Pens' Streak At 7 With 3-2 SO Win Over Blues
ST. LOUIS (KDKA) – The Penguins let a two-goal lead slip away, but were able to pull it out in a shootout to extend their winning streak to seven games Tuesday night.
Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz scored in the shootout to give the Pens a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues in their final game before the All-Star Game.
Both goaltenders played phenomenally well in the game and each turned 12 shots in the first period to keep the game scoreless after one period of play.
In the second period, the Penguins were finally able to solve Brian Elliott.
On the power play, James Neal rotated into the soft spot of the defensive coverage and his one-timer squeaked through Elliott's pads to put the Penguins up 1-0.
The goal was his 27th of the season and the 100th of his young career. While he has not been named to the All-Star Game yet, he may get his chance now that Alex Ovechkin has elected to stay home citing his current three-game suspension.
Later in the period, Steve Sullivan got just enough of a rebound off of Elliott's pad to chip it into the net to put the Penguins up 2-0.
Three minutes later, the Blues got on the board after a turnover in the neutral zone.
Chris Stewart sprung Patrik Berglund with a nifty pass and he deked around Marc-Andre Fleury to cut the Penguins' lead in half.
In the third period, Berglund was awarded a penalty shot while shorthanded and beat Fleury with a quick low shot to the stick side to tie the game.
St. Louis had a golden opportunity to win the game when Matt Cooke was sent to the box for boarding with 1:19 to play in regulation.
However, the Penguins' penalty kill stood tall and the game eventually went to a shootout.
Malkin scored in the second round and T.J. Oshie extended the shootout with his third round tally to force extra rounds.
Fleury's poke check fooled Alex Pietrangelo allowing Kunitz to have an opportunity to win the game.
Kunitz moved in and got Elliott to go down early before flipping a shot to the shelf to give Pittsburgh another two points in the standings.
Fleury finished with 32 saves, while Elliott stopped 37 shots for the Blues.
The Penguins will return to action next Tuesday when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs.
