Slumping Penguins lose to Oilers

Shawn Horcoff scored all three goals in the 3-1 win by Edmonton.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Shawn Horcoff scored all three Edmonton goals, including the seventh short-handed goal allowed by Pittsburgh this season, and the Oilers beat the still-slumping Penguins 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Ryan Malone got his stick in a Josef Melichar shot from the left point in the third period to prevent the Penguins' first shutout loss in their 39-year history to Edmonton, but Pittsburgh still lost its third in a row and 16th in 20 games.
Ryan Smyth set up the first two Horcoff goals as the Oilers ended an eight-game losing streak (0-6-2) in Pittsburgh that dated to Feb. 18, 1993, not long before the Penguins began an NHL record 17-game winning streak.
Edmonton had lost four of six overall, but improved to 13-8-2 on the road and evened its record against Eastern Conference teams to 3-3-1. The Penguins are 1-5 against the Western Conference and have lost 16 of 22 home games (6-11-5).
Crosby blanked
The Penguins were flat from the start despite a two-day break since losing back-to-back games against Atlanta, as evidenced by rookie star Sidney Crosby's first scoreless game in 11 games since a 3-0 loss to St. Louis on Nov. 13.
Crosby had eight goals and nine assists during the 10-game scoring streak, but had only two shots Tuesday -- both in the first period -- even though the Oilers did not try to match lines against his.
Crosby stayed out of the penalty box after drawing six penalties in the two games against Atlanta, four in a 4-3 loss Saturday, but that didn't make much difference on a night the Oilers were better short-handed than the Penguins were on the power play (0-for-3).
Only 18 shots
Pittsburgh managed 18 shots against a barely tested Jussi Markkanen, with only 11 in the first two periods as the Penguins twice took penalties to shorten all but one of their three power plays.
Penguins defenseman Dick Tarnstrom drew the game's first two penalties, then was on the ice when Smyth picked up a loose puck just inside the neutral zone and fed it ahead to Horcoff, who beat Marc-Andre Fleury between the pads from the edge of the circle.
Horcoff scored again in the first minute of the second period, skating down the slot to feather a backhander past Fleury, who turned aside 28 of 31 shots but could stop only three of Horcoff's six shots. Horcoff scored his 12th, 13th and 14th goals.
Horcoff's final goal came in the final minute on a power play, snapping off a shot from the right circle that Fleury couldn't handle.
Notes
Edmonton is 7-2-2 in its last 11 road games, with another Thursday night against the Rangers. ... Penguins F Ziggy Palffy has one power-play goal in his last 36 games. ... The Oilers' Radek Dvorak missed his 14th game in his last 15 with a sore groin. ... The Penguins' seven short-handed goals allowed are two fewer than the league high of nine, shared by three teams. ... The crowd of 14,905 at 16,940-seat Mellon Arena ended a streak of five standing-room only Penguins sellouts. .. Edmonton was 1-of-6 on the power play.
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