PITTSBURGH _ Sometimes, it's not about skill.
Sometimes, desire _ a refusal to be denied _ is what matters most.
Sometimes, it makes the difference between victory and defeat.
Conor Sheary, who has a knack for creating scoring chances and then capitalizing on them, proved that early in the second period of the Penguins' 3-2 victory against Anaheim Saturday at PPG Paints Arena.
The score was tied, 1-1, when a scramble broke out around Ducks goalie Jonathan Bernier.
Sheary, who was behind the Anaheim goal line, lunged toward the crease the crease and knocked the puck across the goal line at 2:03 to put the Penguins in front to stay.
The victory raised the Penguins' record to 2-0. They will face Colorado at home Monday night before traveling to Montreal for a game Tuesday evening at the Bell Centre.
The Penguins are 10-3 in their past 13 games against Anaheim, including a 6-1 mark in their past seven meetings.
Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle had a decision to make before the game, and neither of his choices seemed terribly appealing.
He could start goalie John Gibson. Trouble is, Gibson has a career record of 1-2, as well as a 4.68 goals-against average and .862 save percentage, against the Penguins.
Or he could go with Bernier, who was 1-5-2 against them, with a 3.20 goals-against average .911 save percentage.
Carlyle picked Bernier.
Good choice, because Bernier finished with 42 saves and gave the Ducks a legitimate chance to leave town with a point or two.
His Penguins counterpart, Marc-Andre Fleury, made 33 saves.
The Penguins invited members of the franchise's first 10 teams to the game, and started it as if they were intent on playing the way those early clubs did.
Which is to say, not very well.
Nonetheless, they held a 21-16 advantage in shots at the first intermission after grabbing a 1-0 lead at 11:46.
Defenseman Ian Cole got credit for the goal, his first, when his wrist shot from the left point sailed past Bernier, but much of the credit for it belongs to winger Tom Kuhnhackl, whose screen prevented Bernier from seeing the puck.
Trevor Daley and Evgeni Malkin received assists.
Cole's goal marked the seventh consecutive home game against the Ducks in which the Penguins opened the scoring.
Anaheim tied the game during a two-man advantage at 14:13, however, as defenseman Cam Fowler hammered a slap shot past Fleury from near the right dot.
Ducks center Ryan Kesler positioned himself in front of Fleury, preventing him from seeing the shot.
Anaheim got its two-man advantage because Olli Maatta was penalized for tripping at 12:52, and Cole was penalized for delay of game four seconds later.
After Sheary restored the Penguins' lead, Phil Kessel gave them their first two-goal advantage of the season.
They were on a power play when Kessel put a shot between Bernier's legs from the inner edge of the left circle for his first of the season.
Anaheim, though, countered at 10:27, as Corey Perry flipped his own rebound past Fleury from the right side of the crease.
The goal was Perry's 13th in 14 career games against the Penguins.
The Ducks had a chance to pull even when Cole was sent off for interference at 17:47, but were unable to convert.
Patric Hornqvist nearly put the Penguins up by two again 38 seconds into the third period, but Bernier was able to deny him on a Scott Wilson rebound.
