Sturm quickly getting up to speed

By coach Claude Julien's evaluation, Marco Sturm skated as well last night as he has all season.

So it was no coincidence that Sturm scored two first-period goals, including the winger's 200th career strike.

"He certainly puts opposing teams on their heels when he comes with the kind of speed that he comes with," said Julien. "He's not afraid to use his outside speed."

On the first goal, Sturm drove to the net while linemates Glen Metropolit and Chuck Kobasew crisscrossed at the Pittsburgh blue line, causing some hesitation in the defenders. Sturm put himself in position to tip Kobasew's shot past goalie Ty Conklin at 9:49.

Less than three minutes later, Sturm took a pass from Metropolit and motored down the left wing. Just as he thought he was getting too deep, Sturm ripped off a slapper that whizzed over Conklin's glove at 12:07. It was Sturm's team-high 22d goal of the season.

"We wanted to come out hard," said Sturm, who had a game-high seven shots. "This team [Pittsburgh] has so many skilled players, especially after that big trade. We shut them down to two lines there. It was a solid, great effort."

Scary debut for Hossa

Marian Hossa, acquired five minutes before Tuesday's trade deadline, didn't have the start he wanted in his Pittsburgh debut.

Midway through the second period, Hossa collided with Glen Murray and sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

"I tried to make the play, I collided with one of their guys, I got a knee-on-knee, and I just felt the MCL," said Hossa, who skated mostly with Jordan Staal and Ryan Malone. "I had that funny feeling and I just kind of knew. Hopefully, it's nothing serious and just first-degree."

Before the game, Hossa said he heard whispers about landing in Boston, where he would have been reunited with fellow Slovakian Chara, former Atlanta teammates Metropolit and Marc Savard, ex-Senators Peter Schaefer and Shane Hnidy, and general manager Peter Chiarelli, Ottawa's assistant GM when the winger played there.

"I heard news about Boston too, but it never happened," said Hossa, who is all but certain to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. "I always enjoy playing with Big Z. Maybe one day again. We'll see."

Gill dealing with it

Despite the maelstrom surrounding Toronto prior to the trade deadline, ex-Bruin Hal Gill didn't think he'd be swapped. But Gill was traded for the first time in his career, landing in Pittsburgh for a second-round pick (2008) and a fifth-round selection (2009).

"You always hear rumors. In Toronto, there are rumors about everyone," said Gill. "When you don't think anything's going to happen, that's when something happens."

The former Providence College star projects to support the Pittsburgh defense and penalty kill. He entered the game with a 2-18 -20 line while averaging 20:42 of ice time, including 4:54 per game on the PK.

"I'm happy to be somewhere where I feel like they want me," said Gill, who was a minus-2 in 15:40 of ice time.

Hard to say no

After Boston took a 3-0 lead early in the second period, Pittsburgh tough guy Georges Laraque approached Shawn Thornton and asked to engage in some fisticuffs to spark his team. Thornton declined, but not without regret. "I can't go right there," said Thornton, citing his team's lead. "I've basically been told not to. I have a lot of respect for him. He always let me go when I was with Chicago and Toronto. I asked and we fought a couple times. I've got a lot of respect for him. That was one of the hardest no's I've ever had to give." Laraque also asked Milan Lucic to go in the third period but was turned down . . . Vladimir Sobotka earned the hard hat after last night's victory. Sobotka blocked two shots, including a heater by defenseman Kris Letang that left the fourth-liner doubled over in pain. Sobotka recorded a team-high plus-3 rating in 10:43 of ice time . . . Kobasew, out the last two games with a groin injury, skated on the third line with Lucic and David Krejci, logging 14:31 of ice time and recording two assists. "He's our second-leading goal scorer, so it's something we need as far as the lack of goal scoring we've had this year," said Julien. "So whenever you get a guy who can help you score some goals, it's nice to have him back." . . . Schaefer, Petteri Nokelainen, and Bobby Allen were the healthy scratches.