Penguins lose sixth straight game
PITTSBURGH – Maybe Sean Burke’s playoff run will be with the Phoenix Coyotes after all. Shane Doan scored Phoenix’s first two goals to support another strong game in net by Burke, and the Coyotes beat the reeling Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 Tuesday night.
Doan scored got the decisive goal early in the second period as the Coyotes, who began the night six points out of the final Western Conference playoff slot, improved to 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
“We need to go 7-2-1 in our next 10, too,” Burke said.
Despite persistent rumors that Burke, Brad May and Teppo Numminen are on the trading block, it may be difficult for the Coyotes to be sellers at next week’s trading deadline if they keep playing this well.
“There are too many other things to worry about right now,” said Burke, who has won his last three starts and is 9-4 as a starter. “The Coyotes are the team I play for, and I don’t see me playing anywhere else. Talk is talk.”
Burke said the trade rumors aren’t affecting his play because, “They’re only a distraction if you let them be a distraction.”
Something must be distracting the Penguins, who are all but assured of missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1987-88.
The Penguins lost their sixth in a row, their second-longest streak of the season, despite getting a goal from someone other than Mario Lemieux for the first time in four games.
Richard Lintner found the net on a power play with 1:53 remaining after Lemieux scored the Penguins’ previous four goals. Until Lintner scored, the last Penguins player other than Lemieux to score was Martin Straka, who had a goal in the first period of a 5-3 loss to Los Angeles on Feb. 25.
Following a 6-0 Penguins loss Thursday at Nashville, Lemieux scored Saturday in a 4-1 loss at Colorado and Sunday in a 3-1 loss at Dallas.
“We’ve only got a couple of goal scorers right now … but we got our chances,” coach Rick Kehoe said. “Sean Burke made some big saves, and he kept us blanked until the end.”
Burke turned aside 33 shots, only to be denied his 33rd career shutout and second of the season when Lintner scored with the man advantage – only the second Pittsburgh goal in 26 power-play chances. Burke has allowed only 13 goals in eight games.
“It started with the goaltending. It wasn’t as easy as it looked or as the score indicated,” Coyotes coach Bob Francis said. “I think we were outshot early in the game 8-2, but Burke bought us some time to recover.”
The Penguins gave away Aleksey Morozov bobblehead dolls. But with Alexei Kovalev now with the Rangers and few proven scorers left in their lineup, they would have preferred to have Morozov on the ice. He is injured and expected to miss the rest of the season.
Doan gave Phoenix the lead by chipping Tony Amonte’s pass from behind the net past goalie Johan Hedberg at 3:06 of the second – his first goal in 17 games, or since he had a goal and two assists Jan. 23 at Calgary.
“The way he scored the first one is how he needs to score goals, to park that wide body in front of the net,” Francis said. “He’s very strong and hard to move out in front of the net. … You put yourself in a place to score goals, and they come more frequently.”
Amonte also set up Doan’s second goal and 18th of the season in the third period, a wrist shot Hedberg did not appear to see.
Daymond Langkow got his 16th goal less than two minutes after that Doan goal, and Kelly Buchberger scored his third of the season in the final minute.
NOTES: The Penguins’ longest losing streak this season was an 0-9-0-1 run from Nov. 30-Dec. 19. … The Coyotes (26-27-8-4) are within a game of .500 for the first time this season. … The Penguins lost their seventh in eight games.
… Pittsburgh allowed the first goal for the 19th time in 30 games. … Lemieux, for one of the few times this season, declined comment after the game. … The Coyotes swept the season series and have won their last five against the Penguins.