Penguins Keep Focus on Hockey

Hockey is alive and well in Pittsburgh--for now.

Jaromir Jagr scored the tying goal in the third period and Jiri Slegr got the winner 1:40 later as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3, in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Tuesday night at Pittsburgh.

The Penguins trailed 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 before Jagr scored his first goal in three games at 9:03 of the third and Slegr got his first playoff goal at 10:43.

The victory, which gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead in the series, came only hours after NHL lawyers told a federal judge that an out-of-town buyer has stepped forward to move the bankrupt Penguins if former star Mario Lemieux isn’t successful in his takeover bid.

The buyer is believed to be Paul Allen, the Seattle billionaire who owns the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. The Penguins would provide another tenant for Portland’s Rose Garden.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman would not confirm Allen’s bid during a pregame news conference.

“We have not finalized or signed a deal with anyone,” he said. “If there’s speculation that’s a done deal, I think people are getting ahead of themselves.”

Game 4 is Thursday.

“This is a team capable of coming back,” Penguin Coach Kevin Constantine said of Tuesday’s comeback, pointing to his team’s 6-23-7 regular-season record when trailing after two periods.

With the Maple Leafs frantically trying to preserve their 3-2 lead, Jagr directed Rob Brown’s pass from the left circle past goaltender Curtis Joseph with 12 seconds to play in a Toronto penalty.

Slegr then gave the Penguins their first lead since their 2-0 victory in Game 1, faking a shot to draw Joseph out of the net before slamming the puck into a narrow opening beside the near post.