Phoenix Coyotes @ Pens 1-3 - Tuesday, November 07, 2017
Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel have thrived playing alongside one another as the rest of the Penguins forwards have struggled offensively. That continued when Malkin and Kessel each had a goal and two assists to help the Penguins defeat the Coyotes 3-1 at PPG Paints Arena.
Malkin gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead 3:07 into the first period after he had an assist on Justin Schultz's goal 59 seconds into the game. He also set up Kessel's power-play goal at 6:06 of the third period.
Malkin said he was satisfied with his line's production, which included an assist for left wing Jake Guentzel, but would like to build on it further.
"It's just one game," said Malkin, whose seven goals lead the Penguins. "We're excited to play together, but we need to understand it's one game. It's important, but now, we need to play [together] more. Next game against Washington, against Nashville, same level.
"We understood each other pretty well tonight, but it's not just one game. We have to play better and better every game."
"It's just one game," said Malkin, whose seven goals lead the Penguins. "We're excited to play together, but we need to understand it's one game. It's important, but now, we need to play [together] more. Next game against Washington, against Nashville, same level.
"We understood each other pretty well tonight, but it's not just one game. We have to play better and better every game."
Pittsburgh (9-6-2), coming off a 1-3-1 road trip, scored more than two goals for the second time in its past nine games. Arizona (2-13-2) is 1-8-1 on the road.
After failing to score more than one even-strength goal in each of their past five games, the Penguins scored two in the first 3:07 of the first period to take a 2-0 lead.
Schultz opened the scoring by one-timing a pass from Malkin below the left face-off circle. The sharp-angled shot deflected off goalie Antti Raanta's right skate and into the net for Schultz's second goal of the season, first since Pittsburgh's season-opening 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 4.
Schultz played 20:31 on 24 shifts after missing the previous six games with a concussion sustained Oct. 24 against the Edmonton Oilers. Malkin batted in a rebound off a shot from Kessel to make it 2-0.
"[Scoring 5-on-5] certainly improves your chances of winning exponentially," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "We've put probably four games together now where we've generated a significant amount of chances 5-on-5. So, even tonight, we had a lot of real high-quality chances that we didn't convert on.
After failing to score more than one even-strength goal in each of their past five games, the Penguins scored two in the first 3:07 of the first period to take a 2-0 lead.
Schultz opened the scoring by one-timing a pass from Malkin below the left face-off circle. The sharp-angled shot deflected off goalie Antti Raanta's right skate and into the net for Schultz's second goal of the season, first since Pittsburgh's season-opening 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 4.
Schultz played 20:31 on 24 shifts after missing the previous six games with a concussion sustained Oct. 24 against the Edmonton Oilers. Malkin batted in a rebound off a shot from Kessel to make it 2-0.
"[Scoring 5-on-5] certainly improves your chances of winning exponentially," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "We've put probably four games together now where we've generated a significant amount of chances 5-on-5. So, even tonight, we had a lot of real high-quality chances that we didn't convert on.
Tobias Rieder cut the Penguins lead to 2-1 when he beat goalie Matt Murray with a snap shot 26 seconds into the third period. He also scored Phoenix's previous goal in Pittsburgh, which came at 18:09 of the third period in a 3-2 loss March 28, 2015. The Penguins had not allowed a goal to the Coyotes at home for 162:17 before Rieder scored. Rieder had one assist in his previous 13 games.
Kessel answered 5:40 later by tapping a rebound off a shot from Malkin past Raanta to extend the lead to 3-1. Murray made 24 saves for Pittsburgh. Raanta had 34.
Kessel answered 5:40 later by tapping a rebound off a shot from Malkin past Raanta to extend the lead to 3-1. Murray made 24 saves for Pittsburgh. Raanta had 34.
Kessel's goal at 6:06 of the third period.
Murray stopping Derek Stepan's backhand at 14:32 of the second period.
Malkin's goal at 3:07 of the first period.
Murray stopping Derek Stepan's backhand at 14:32 of the second period.
Malkin's goal at 3:07 of the first period.
"I felt better as the game went on. It takes a little bit to get up to game speed. You can't train or condition for a game, so it's good to get this one and get back into it." -- Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz on returning after missing six games with a concussion
"Been here a couple months and one thing I noticed, I don't want us to be a perimeter team. You have to go to the net. You have to be good along the walls. That's something that we as an organization, we have to get better at. I have to teach it better because you can't win in this league unless you have people that go to the net or you win battles along the wall." -- Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet
"Been here a couple months and one thing I noticed, I don't want us to be a perimeter team. You have to go to the net. You have to be good along the walls. That's something that we as an organization, we have to get better at. I have to teach it better because you can't win in this league unless you have people that go to the net or you win battles along the wall." -- Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet
Tocchet was coaching against the Penguins for the first time since he was an assistant for their Stanley Cup championship runs the past two seasons. … Pittsburgh forward Riley Sheahan played his 300th NHL game. He has 98 points (38 goals, 60 assists) in seven seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and Penguins. … Penguins center Sidney Crosby hasn't scored a goal in nine games. He has three assists in that span.
Pens @ Washington Capitals 1-4 - Friday, November 10, 2017
Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby made 27 saves in his 200th NHL win, 4-1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Capital One Arena. Holtby became the second-fastest goalie in NHL history win 200 games, reaching it in 319 games, 10 more than Ken Dryden of the Montreal Canadiens, who earned his 200th win in his 309th game, on Nov. 16, 1977. John Carlson and T.J. Oshie scored on the power play for the Capitals (9-7-1), who have won four of their past five. Chandler Stephenson and Jakub Vrana scored third-period goals.
Phil Kessel scored for the Penguins (9-7-2), and Matt Murray made 27 saves. Pittsburgh has lost two of three. Carlson scored at 14:09 of the first period to put Washington ahead 1-0. He shot from the top of the right circle and beat Murray blocker side with Oshie and Backstrom setting screens in front. Kessel tied it 1-1 at 8:26 of the second period. His pass in front was deflected in by Washington defenseman Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals took a 2-1 lead at 18:09. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was called for high-sticking and cross-checking Oshie. With one second left on the four-minute power play, Oshie tipped in Carlson's point shot. It was Oshie's seventh goal of the season but first in nine games. He hadn't scored since Oct. 20 against the Detroit Red Wings.
Backstrom ended a seven-game pointless streak also dating to Oct. 20. He got the primary assist on Stephenson's goal at 13:42 that made it 3-1 of the third with a backhand pass from behind the net with his back to the play. Vrana made it 4-1 at 17:18 with an empty-net goal. Washington's power play was 2-for-6. Pittsburgh was 0-for-4, including consecutive power plays early in the third period.
Holtby is 200-76-31. Dryden was 200-41 with 61 ties. … Capitals forward Jay Beagle won 13 of 17 face-offs (76 percent). He ranks second in the NHL among players with at least 50 taken (62.5 percent), behind Anaheim Ducks forward Antoine Vermette (63.8). … Crosby, who played his 800th NHL game, hasn't scored a goal in 10 games and has three assists during that stretch.
"We did such a good job on different kills, and even that four-minute PK we did a really good job," Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby said. "Tough to see one go in late in that power play."
"They score late on their power play twice," Hornqvist said. "Those key goals they get there, it's hard to win when they score those kind of goals, at least when our power play gets zero goals. That's the difference of the game."
Pens @ Trashville Predators 4-5 SO - Saturday, November 11, 2017
Kyle Turris had a goal and an assist in his Nashville Predators debut, a 5-4 shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Bridgestone Arena. Kevin Fiala and Filip Forsberg scored in the shootout for the Predators (9-5-2), who have won four games in a row. Pekka Rinne made 26 saves and denied two of three Penguins in the tiebreaker. The Penguins (9-7-3) are 0-4-2 in the second of back-to-back games.
P.K. Subban gave the Predators a 2-1 lead at 3:52 when he scored with a one-timer from above the left face-off circle on the power play. Craig Smith put the Predators ahead 3-1 at 5:29 with a power-play goal. Forsberg took the initial shot from the point, and Smith got to the rebound to beat Jarry.
Phil Kessel scored from the right circle to cut the Predators lead to 3-2 at 12:27 of the second. Jake Guentzel beat Rinne with a backhand on a breakaway to tie it 3-3 at 2:27 of the third period after receiving a pass from Justin Schultz. Bryan Rust scored shorthanded to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 11:58 of the first period. Jarry made 24 saves in his second start of the season. He is 0-0-2. Predators forward Scott Hartnell left the game in the first period after three shifts. There was no update on his status.
Crosby has not scored a goal in 11 games. … Kessel has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his past four games. … Smith, who had an assist on Jarnkrok's goal, had eight shot attempts.
"I think for the most part of the game, we were all over them. I think we deserved a better fate. We controlled the entire overtime also. It was one of those games where it didn't bounce our way, but I liked the effort. I liked the way we came back in the game." -- Penguins defenseman Kris Letang
"I liked our team tonight," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "It was a hard-fought game out there. I really liked our response. I liked our resilience. I think if we play hard like that and execute the way we did tonight, we're going to win more games."
Phil Kessel scored from the right circle to cut the Predators lead to 3-2 at 12:27 of the second. Jake Guentzel beat Rinne with a backhand on a breakaway to tie it 3-3 at 2:27 of the third period after receiving a pass from Justin Schultz. Bryan Rust scored shorthanded to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 11:58 of the first period. Jarry made 24 saves in his second start of the season. He is 0-0-2. Predators forward Scott Hartnell left the game in the first period after three shifts. There was no update on his status.
Crosby has not scored a goal in 11 games. … Kessel has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his past four games. … Smith, who had an assist on Jarnkrok's goal, had eight shot attempts.
"I think for the most part of the game, we were all over them. I think we deserved a better fate. We controlled the entire overtime also. It was one of those games where it didn't bounce our way, but I liked the effort. I liked the way we came back in the game." -- Penguins defenseman Kris Letang
"I liked our team tonight," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "It was a hard-fought game out there. I really liked our response. I liked our resilience. I think if we play hard like that and execute the way we did tonight, we're going to win more games."
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