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Conklin, Penguins stymie Sabres
Audio: Conklin leads Pens
Penguins 4, Sabres 1
Audio: Conklin on Pens win
Goalie talks about his success.
Malkin
AP photo
Penguins right winger Georges Laraque hits Sabres right winger Patrick Kaleta
AP photo
Rob Rossi is the Penguins beat writer. He can be reached via e-mail. Also check out Rossi's blog or follow him on Twitter.
He may lay claim to the NHL's Most Valuable Player award, but Malkin has little chance of convincing anybody that he is the Penguins' MVP.
That race is not close.
"All I can say is, 'Ty Conklin!' " left wing Ryan Malone said.
Conklin, who began this seaosn in the AHL, certainly has convinced a delegation of former teammates in Buffalo.
He stopped 36-of-37 shots - including all 17 in the opening period - and improved to 3-0-0 this season against his former club. Conklin has turned aside 98-of-100 shots against Buffalo.
"He's had success against a lot of teams," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said.
Not like the kind Conklin has enjoyed this season.
He is 15-4-3 with a league-best .932 save percentage. Conklin's goals-against average is 2.19, which ranks in the top five among goaltenders.
"That shows what kind of goaltender he has turned into," Malone said. "Thank God he was there for us in the first period (last night)."
The Penguins held an optional morning skate. Their first-period performance suggested they thought participation in a key Eastern Conference game was equally optional.
In fact, the Penguins had been out-shot, 23-6, when left wing Jarkko Ruutu beat Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller on a breakaway at 7:28 of the second period. Ruutu's goal was his first in 59 regular-season games since March 14, 2007.
"I haven't been happy with not scoring this year; it's been tough," Ruutu said. "But I don't really pay too much attention to details like that."
Right wing Petr Sykora tallied his 19th goal on a power play at 9:28 to put the Penguins ahead, 2-0.
Sykora also assisted on Malkin's career-best 34th goal at 8:13 of the third, which restored a two-goal cushion that was lost when Buffalo left wing Thomas Vanek scored his 22nd on a power play at 14:45 of the second.
Right wing Colby Armstrong snapped a 16-game goal drought with his seventh into an empty net at 18:48.
Sykora has scored 23 points over 20 games -- impressive, unless the standard by which to judge is Malkin.
With an eight-game point streak, Malkin has recorded at least one point in 12-of-13 games since captain Sidney Crosby was sidelined on Jan. 18 with a high right ankle sprain.
The Penguins snapped a two-game losing streak. They are 33-21-5 (71 points), tied with New Jersey for first place in the Atlantic Division.
They improved to 7-4-2 without Crosby. Malkin has amassed 25 points (11 goals) in those contests, and his 77 points rank second only to the 78 scored by Washington's Alexander Ovechkin.
"(Malkin) has been fantastic," defenseman Sergei Gonchar said. "But I don't know where we would be without (Conklin)."
