra point."
With its two points, Pittsburgh kept hold of a share of second place
with the New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division with 95
points.
San Jose, with barely a pulse in the playoff race, finished a
seven-game, 13-day road trip at 3-4.
The Sharks would have been over .500 for the trip if they had
managed a four-on-three goal in overtime.
"That was the difference, but you take that 3:49 out and it was a
pretty gutsy effort on our behalf," San Jose coach Todd McLellan
said. "To fall behind and finish up a road trip like we did, coming
back against a real good team, was something we can be proud of."
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Pittsburgh played with just five defensemen, one below the norm,
because of the absence of top defenseman Kris Letang. The Norris
Trophy contender got a concussion Saturday, coach Mike Johnston
confirmed, and is out indefinitely, although he was released from a
hospital Sunday.
The Penguins had no salary cap room to recall a defenseman and were
not eligible for an emergency recall.
That's why Perron went to Johnston's office before the game and
lobbied to play, even though he had been listed as doubtful earlier
in the day.
"I was really surprised," Johnston said. "As it happened, we really
needed him. I give him a lot of credit for him coming and saying,
'Hey, I know we're going to be short-handed. Let me play.'"
Perron played 10:05, more on the fourth line than in his normal spot
on the top line with Crosby.
He was first up in the shootout, moving in on Stalock, going from
forehand to backhand and roofing the puck.
"I don't have many moves in the shootout," Perron said. "I always
try to do the same ones. ... It's been effective, so I'll keep doing
that."
NOTES: LW Chris Kunitz had gone 14 games without a goal, 11 without
a point. ... The Penguins played without D Christian Ehrhoff
(undisclosed injury) for the third consecutive game and the 22nd
time in the past 28 games. ... Pittsburgh is off until Wednesday,
when the Philadelphia Flyers visit. ... San Jose D Marc-Edouard
Vlasic, who left Saturday's game at Philadelphia with a lower-body
injury, did not play. ... The Sharks recalled D Taylor Fedun from
Worchester of the AHL. Fedun made his Sharks debut after playing
four games with Edmonton last season. ... Sharks backup G Alex
Stalock started for the second time in as many days in part because
he played well Saturday against the Flyers and in part because No. 1
G Antti Niemi had a slight illness, coach Todd McLellan said. ...
San Jose returns home to face the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
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