PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins acknowledge theyve been getting by more on talent than discipline recently even as theyve

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins acknowledge theyve been getting by more on talent than discipline recently even as theyve soared to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Colorado Avalanche Store . The perpetually rebuilding Florida Panthers have no such luxury. On Monday night, the Panthers hard work made up the difference. Drew Shore scored twice for the first multi-goal game of his career and the Panthers ended Pittsburghs club-record 13-game home winning streak with a 5-1 victory. "It was a big game," Shore said. "We kind of treated it like a playoff game. We only had a couple more games until the (Olympic) break so we wanted to make a strong push." Jonathan Huberdeau, Dmitry Kulikov and Shawn Matthias also scored for the Panthers, who won in Pittsburgh for the first time in five years. Scott Clemmensen stopped 35 shots in his first start in three weeks as Florida ended a two-game losing streak. "I asked them for 60 minutes and 200 feet," Florida coach Peter Horachek said. Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma received neither. Matt Niskanen scored the only goal for the Penguins as Pittsburgh lost at home for the first time since Nov. 13. Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves but fell for only the fourth time in his past 37 starts at Consol Energy Center. "We were just awful," Niskanen said. "Bad execution. Bad work ethic. We just werent hungry enough to win the loose puck battle and they just beat the (stuffing) out of us." Pittsburgh defenceman Paul Martin played 20 minutes in his return from a broken leg, clearing the way for him to play for Team USA in the Olympics. Forwards James Neal, Chuck Kobasew and Jayson Megna also returned from injuries as the Penguins -- already with a comfortable 13-point cushion in the Metropolitan Division -- continue to get healthy with the Olympic break looming. While it may take a game or two for the Penguins to adjust to the familiar faces, they dont necessarily view it as an excuse. "Were assimilating players back into our lineup ... but thats not a new challenge for this group," Bylsma said. "Its not a new challenge for our team." Neither is winning in Pittsburgh for the Panthers. But Florida beat the Penguins for the second time in three meetings behind Clemmensen, a resurgent penalty kill that has gone a franchise-record 10 games without allowing a goal and some unlikely offensive contributions. "I dont think we got lucky tonight," Clemmensen said. "I think we just willed it a little bit. It doesnt always go your way obviously. You stick with it and nights like tonight happen." Shore entered with just four goals in 54 career games and has spent most of this season in the American Hockey League. Still, he scored twice in less than 20 minutes to stake Florida to an early lead that was more than enough to end Pittsburghs two-month run of perfection. The Penguins entered the night having trailed barely 10 per cent of the time at home since their streak began. A significant chunk came in last weeks 4-3 comeback victory over Washington, when they rallied from a goal down three times to escape. It was the kind of game thats popped up frequently since Christmas, where Pittsburghs high-powered offence was able to overcome some uncharacteristic lapses at the other end of the rink. The miscues finally caught up with them. A rare breakdown by the leagues top power-play unit gave Shore the chance to stake Florida to an early lead. Clemmensen stopped Evgeni Malkins shot, then passed to Shore to spark a two-on-one that ended with Shore flicking a wrist shot over Fleurys shoulder 15:46 into the first period. The Panthers had three opportunities in the second to double their lead only to let three straight power plays go to waste before Shore struck again. Huberdeau stripped a Penguin behind the Pittsburgh net, slid the puck to Jesse Winchester, who found a streaking Shore down the slot. The wrist shot caromed off Fleurys shoulder and into the net to make it 2-0 at 13:34 of the second. Kulikov pushed the Florida lead to 3-0 by taking a long bounce off the end boards then beating Fleury just 1:17 into the third. Niskanens seventh goal of the season 5:11 into the period briefly gave the Penguins some energy, but it faded when Huberdeau and Matthias scored 12 seconds apart to send the Panthers to the upset. NOTES: Pittsburgh went 0 for 3 on the power play. ... The Panthers have killed 31 straight penalties. ... Florida is 10-0-1 when leading after two periods. ... Pittsburgh hosts Montreal on Wednesday. ... The Panthers play at Buffalo on Tuesday. Colorado Avalanche Gear . But this time, the Gunners weathered the storm. Arsene Wengers team was on the ropes in the early stages of a lively FA Cup tie, until Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a goal against the run of the play. Avalanche Jerseys China . - Skiing far more aggressively than in her season debut a day earlier, Lindsey Vonn was in provisional 10th place after the first 45 skiers in a World Cup downhill on Saturday. https://www.cheapavalanche.com/ .com) - The Ottawa Senators will try to keep their slim playoff hopes alive when they face the Chicago Blackhawks who are trying to secure their place in the post-season.ST. LOUIS -- By Sunday morning, most everyone had become an expert on the obstruction rule. "How can u make a call like that in the World Series," rapper Lil Wayne tweeted. "Worst ending to a World Series game ever!" PGA golfer Hunter Mahan posted. "Obstruction of justice," Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely wrote. No matter that the Official Baseball Rules have a slightly different take on what happened when St. Louis runner Allen Craig tripped over Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks in Game 3 late Saturday night. But anytime someone scores the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning without even touching home plate -- called safe on an extremely rare ruling by an umpire -- its bound to cause a little ruckus. "Umps made the right call last night. I still put my fist thru the wall. And Im in a hotel so it was expensive," comedian and Massachusetts native Denis Leary tweeted. All sides seemed to agree on this point: Allen Craig tripping over Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks likely made for the most crazy, chaotic October finish of all-time. And it gave St. Louis a 5-4 win at Busch Stadium and a 2-1 edge. "As a baseball fan, you hate to see a game end like that," pitcher Adam Wainwright said Sunday before Game 4. "Obviously Im on the Cardinals, so Im fortunate the rule is the way it is. And you hate to say it, but he impeded the process of running home." "But I totally understand why Red Sox players would be upset about that. That is just a horrible way to lose a baseball game, no question about it," he said. Said Red Sox manager John Farrell: "It wasnt a normal night of sleep, I know that." For more than a century, the World Series has delivered dramatic endings -- Kirk Gibsons homer, Carlton Fisks shot, David Freeses drive on this very same field in 2011. There have been plenty of kooky plays -- Reggie Jackson turning his hip to get hit by a throw, Roger Clemens throwing part of a broken bat toward Mike Piazza, an out in the 1970 Series when the catcher missed the runner and the runner missed the plate. But no one had seen anything quite like this. "Never," umpire crew chief John Hirschbeck said. "Never," third base umpire Jim Joyce said after making the call. Said Craig: "I didnt know if I was out or safe or not." Craig was awarded home after getting tangled with Middlebrooks. A wild throw set off the sequence, and Middlebrooks was sprawleed in the baseline and kicked up his legs as Craig tripped over him. Avalanche Jerseys 2021. Running on a banged-up foot, Craig headed home and the throw by left fielder Daniel Nava beat him. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia made the tag in plenty of time and Craig never reached the plate. But umpire Dana DeMuth signalled safe, having seen Joyces call at third base. Both teams immediately rushed to the plate. Middlebrooks threw down his glove and joined the Boston argument. The Cardinals came out to celebrate. The fans took awhile to react, unsure of what theyd just witnessed. "I think maybe 75 per cent of the guys didnt know what happened," Cardinals star Carlos Beltran said. "I wasnt sure why he was called safe," Middlebrooks said. Middlebrooks said any contact was accidental. Doesnt matter, though. The play is covered by Rule 2.00 and Rule 7.06, and makes it clear that obstruction is called anytime a runner is impeded. "It does not have to be intent. There does not have to be intent. OK?" Hirschbeck said. Not OK, Boston pitcher Jake Peavy said. "Its a joke," Peavy groused. Farrell was more forgiving. "You know what, the call was made correctly. The umpires -- Jim Joyce, Dana DeMuth -- that call was made as it should have been," he said Sunday. How rare was it? The last time a big league game ended on an obstruction call was 2004, when umpire Paul Emmel said Seattle shortstop Jose Lopez blocked Carl Crawfords sightline. Emmel was the first base umpire Saturday night. Longtime Red Sox fans remember a noncall that went against them in the 1975 World Series. In Game 3, Cincinnatis Ed Armbrister bunted in the 10th inning and bumped into catcher Carlton Fisk. There was no interference called, Fisk made a wild throw and Joe Morgan hit a winning single. Watching from the dugout Saturday night, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny wasnt sure what to think. Matheny had seen umpires reverse a call in Game 1 that cost the Cardinals. Hed seen Craig trip and was ready to argue. And he also saw Craig down in the dirt after re-injuring his foot. "We were wanting to celebrate, but we see a guy laying there and its all confusing," Matheny said Sunday. "And we see the umpires come together, and that didnt work out real good for us last time." "We got inside the clubhouse, and it was still kind of that sombre mood," he said. "And Chris Carpenter yelled out real loud, Hey, boys, we just won a World Series game!" ' ' '