Local Sports Journal
Dan Bylsma
Dan Bylsma is the all-time winningest coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The West Michigan native and Western Michigan Christian grad captured victory No. 233 in a 5-4 shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.
Penguin forward Sidney Crosby lifted Pittsburgh in the shootout on a wrist shot that found the back of the net from 11 feet out. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury secured the win after Crosby’s goal by stopping Vancouver’s Christopher Higgins.
Win No. 233 did not come easy for Bylsma against the Canucks. Pittsburgh scored two late goals just 16 seconds apart to force the shootout. Kris Letang scored with 71 seconds left and Crosby followed up to tie the score 4-4.
Fleury was perfect for Pittsburgh during the shootout, stopping all three Vancouver shots. The Penguin goalie finished with 31 saves on the night.
Brian Gibbons gave the Pens a 1-0 first-period lead and Evgeni Malkin followed with an early second period goal and Pittsburg was up 2-0.
Vancouver would fight back with four straight goals, three in the third period, to take a 4-2 lead with six and half minutes left to play.
Pittsburgh currently holds a 17-point lead over second place Philadelphia in Bylsma’s sixth season as the Penguins’ head coach.
