Phil Kessel scored midway through the second period to help the Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 at PPG Paints Arena. With the Penguins up 2-1, Kessel scored on a power play 7:58 into the second. Following a tripping penalty on Ryan Getzlaf, Kessel shot through goalie Jonathan Bernier's five-hole for his first goal of the season.
Bernier made 42 saves in his Ducks debut, and Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury earned his second win with 33 saves. Pittsburgh has won the first two games of a three-game homestand to begin the season. Anaheim has lost the first two games of a five-game road trip.
Ducks forward Corey Perry made it 3-2, scoring off a faceoff with 9:33 left in the second. Fleury stopped Perry's initial shot with a glove save but allowed a rebound that Perry collected and sent over him into the net.
Penguins defenseman Ian Cole made it 1-0 with 8:14 remaining in the first period. Forward Evgeni Malkin circled behind the net and passed to the blue line, where defenseman Trevor Daley moved the puck on to Cole. Cole, who has 11 goals in 259 NHL games, sent a wrist shot through traffic to score his first goal since Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the San Jose Sharks.
The lead didn't last long after defenseman Olli Maatta and Cole were sent to the penalty box four seconds apart. With 39 seconds of the two-man advantage remaining, Getzlaf set up a one-timer from defenseman Cam Fowler that he sent through a screen from Ryan Kesler to tie it 1-1 with 5:47 left in the first.
Forward Conor Sheary scored 2:03 into the second period to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead.
* After Getzlaf was called for tripping, Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist possessed the puck along the near wall with defenseman Josh Manson on top of him before Kessel dug the puck out of the corner and carried it to the middle of the ice alone. Kessel then sent a wrist shot through Bernier's five-hole to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead.
* Bernier kept the Ducks deficit at one goal by robbing Hornqvist 37 seconds into the third period. Penguins forward Scott Wilson tipped a shot on Bernier that sent him sliding out of the net to his right with Hornqvist pouncing on the rebound. Bernier kicked back to his left and made a glove save to stop Hornqvist's with Anaheim trailing 3-2.
* With Bernier holding the puck behind his net, Fowler skated through and inadvertently knocked it off his stick. Conor Sheary moved it to Penguins forward Matt Cullen, who shuffled a pass to the net-front with forward Chris Kunitz charging toward the crease. After Kunitz caused a scrum, Sheary found the puck up against the right post and tipped it past the goal line, giving Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead 2:03 into the second period.
* The Ducks went on a power play with a chance to tie the game late in the second period after Cole was called for interference with 2:13 remaining. Anaheim registered one shot, but came close to scoring when Fowler shot off Trevor Daley, but it went wide of the net. Pittsburgh killed the penalty to preserve a 3-2 lead entering the third period.
* Kunitz became the 18th player to play 500 games with the Penguins. He has scored 359 points and 160 goals with Pittsburgh. … Ducks defenseman Simon Despres did not play because of an upper-body injury. Carlyle said Despres continued to be evaluated by doctors Saturday morning.
Quotes
Mike Sullivan: "I thought we got stronger as the game went on," said. "I think, over time here, we've gotten a better understanding of how to play in one-goal games."
Marc-Andre Fleury: "They threw a lot of pucks at the net from anywhere. They had guys around the net trying to screen and tip. It worked out all right at the end."
Ian Cole: "Last year, I thought I'd save it for a good time.
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