Published: May 11, 2008 11:56 pm            

Penguins' fourth line keys win

PITTSBURGH — Max Talbot hadn’t played in three games over the course of a week and a half.

The Pittsburgh Penguins center was anxious to get back into the Stanley Cup playoff chase.

In Talbot’s words, he was happy to be on the ice. When he scored the game-winning goal in a 4-2 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday at Mellon Arena, Talbot had reason to be ecstatic.

“It was a great way to come back,” Talbot said after the Penguins took a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference final. “I was just happy to be in the lineup. I was as happy as a little kid. To have the game-winning goal is extra special.”

Talbot centered the fourth line with right wing Georges Laraque and veteran left wing Gary Roberts.

With the game tied at 2 through two periods, that unit watched from the home bench for the first half of the final period.

When the line finally got on the ice, it made the most of the opportunity.

Roberts kept a Flyers clearing attempt in the offensive zone, just inside the blue line. He passed to Laraque, who placed a shot off the boards behind Philadelphia goaltender Martin Biron.

Roberts regained possession and backhanded a perfect pass to Talbot as he rushed down the slot. Talbot buried the shot at 8:51 on his line’s first shift of the third period.

“That’s a goal we have to get,” said Talbot, who had been out since breaking a bone in his right foot during Game 3 of the semifinal series with the Rangers. “We have to get a little momentum when we’re out there. We try to change the momentum. Georges put it behind the net. Gary, I came for the puck and he put it right on the stick.”

The Talbot-Laraque-Roberts line also helped chew up some game clock by taking an important shift with about four minutes left in the game.

Jordan Staal hit an empty net with 28.8 showing to seal the game and make the Penguins 7-0 at home during the playoffs.

“It’s huge when you can play the fourth line,” Laraque said. “That lets the other line rest and they can go out there fresh. That’s what you want. When a game is tight like this and the fourth line can chip in with a big goal like this, it’s really big.”

Talbot said the foot injury didn’t bother him.

“I can’t even feel it right now,” Talbot said. “When you get in the game you don’t think about that. You try to do your best in the game.”

The Penguins are the first team to win Game 2 of a series against the Flyers this postseason.

“We needed to win both games at home because we know it’s going to be tough in Philly,” Laraque said.

        

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