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Penguins Fly Into Finals

The Associated Press

Published: May 19, 2008

PITTSBURGH - Ryan Malone, the one Penguins player with firsthand memories of the team's two previous Stanley Cup appearances as the 12-year-old son of then-Penguins scouting director and former player Greg Malone, scored twice and set up a third goal and Pittsburgh routed rival Philadelphia 6-0 Sunday to win the Eastern Conference championship and a trip to the NHL finals.

The Penguins, dominating Game 5 from the start with Malone and Evgeni Malkin scoring in the first 10 minutes, will play the winner of the Detroit-Dallas series for the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings take a 3-2 series lead into Dallas for Game 6 of the Western Conference finals tonight.

"Never, never would have thought it," Malone said of someday playing for the Cup himself. "I don't think I realized until my junior year of college at St. Cloud State I would have a chance to play pro hockey. ... It's pretty special, pretty special and I definitely feel privileged."

Marian Hossa had a goal and three assists and Sidney Crosby, the 20-year-old captain of a team that was the Eastern Conference's worst only two seasons ago, added two assists. Jordan Staal, only 19, scored his third goal in two games and fourth of the series. Pascal Dupuis, an Atlanta teammate of Hossa's before the two were dealt to Pittsburgh at the trading deadline, also scored.

Pittsburgh is returning to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1992.

Philadelphia	0	0	0	-	0
Pittsburgh	2	3	1	-	6

First Period-1, Pittsburgh, Malone 5 (Crosby, Hossa), 2:30 (pp). 2, Pittsburgh, Malkin 9 (Malone), 9:50. Penalties-Knuble, Phi (hooking), 2:18; Hartnell, Phi (tripping), 11:15; Whitney, Pit (hooking), 17:42; Malone, Pit (high-sticking), 20:00.

Second Period-3, Pittsburgh, Hossa 9 (Crosby, Talbot), 8:24. 4, Pittsburgh, Malone 6 (Gonchar, Hossa), 11:42 (pp). 5, Pittsburgh, Staal 6 (Talbot, Hall), 19:02. Penalties-Umberger, Phi (roughing), 9:02; Malkin, Pit (roughing), 9:02; Gill, Pit (roughing), 9:02; Timonen, Phi (tripping), 9:08; Carter, Phi (tripping), 11:28.

Third Period-6, Pittsburgh, Dupuis 2 (Hossa, Orpik), 4:03. Penalty-Hall, Pit (hooking), 18:20.

Shots on Goal-Phi. 5-8-8-21. Pit. 10-9-6-25. Power play-Phi. 0 of 4; Pit. 2 of 4. Goalies-Philadelphia, Biron 9-8 (25 shots-19 saves). Pittsburgh, Fleury 12-2 (21-21). A-17,132 (16,940). T-2:23.