The Pittsburgh Penguins have been mired in a 10-17-1 slump over the last two months, though perhaps they’ll be recharged by their dramatic 4-3 come-from-behind victory over Tampa Bay Wednesday night.

The Penguins, who have fallen into 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings after coming within two victories of winning the Stanley Cup a year ago, began the third period trailing the Lightning 3-0. Evgeni Malkin put the lifeless Pens on the scoreboard 2:25 into the final period with his 23rd goal of the season, then wristed the game-winner past Lightning rookie Mike McKenna with 15.5 seconds remaining in overtime.

It was the second time this season that the Penguins have overcome a three-goal deficit in the third period, and Pittsburgh’s league-leading ninth victory when trailing after two periods.

Most Wins when Trailing after 2 Periods, 2008-09

Penguins. . . .9-17-0
Red Wings. . .6- 8-0
Canadiens. . .6-14-1
Rangers. . . . 5-13-2
Hurricanes. . 5-14-2

The Detroit Red Wings have been trailing after two periods far less often than the other teams on the list, but their nearly .500 record in those situations is remarkable. Maybe even more so than Pittsburgh’s nine wins.

What’s stunning about the Penguins’ third-period success, though, is that it’s produced more than one-third of the team’s 25 victories. While the playoff-bound Red Wings have won 33 games this season, the Penguins would be looking to 2009-10 if it wasn't for those comebacks in the final 20 minutes.

Surprisingly, the other time Pittsburgh overcame a three-goal deficit in the third period and won was against the Red Wings, who had a 5-2 edge with less than 14 minutes remaining on Nov. 11. Malkin also started that comeback, and Ruslan Fedotenko iced it in OT.

That win had to be an inspiration, coming early in a 10-2-2 Penguins surge that carried into early December. Wednesday’s win ended a three-game losing streak and allowed Pittsburgh to stay close to the eighth-seeded Florida Panthers.

The Penguins and their fans, still hoping for a long playoff run, want to see Wednesday's comeback become a defining moment of the 2008-09 season. There will have to be others along the way. If the Penguins are going to rebound down the stretch, it wouldn't hurt to win one at home against the Red Wings on Sunday.