s let a chance to clinch their second straight division cro

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading to the playoffs for an eighth straight year. Barring an epic collapse, a Metropolitan Division title is all but clinched. What happens after that, however, is anybodys guess. Dominant in the beginning but dismal at the end, the Penguins let a chance to clinch their second straight division crown slip away in a 4-1 loss to Carolina on Tuesday night that left Pittsburgh just 8-8-2 since returning from the Olympic break. Not exactly the kind of momentum a Stanley Cup contender wants to bring into the final days of the regular season. "If youre not 100 per cent, they can expose you and make you look pretty silly," Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik said. "Thats what happened here tonight." Carolina rookie Elias Lindholm scored twice for the first multi-goal game of his career, Eric Staal and Justin Faulk also scored while Jeff Skinner added two assists. Anton Khudobin stopped 30 shots as the Hurricanes avoided being swept in the season series by Pittsburgh for the first time in 18 years. "I thought we kept it simple and kind of slowly frustrated them as it went on and it was a win we needed," Staal said. Chris Kunitz scored his 35th goal to give Pittsburgh an early lead, but the Penguins crumbled over the final two periods. Sidney Crosby picked up an assist to push his NHL-leading point total to 100, but the Penguins appeared to lose interest after failing to bury the Hurricanes during a frenetic opening barrage in which they appeared ready to run Carolina out of the arena. "We all felt like the first 10 minutes we were carrying the play ... for whatever reason we got away from that," Crosby said. "Maybe we thought that came easy or we could get away with cheating. And it didnt work." No, it didnt. Marc-Andre Fleury made 24 saves, but received little help playing behind a sloppy defence. The Penguins turned it over 13 times, including a series of miscues the Hurricanes were only too happy to turn into goals. "I think we started mismanaging the puck and started having turnovers in the neutral zone," Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said. The Penguins appeared to right the enigmatic final third of their season with a spirited 4-1 victory over Chicago on Sunday night. Two days later, the sense of urgency evaporated when the Hurricanes -- who are about to miss the playoffs for the fifth straight year -- failed to roll over. Pittsburgh recorded 12 of the first 14 shots, including Kunitzs wrist shot from the left circle that Khudobin never saw. Crosby picked up the secondary assist to lift his point total to the century mark for the fifth time in his career, drawing a roar from the usual sellout crowd at Consol Energy Center. It had all the makings of a blowout. One developed, just not the one the Penguins were expecting. Carolina steadied itself late in the first, evening the game on a knuckling slap shot by Faulk that gave the Hurricanes the confidence boost they needed to get back in it. The Penguins malaise did the rest. "That goal from (Faulk) really evens it up and then we kind of just took a deep breath, got our legs going better and then I thought we just started moving better and playing a much smarter game," Carolina coach Kirk Muller said. Lindholm put Carolina in front to stay 9:24 into the second with a power-play goal that included a pretty feed from Skinner, who threaded a pass between Pittsburgh defenceman Olli Maattas legs right to Lindholms stick. Fleury never had a chance. The goaltender was equally helpless five minutes later when a turnover by teammate Deryk Engelland handed Skinner and Lindholm a breakaway that Lindholm converted into the first multi-goal game of his brief career. Any late push by the Penguins ended when Staals tip-in eluded Fleury with just over 8 minutes left. Instead of skating off the ice with their fourth division title since Crosbys arrival in 2005, Pittsburgh trudged to the locker room wondering when the consistency that propelled them to the top of the Eastern Conference before the Olympic break will return. "Theres not much good to take out of it," Crosby said. "So weve just got to make sure we respond the next game." NOTES: Carolina played without F Alexander Semin, who was scratched due to an illness. ... The Hurricanes return home to face Dallas on Thursday. ... The Penguins fell to 45-8-4 this season when Crosby scores a point. Chris Ivory Bills Jersey ., will experience this week. A year in which the Canadian curling championship has been pushed forward a week to accommodate the Winter Olympics was deemed the perfect chance to stage the event in Montreal for the first time since 1979. Josh Allen Bills Jersey . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell. http://www.billsnflgears.com/Black-Phillip-Gaines-Bills-Jersey.html?cat=985 . JOHNS, N. Marshall Newhouse Bills Jersey . The appointment of Boullier continues the behind-the-scenes restructuring at McLaren, who recently brought back former team principal Ron Dennis as its new chief executive. Jim Kelly Jersey . The club says its first-choice centre back "underwent medical tests on Wednesday morning" which confirmed he has injured his right hamstring. The injury was caused in the second minute of Tuesdays 4-1 league win over Real Sociedad in the Camp Nou when teammate Sergio Busquets accidentally struck Mascherano just above the knee with an outstretched boot.Peter Shilton says his England caps record is safe unless Wayne Rooney reverts to the street-fighting striker of old. Rooney is nine appearances short of Shiltons 125 and will break the record on October 5 next year if he plays in every England game between now and then. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ￡6.99. No contract. But the captain has just one goal this season, cannot currently get in the Manchester United side and has dropped into a deeper role for his country following the emergence of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge. And that all amounts to trouble for Rooney, according to ex-goalkeeper Shilton, who told Sky Sports News HQ: I hope he gets back and he starts scoring goals, but hes got to play as a striker.If he does that, hell retain his international place, if he doesnt he wont break my record. Andy Burton and Nick Collins bring you the latest from the England camp as Gareth Southgate’s new side prepare to face Malta Ive always been a massive Wayne Rooney fan - hes always been a street fighter giving 100 per cent, hed get in the box and score goals and I always rated him very highly. Walker: Massive season for Dele Englands Kyle Walker says Tottenham team-mate Dele Alli needs to keep it simple If he plays the way we know Wayne Rooney plays and he surpasses my record Ill be the first one to shake his hand and pat him on the back. For a striker, thats fantastic. In the Euros?hes captain, and we lost to Iceland, I didnt see him in the game, I didnt see any leadership.?Ive not seen the Wayne Rooney I know for a year. Peter Shilton But I dont think he has done that in the last year or so. In the Euros, hes captain, and we lost to Iceland, I didnt see him in the game, I didnt see any leadership.dddddddddddd Ive not seen the Wayne Rooney I know for a year.He now wants to play in midfield - if he was a midfield player he would have played there.He says he wants to retire after the next World Cup - to me thats his management company putting a lot of propaganda out. Its about what he does on the pitch. Collins gives an update on the FAs search for a new England manager Shiltons assessment of Joe Hart is no less blunt, and Englands most-celebrated No 1 believes the current keeper has a fight on his hands to keep the jersey after his Euro 2016 mistakes against Wales and Iceland. Malta: The Med minnows As England take on Malta at Wembley on Saturday, we take a closer look at their side Hart has since left Manchester City for Torino in search of first-team football, and Shilton said: People say do you feel sorry for him leaving City? No. Hes a professional. One manager has his opinions, and you go and prove him wrong. Joe Hart during a training session at St Georges Park I said before the Euros I didnt think Joe Hart was as good as a lot of people thought. Hes a good goallkeeper. I feel he makes a few too many errors, but hes had some excellent games and was a logical choice for the Euros.Two mistakes in three games is not good, so i feel hes come back now to Jack Butland and Fraser Forster who have had injuries themselves. Its up in the air but I dont think hes an automatic choice.You can watch Englands tour of Bangladesh, plus Premier League football and the Japan Grand Prix on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy three months at half price! 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