This good thing came to an end

By Chris Bradford cbradford@timesonline.com | Posted: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 12:05 am

PITTSBURGH – For the first time this season the Penguins didn’t have Sidney Crosby on Tuesday night. It showed.

Not only did the Penguins lose, they saw their 15-game winning streak come to a surprising end with a 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at Consol Energy Center. The loss left the Penguins two wins shy of matching the NHL record.

It also showed beyond doubt why Crosby, out indefinitely with a broken jaw, is the league’s MVP.

The Penguins, who lost for the first time since February 28 at Carolina, fell to 81-44-16 in games played without their superstar captain, who just happens to be leading the league in scoring.

Kevin Porter scored twice, including shorthanded, as the Sabres snapped a four-game losing streak. Steve Ott and Cody Hodgson also scored for Buffalo, which chased starting goalie Tomas Vokoun from net in the second period after allowing four goals on just 13 shots.

“We didn’t look quick, we didn’t get in on the forecheck and play in their end nearly as much as we needed to do,” center Craig Adams said. “We didn’t create enough and, obviously, gave them a few goals.”

QUOTABLE

“The reverse law of averages.”

Kevin Porter, Buffalo journeyman forward, explaining how he scored two goals against a Penguins team that hadn’t lost in over a month and hadn’t given up two goals in a game in its previous four. It was Porter’s second career two-goal game and first since Nov. 6, 2010 against Dallas while with Colorado.

NOTABLE

-- D Brooks Orpik appeared in his 622nd career game, passing Ron Stackhouse to become the franchise leader in games played by a defenseman. He also takes over fifth place on the team’s all-time list for games played. The Penguins’ recognized the feat with a video tribute that was followed by an ovation that Orpik reluctantly acknowledged from the player’s bench. Orpik finished the game with (six hits) and (three blocked shots.) “Yeah, it’s cool,” Orpik said. “I’m not big on individual achievements and awards. To be recognized by fans like that is pretty cool and hopefully it keeps going here. I’ve enjoyed my time here so hopefully it’s just a little small number we look back on.”

-- Sabres’ C Kevin Porter ended the longest shutout sequence in Penguins history with his first of two goals at 10:24 of the first period. Goalies Marc-Andre Fleury and Tomas Vokoun combined to hold opponents scoreless for 218:48. The goal was the first Vokoun had allowed since Islanders C Josh Bailey beat him at 17:18 of the second period on March 22, a series of four appearances totaling 173:06, which included back-to-back shutouts. The mark was a career best for Vokoun and also set a franchise record.

-- The loss also ended their home winning streak at 12-games. The 12-wins set a franchise record.

-- The Penguins have gone 9-3 in their last 12 games overall against the Sabres and 8-3 in their last 11 on home ice.

-- After killing off all five Sabres’ power plays, the Penguins have now killed off 28 of their last 30 penalties. (93.3 percent)

-- RW Jarome Iginla scored his first goal as a Penguin at 13:27 of the first period. The goal, coming on the power-play, marks the fifth straight game against the Sabres in which the Penguins have tallied with the extra man.

-- C Evgeni Malkin extended his scoring streak to three games with his first-period assist. Malkin has notched three points (one goal) over that span and now has points in nine of his last 10 games (three goals, eight assists)

-- Former Penguins RW Matthew Barnaby, who was acquired from the Sabres on March 11, 1999 in exchange for C Stu Barnes, was in attendance. The team showed a video collage of his “greatest hits” on the jumbotron and he received a nice ovation. Barnaby is in Pittsburgh to coach his 14-year-old son’s team in the Tier 1 USA Hockey National Championships at the RMU Island Sports Center that runs Wednesday through Sunday.

-- Sabres’ D Mike Weber was born in Pittsburgh and attended Seneca Valley High School in Cranberry Township before leaving to play for Windsor (OHL).

-- The Penguins extended their sellout streak to 274 games in a row with 18,642 fans in attendance.

HIDDEN STAT

2,505: The combined number of NHL games played for Pittsburgh’s three major trade deadline acquisitions – Jarome Iginla (1,219 games), Brenden Morrow (835 games); and Douglas Murray (451 games) – before joining the Penguins. The three have also combined for 139 career fighting majors (Iginla 59, Morrow 52 and Murray 28).

KEY PLAY

The Penguins found themselves trailing by a pair of goals early in the second period after allowing Buffalo C Cody Hodgson to score from along the goal line at 2:21 of the period. That hole would get deeper just 1:07 later as C Kevin Porter would score the goal that essentially ended the Penguins 15-game winning streak at 3:28 of the period. Porter got the puck in the left wing circle and took a few strides before trying to shoot the puck towards the goal. His shot grazed the skate of D Deryk Engelland and deflected towards G Tomas Vokoun, who was unable to handle it. The goal would prompt a goaltending change by coach Dan Bylsma, but the Penguins’ weren’t able to recover.