ST. LOUIS _ There never has been a question this season about the Penguins' speed or skill.
There have, however, been concerns about their ability to compete with teams that play a "heavy" game.
Those questions just might have been answered this weekend, however.
The Penguins defeated a very physical St. Louis team, 4-1, at Scottrade Center Saturday, little more than 24 hours after beating Columbus, 4-3, in overtime Friday at PPG Paints Arena.
Both the Blues and Blue Jackets play a physical game; neither did it well enough to get the better of the Penguins.
The victory was the Penguins' third in a row and raised their record to 33-13-5. Because Columbus lost, 5-1, at home to New Jersey, the Penguins and Blue Jackets are tied for second place in the Metropolitan Division, five points behind Washington.
Penguins left winger Carl Hagelin left the game with just over five minutes left in the first period after absorbing a hit to the head from Alex Steen of the Blues.
There was no immediate word on the nature or severity of his injury, but Hagelin appeared to be a bit dazed as he made his way to the locker room, where he remained for the balance of the game.
About 6{ minutes earlier, Blues center Robby Fabbri went directly to the locker room after being hit by Penguins center Carter Rowney in the neutral zone. He did not return.
Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, making his first start since Jan. 14 in Detroit, figured to be rusty, but his teammates allowed him to ease into the game.
Almost too much, actually.
Goalies like to face a reasonable number of shots to allow them to get loose and into the flow of the game, but the Penguins limited St. Louis to four _ all by defensemen _ during the opening period.
The last of those came during a five-on-three power play in the final seconds before intermission.
Penguins center Sidney Crosby got the only goal of the first period, backhanding a shot past Blues goalie Jake Allen at 15:50 while on one knee in front of the St. Louis net.
The only assist on that goal, Crosby's league-leading 29th and first-ever in St. Louis, went to Chris Kunitz, who fed the puck to Crosby from inside the left circle.
St. Louis ended up with its two-man advantage after Penguins defenseman Ian Cole was penalized for interference at 18:45 and Kris Letang was called for slashing at 19:25.
The Penguins, though, not only got through that unscathed, but actually got a breakaway immediately after each of the penalties expired.
Cole missed the net with his shot after breaking down the left side, but Letang banked a shot off Allen and into the net at 1:34 of the second to make it 2-0.
Rowney, whose pass sprung Letang from near the St. Louis blue line, picked up the only assist, his first point in the NHL.
Fleury preserved the Penguins' two-goal cushion about a half-minute later, when he rejected Patrik Berglund after he got behind the defense.
Justin Schultz rewarded him a t12:02, beating Allen from the bottom of the right circle for his ninth of the season.
Schultz had made his way there from the top of the right circle, going behind the St. Louis net.
He appeared to be getting directions from Crosby, who ultimately set Schultz up with a pass from above the right circle.
Kunitz, who played on the No. 1 line with Crosby and Bryan Rust, got the second assist, giving him his first multiple-point game since Dec. 20.
Berglund spoiled Fleury's shutout bid at 10:22 of the third, beating him with a backhander from close range on the Blues' 20th shot, but Crosby hit an empty net with 17.2 seconds left to close out the scoring.
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