Penguins Win Home Opener 5-4

The Pittsburgh Penguins, rebounding from a forgettable season opener in Raleigh, gave the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks a taste of what they are capable of in the home opener tonight in Pittsburgh. The Pens shook off the rust that seemed apparent the night before, and bested the Ducks by a score of 5-4. Newcomer Petr Sykora gave the crowd something to cheer about with a 3-point night (2G, 1A), and helped lead the Penguins to their first season win. Petr Sykora finished the game with 3 points (2G, 1A), Evgeni Malkin picked up 2 points (1G, 1A), and Sidney Crosby notched his first point of the season (1A). "I couldn't ask for a better start at home," said Sykora. "Georges made a great play, he crashed the net and really opened it up for me." Crosby said the Penguins were ready mentally and physically for the game, "They're the champions, and we were all up for this game, playing Anaheim and it's the home opener." Marc Andre Fleury stopped 19 of 23 shots on the night, and looked much better in goal tonight. Ducks' Chris Kunitz had 3 points on the night (2G, 1A), and Francois Beauchemin added 3 as well (3A). "It was a long, five-game road trip but we were able to learn an awful lot about ourselves and an awful lot about the way we need to play," Chris Pronger said. "We got back to crashing and banging and grinding on teams." The Ducks were exhausted at the end of a five-game road trip to start the season, including two games in London, England last weekend. The Penguins got a scare on a hard blast by Beauchemin that struck Crosby on the side of his right foot. Crosby, whose left foot was broken late last season, was in considerable pain until play was stopped. He was bent over for several minutes on the bench, but returned not long after that. However, his speed and agility seemed to be affected for the remainder of the game. Hopefully it is just a bruise and not something more serious. Check Out http://NHLPens.com for the full Game Recap.