Penguins Power Past Red Wings 4-1
By Dan Scifo, Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Evgeni Malkin had two goals and two assists, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 on Saturday for their third consecutive victory.
Phil Kessel added a goal and two assists for Pittsburgh, which had dropped its last three games against Detroit. Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist, and rookie Tristan Jarry stopped 29 shots in his third straight start while Matt Murray is home in Canada tending to a personal family matter.
The Penguins have won four of five after dropping seven of their previous 10. Their three-game win streak is their longest since they won four in a row from late November into December.
Justin Abdelkader scored for the Red Wings, who lost their second straight after a four-game winning streak. Jimmy Howard made 32 saves after missing one game with a lower-body injury.
The Penguins and Red Wings played for the first time since a league-mandated five-day break.
Malkin opened the scoring at 3:01 of the first period. Carl Hagelin, from behind the net, fed the puck in the slot to Malkin, who beat Howard to the glove side.
The teams traded power-play goals later in the period.
Abdelkader tied it with a shot between Jarry's pads and Kessel gave Pittsburgh the lead when he one-touched a Crosby pass behind Howard from in close. The Penguins, the No. 1 unit in the league, has 12 power-play goals in their last 10 games.
Detroit had just one power-play goal in its previous seven games entering Saturday's contest.
Malkin gave Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead just 2:08 into the second when he beat Howard to the blocker side from a Kessel feed. Malkin has scored in three straight games. He has 14 points in his last eight games and 12 goals in his last 19 contests.
Crosby's third-period power-play goal off a pass from Kessel gave Pittsburgh a three-goal lead. Kessel has eight points in his last five games, while Crosby has 10 in his last five.
NOTES: Pittsburgh recalled G Casey DeSmith from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League to serve as Jarry's backup. ... Pittsburgh previously went 17 straight games without allowing a power-play goal. ... Red Wings D Trevor Daley played his first game in Pittsburgh since signing with Detroit as a free agent in July. Daley recorded 11 points in 36 playoff games, helping Pittsburgh win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. ... The Penguins scratched D Ian Cole, while F David Booth and D Xavier Ouellet sat for the Red Wings.
UP NEXT
Red Wings: Visit Chicago on Sunday.
Penguins: host the New York Rangers on Sunday.