Kucherov scores deciding shootout goal as Lightning beat Penguins 2-1 for 11th straight win

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) blocks a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins’ Rickard Rakell during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored the deciding goal in the shootout and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on Tuesday night for their 11th straight win.

J.J. Moser scored in regulation and Andrei Vasilevskiy had 26 saves for the Lightning, who have not lost since a 2-1 defeat at home against Los Angeles on Dec. 18. Three of their wins during the streak have come after regulation.

The Lightning moved into first place in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings, who lost 3-0 at Boston. The 11-game win streak matched the longest in franchise history, accomplished previously from Jan. 29 to Feb. 17, 2020.

Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins and Arturs Silovs had 30 saves. Pittsburgh lost its third straight (0-2-1) since a six-game win streak.

Gage Goncalves scored for Tampa Bay in the second round of the tiebreaker, and Egor Chinakov tied it for Pittsburgh on their attempt in the third round. Kucherov then won it for the Lightning.

Moser gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead with 5:47 remaining in the third period. Yanni Gourde brought the puck up the right side and put a shot at Silovs that the goalie caught against his pad. However, the puck rolled out and lay in front and Moser skated up and knocked it in.

Malkin tied it with 2:16 left as he fired it past Vasilevskiy from the inside edge of the right circle for his 10th of the season.

The game was scoreless through the first two periods. The Lightning outshot the Penguins 10-8 in the first period that saw the Penguins have two power plays. Each team had nine shots on goal in the second with the Lightning getting two power plays and the Penguins one.

Up next

Lightning: At St. Louis on Friday night in the fourth of a five-game homestand.

Penguins: Host Philadelphia on Thursday night in the second of a three-game homestand.

 

Joonas Korpisalo stops 27 shots in Bruins’ 1st shutout of the season and 1-0 win over Penguins

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Boston Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) makes a glove-save as teammate Henri Jokiharju (20) and Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Justin Brazeau (16) watch during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

BOSTON (AP) — Joonas Korpisalo made 27 saves for his first shutout of the season and the eighth of his career, Viktor Arvidsson scored and the Boston Bruins beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 on Sunday.

The Bruins won for the fifth time in six games despite going 0 for 6 on the power play a day after beating the Rangers 10-2. It was Boston’s first shutout this season.

Coming off a loss at home against Calgary on Saturday that halted their season-high six game winning streak, the Penguins were shut out for the fourth time this season. Stuart Skinner stopped 17 shots.

Unlike Boston’s game a day before, this one was limited in high-quality scoring chances and didn’t have any whacky moments like when the Bruins were awarded a reviewed goal when most of the opponents were in their locker room at the end of the opening period.

Arvidsson’s goal came 11 minutes into the first when he had two shots at a rebound, outworking defenseman Erik Karlsson before lifting a backhander past Skinner from the edge of the crease.

The Penguins made a surge late in the second, with Korpisalo’s best save coming as he quickly slid across the crease to make a glove stop on Sidney Crosby’s backhander from the right circle.

Bruins forward Morgan Geekie, their leading goal scorer, missed the game due to a family matter. He left Saturday’s game after the opening period.

Pittsburgh’s Kevin Hayes played in his 800th career NHL game.

Linesman Matt MacPherson worked his 1,000th career NHL game and was honored with a brief pregame ceremony. Each team’s captain presented him with a signed jersey with his name and No. 1000 on the back.

Up next

Penguins: Host Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Bruins: Host Detroit on Tuesday in the fourth of a five-game homestand.

Matt Coronato’s 3rd-period goal lifts Flames over Penguins 2-1

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Calgary Flames goaltender Devin Cooley has his mask knocked off by a shot on goal with Pittsburgh Penguins’ Ben Kindel (81) unable to get to the rebound during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Matt Coronato scored in the third period to lift the Calgary Flames over the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on Saturday.

Connor Zary also scored for the Flames, who won for the first time in 2026 and snapped a four-game losing streak. Calgary was limited to one goal in each of its previous three losses.

Devin Cooley stopped 27 shots in his first start since Dec. 20.

Egor Chinakhov scored for the Penguins, who saw a season-high six-game winning streak end. Pittsburgh had won seven of eight before Saturday’s loss. Arturs Silovs made 23 saves.

Thomas Novak thought he scored the tying goal in the third period, but it was ruled that Sidney Crosby interfered with Cooley.

Evgeni Malkin got his 854th assist to pass Bryan Trottier and Anze Kopitar for the 10th most assists in NHL history with one team.

Bryan Rust missed the game with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

Crosby’s eight-game point streak ended, and Erik Karlsson’s nine-game home point streak was also snapped.

Coronato scored the winning goal when he beat Silovs with a wrist shot 42 seconds into the third period.

Zary opened the scoring for Calgary with a breakaway goal at 2:33 of the first period. He intercepted an errant pass from Ryan Shea at the offensive blueline and beat Silovs between the legs.

Pittsburgh scored its only goal at 9:17 of the second period when Chinakhov finished a give-and-go with Malkin from the right faceoff dot.

Up next

Flames: Continue a five-game road trip Tuesday at Columbus.

Penguins: Visit Boston on Sunday.

 

Penguins beat Devils 4-1, Malkin scores in return from injury

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin scored a power-play goal in his return from an upper-body injury and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Thursday night for their sixth straight victory.

Erik Karlsson pushed his career-best home points streak to nine games with a goal, while Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte also scored for Pittsburgh. The Penguins have points in 26 of the 33 games Lizotte has played.

Sidney Crosby extended his points streak to eight with two assists and surpassed Wayne Gretzky for the second-most assists with one franchise in NHL history. It’s Crosby’s first eight-game points streak since the 2012-13 season. Crosby, who has four straight multipoint games, has five goals and 14 points in his last eight games.

Stuart Skinner made 28 saves for the Penguins, who have won six straight games for the first time since December 2022. Pittsburgh has won seven of eight following an eight-game losing streak.

Luke Hughes scored a power-play goal for the Devils, who lost their third straight. New Jersey has dropped seven of its last nine games.

Simon Nemec played after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury.

Jake Allen stopped 25 shots for the Devils.

Before Hughes scored, the Devils allowed 14 straight goals. That includes Pittsburgh’s first three goals, a 9-0 loss at the New York Islanders on Tuesday and two goals allowed against Carolina on Sunday.

Up next

Devils: At Winnipeg on Sunday.

Penguins: Host Calgary on Saturday.

 

Crosby sets up late tying goal, scores in OT in Penguins’ 5-4 victory over Blue Jackets

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, left, celebrates his second goal of the first period with Rickard Rakell during an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Sidney Crosby set up Ricard Rakell’s tying goal with 13.7 seconds left in regulation, then scored at 2:22 of overtime to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 5-4 comeback victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.

The Penguins overcame a three-goal deficit to win their fifth straight game overall and third in a row in the road. Ville Koivunen, Noel Acciari and Tommy Novak also scored, and Ben Kindel had two assists. Arturs Silovs made 25 saves.

After being outshot 12–9 in the first period, Pittsburgh outshot Columbus 34–13 over the final two periods and overtime.

Kirill Marchenko and Zach Werenski each had a goal and an assist for Columbus, and Dmitri Voronkov and Mason Marchment also scored as the Blue Jackets raced to a 4-1 lead. Denton Mateychuk added two assists, and Jet Greaves stopped 43 shots.

Werenski made it 4–1 47 seconds into the second with a shot through traffic.

Acciari cut it to 4-2 with 3:09 left in the second, and Novak made it a one-goal game on a power play at 3:28 of the third. Rakell tied it with Silovs off for an extra attacker.

Up next

Penguins: Host New Jersey on Thursday night.

Blue Jackets: At San Jose on Tuesday night.

 

Bryan Rust and Yegor Chinakhov send the streaking Penguins past the Red Wings, 4-1

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust, second from left, celebrates with defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, center Sidney Crosby, and right wing Rickard Rakell, from left, after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

DETROIT (AP) — Bryan Rust and Yegor Chinakhov scored first-period goals and the Pittsburgh Penguins topped the Detroit Red Wings for the second time in three days, 4-1, on Saturday.

Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar added empty-net goals to clinch Pittsburgh’s fourth consecutive victory. Kris Letang’s overtime goal gave the Penguins a 4-3 win over Detroit in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Sidney Crosby extended his point streak to six games with two assists. Crosby, who scored two goals on Thursday, has four goals and six assists during that stretch and 53 points in 40 career games against the Red Wings.

Parker Wotherspoon had two assists and Stuart Skinner made 11 saves for the Penguins.

Alex DeBrincat scored his team-leading 22nd goal for Detroit. John Gibson stopped 27 shots for the Red Wings, who are 5-2-1 over their last eight games.

The Penguins led 2-0 after the first period. Rust lifted a shot over Gibson’s left shoulder 3:44 into the game. Ben Kindel passed the puck out of his zone to Chinakhov, who got behind Detroit’s defense and converted on the breakaway with 2:30 remaining in the period.

DeBrincat scored on a breakaway with 4:54 remaining in the second period. He clanged a shot off the right post during a power play later in the period.

Rakell and Dewar scored their empty-netters in the final minute.

Up next

Penguins: At Columbus on Sunday.

Red Wings: Visit Ottawa on Monday.

 

Letang scores in OT in his 1,200th game to give Penguins 4-3 win against Red Wings

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, left, celebrates his second goal of the first period with Rickard Rakell during an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kris Letang scored 58 seconds into overtime in his 1,200th NHL game and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Thursday night.

Sidney Crosby had two goals an and assist to extend his point streak to five games, and Blake Lizotte also scored for the Penguins in their third straight win. Pittsburgh has four wins in its last five games following an eight-game losing streak.

Erik Karlsson had two assists to become the second active and 14th defenseman in NHL history to reach 900 points. Arturs Silovs stopped 24 shots for Pittsburgh.

James van Riemsdyk and Alex DeBrincat had power-play goals for the Red Wings, and Andrew Copp also scored. Cam Talbot made 27 saves for the Red Wings, who had won five of six.

Letang, who became the 40th defenseman in NHL history and third active to reach the 1,200-game milestone, scored the winner on a one-timer from the slot.

Letang got his 13th career overtime goal, tying him with Scott Niedermayer for second-most in NHL history among defenseman — trailing only Brent Burns (16). Letang also has 20 points this season, becoming the 15th defenseman with 18 or more 20-point seasons.

Lizotte briefly put Pittsburgh ahead 3-2 with 4:09 left in the third period, but DeBrincat tied it again 1:11 later with his power-play goal. Detroit finished 2 for 8 with the man advantage.

Crosby scored twice in the first 5:46 to stake the Penguins to an early 2-0 lead. Crosby scored his 127th game-opening goal, tying Gordie Howe for fourth-most in NHL history. It was also his 111th multi-goal game, passing Brendan Shanahan for 19th-place all-time.

Yegor Chinakhov made his debut for Pittsburgh after he was acquired from Columbus for Danton Heinen and two draft picks.

Up next

The Penguins and Red Wings play again on Saturday in Detroit.

 

Mantha scores 2 goals to help the Penguins beat the Hurricanes 5-1

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Anthony Mantha (39) celebrates his second goal of the game during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Anthony Mantha scored twice and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Mantha, who scored in his third straight game, had a power-play goal in the first period and added another goal in the second as Pittsburgh jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Justin Brazeau set a career high with his 12th goal and added an assist. Tommy Novak had a goal and an assist, and Sidney Crosby scored his 21st of the season.

Erik Karlsson had two assists and passed Brad Park for the 14th-most points by a defenseman in NHL history. Bryan Rust also added two assists for the Penguins, who have won three of four following an eight-game losing streak.

Stuart Skinner made 27 saves and improved to 1-3 with the Penguins since they acquired him Dec. 12 from Edmonton in a trade that sent goalie Tristan Jarry to the Oilers.

Mark Jankowski scored for the Hurricanes, who have lost four of six.

Frederik Andersen stopped 23 shots for Carolina. He is 0-6-2 in his last eight starts and hasn’t won since Nov. 6 against Minnesota.

Crosby and the Penguins took advantage of a turnover behind the net to open a 1-0 lead 3:46 into the game.

Brazeau and Mantha made it 3-0 later in the period with goals 1:05 apart. Brazeau chipped a shot behind Andersen at 16:07 while falling to the ice on a partial breakaway, and Mantha scored a power-play goal at 17:12 from the top of the crease. Brett Kulak set up Brazeau’s breakaway with his 100th NHL assist.

Novak and Mantha scored in the final five minutes of the second period to make it 5-0. Noel Acciari screened Andersen on Novak’s shot from the high slot, and Mantha scored his second goal after a give-and-go with Brazeau.

The Hurricanes played again without top defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who missed Monday’s game against the New York Rangers with a lower-body injury.

Up next

Hurricanes: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Penguins: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

 

Brazeau has hat trick, Rust scores twice as Penguins rout Blackhawks 7-3

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, top, passes the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Brazeau recorded first NHL hat trick, Bryan Rust scored twice and the Pittsburgh Penguins rolled past the sliding Chicago Blackhawks 7-3 on Sunday night.

Anthony Mantha had a goal and assist and Noel Acciari scored as the Penguins won their second game in three, but just their second in the last 11 (2-5-4). Ryan Shea had three assists, and Arturs Silovs made 21 saves.

Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno scored in his return after missing 19 games with a hand injury, and Wyatt Kaiser and Tyler Bertuzzi each had a goal. Last-place Chicago came out flat a night after snapping a six-game losing streak in Dallas with a shootout win and lost for the ninth time in its last 11 (2-9-0).

Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight stopped only three of the first seven shots he faced before being relieved by Arvid Soderblom 12:03 into the game. Knight returned for the third period and stopped both shots he faced in the frame.

Soderblom stopped 12 of 15 shots, including Sidney Crosby’s breakaway in the second period.

The Penguins led 4-0 midway through the first period.

Mantha opened the scoring 1:38 in, swatting in a loose rebound. Rust made it 2-0 at 7:19, beating Knight on the glove side from the left circle. Brazeau upped it to 3-0 just 61 seconds later, knocking in Mantha’s feed from behind the net and prompting Chicago coach Jeff Blashill to take a timeout.

Rust fired in a screened shot from the right circle at 12:03 for his 15th goal to chase Knight.

Foligno cut it to 4-1 midway through the second, tucking in a loose puck from the crease.

Brazeau added goals 57 second apart to complete his hat trick. Alone in front, he slid in a power-play score at 12:20, then deflected in Connor Dewar’s high shot for his 11th goal of the season.

Kaiser made it 6-2 with 6:30 left in the second, then Acciari scored with 1:12 to go in the period. Bertuzzi scored with one second left in the third.

Up next

Penguins: Host Carolina on Tuesday.

Blackhawks: Host the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

 

William Nylander’s 4-points lift Maple Leafs over Penguins 6-3, snapping 3-game skid

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz (18) scores past Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO (AP) — Max Domi scored the winner with 8:25 remaining to snap a 23-game goalless streak and added an assist to end the Toronto Maple Leafs’ three-game slide with a 6-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Domi danced around Pittsburgh newcomer Brett Kulak for the deciding goal, a few hours after Toronto general manager Brad Treliving gave coach Craig Berube a vote of confidence for the second time this season.

William Nylander scored twice and added two assists, and Matias Maccelli and Steven Lorentz also scored for Toronto. Bobby McMann added an empty-netter to give Toronto its third win this season against the Penguins.

Bryan Rust, Rutger McGroarty and Anthony Mantha scored for the Penguins, who have lost nine of their last 10.

Nylander scored the icebreaker for his first in 11 games, midway through the first period. But Rust drew the Penguins even 44 seconds later, getting behind Nicolas Roy and Chris Tanev for a successful breakaway.

Tanev returned after a 23-game absence. He was stretchered off the ice after a collision on Nov. 1 in Philadelphia.

Toronto fired 31 shots on goal while the Penguins registered 32, with Joseph Woll picking up his sixth win in 11 starts. Pittsburgh goalie Stuart Skinner has yet to win in three starts, with 12 goals against since being traded by the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 15.

A day after assistant coach Marc Savard was fired for steering the Maple Leafs to the NHL’s worst power play (12 for 90 with four short-handed goals against), Toronto went 0 for 2 against Pittsburgh. Assistant coach Derek Lalonde has been tasked with fixing the team’s power-play struggles.

Up next

Penguins: Visit Chicago on Sunday.

Maple Leafs: Host Ottawa on Saturday.