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New York Islanders forward Jason Blake was fined $1,000 by the NHL on Thursday for spearing Sidney Crosby late in their game at Mellon Arena on Tuesday night, although Blake was not suspended. Blake was not called for a penalty, but after the game, the Penguins made it clear that they would bring the incident to the attention of the league.

• Defenseman Sergei Gonchar participated in yesterday morning's skate and played in the game against the Boston Bruins after missing practice Wednesday because of a stomach illness. He was one of the first players off the ice and out of the arena in the morning, but Penguins coach Michel Therrien said that Gonchar was OK.

• Right winger Ronald Petrovicky was the Penguins' lone healthy scratch. It was his fourth scratch in a row and his 14th in the past 19 games.

• The Penguins went into last night's game, their 45th of the season, just two wins shy of equaling their total victories from the 2005-06 season, when they went 22-46-14. The Penguins got their 20th win of this season Tuesday against the New York Islanders. Last year, they got their 20th win April 7, Game No. 75 on the season.

Quotable

"I'm just trying to do my job. I think if I can give the team a chance to win every night and keep the game tight it's just part of my job."
Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

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Digits

10 - Games in a row without a goal for Ryan Malone before last night.

3 - Players on the team without a goal this season (defensemen Brooks Orpik and Rob Scuderi and forward Petrovicky).

- By Karen Price

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