Canucks 4 Penguins 2

Game Recaps: canucks.com . Vancouver Sun . ESPN
Statistics: Score Sheet . Stat Sheet

• The game was far from a perfect one for the Canucks. They allowed a late goal in the second period to give the Penguins some life, then gave up three early powerplays in the third. Overall, the Canucks gave up eight powerplay opportunities in the game, including two 5-in-3's.
• Alex Auld had an adventurous game. Though he stopped 19 of 21 shots, including some in the third period that kept the Penguins from tying the game, he also allowed a bad Recchi goal with 27 seconds left in the second period and took a strange penalty for playing the puck past the center line on what would have been a delayed penalty call on the Pens.
• Auld's win was his 18th of the season and moved him to a tie for 8th overall in the league. He has won five of his last six starts and has only allowed 13 goals in 179 combined shots (.927 SV%); eight of those goals were scored while the Canucks were short-handed.
• The bigger question for the Canucks, however, remain whether or not the team will acquire another goaltender who can play some games behind Auld or at least in tandem with him. He has started eight straight games, including ones against the Islanders (24th in the NHL), the Blackhawks (26th), the Penguins (29th) and the Blues (30th). As solid as Auld has been, if the Canucks can't play Ouellet against those lesser teams and give Auld a rest, when can they?
• I know I haven't been kind to Steve McCarthy for the first half of this season, but I have to give him credit for a solid game. Not just because he scored a goal, but also because he was solid defensively. In fact, he wasn't on the ice for a single goal against during the entire road trip.
• As much flak Sidney Crosby has received recently, it's a shame that his competitiveness doesn't rub off on his teammates. Perhaps he whines a lot and perhaps, at 18 years of age, his status has unfairly been elevated in the Penguins dressing room, but he competes every second he is on the ice. Some telling moments in the game - when Crosby nearly came to blows with Kevin Bieksa, was elbowed by Brendan Morrison and checked hard by Bryan Allen, none of his teammates came to his aid.