Category: NHL

Penguins D Schultz out 4 months with fractured left leg

Penguins D Schultz out 4 months with fractured left leg
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz will miss the next four months because of a fractured left leg.
Schultz injured the leg in the first period of a shootout loss to Montreal on Saturday after getting tangled up with Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec. The team announced Monday that Schultz underwent surgery Sunday and will be out until February.
The 28-year-old Schultz has four assists in four games this season for Pittsburgh.
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Pens lose 4-3 to Canadians in a shootout

Byron, Drouin lead Canadiens past Penguins in shootout

MONTREAL (AP) — Antti Niemi felt good after his first start of the season — and a win.
Niemi made 25 saves, and Paul Byron and Jonathan Drouin scored in the shootout to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.
Niemi, getting the start with Carey Price out with the flu, also stopped both shots in the shootout — on Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.
“It was a tough first half, didn’t see many pucks and I gave up a few goals,” Niemi said. “Not what you normally want to see. In the third, I started seeing a few more pucks and I was feeling good.
“I have to be really happy with my night.”
With the score tied 3-3, the Canadiens’ goalie made 14 stops in the third period and another three in a frantic overtime period that saw Montreal fail to score on a 4-on-3 power play.
After Byron scored first in the shootout for Montreal, Niemi forced Malkin to the outside and completely took away his shooting angle. Following Drouin’s goal, Crosby needed to score to send it to a third round but the Penguins’ captain found Niemi’s glove instead.
“Stay with them, get a good gap and go from there,” Niemi said of his shootout saves. “Nothing special.”
Tomas Tatar had two goals and an assist, and Brendan Gallagher had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens.
Dominik Simon, Kris Letang and Phil Kessel scored in regulation for the Penguins, and Casey DeSmith had 37 saves through overtime.
Making the 13th start of his NHL career, the 27-year-old DeSmith made big saves when it mattered most to help Pittsburgh earn a point.
With seven minutes left in the game, DeSmith robbed Artturi Lehkonen twice to keep the teams tied. In overtime, DeSmith frustrated Max Domi from in close.
“That was wild,” said DeSmith, who made 35 saves in a 4-2 win over Vegas on Thursday. “Really exciting game for the fans. Happy we got a point but I hate losing as much as everyone else. I was seeing the puck really well tonight. Happy with how my game’s progressing.”
Added Penguins coach Mike Sullivan of his goalie: “I thought he was terrific.”
Montreal also defeated Pittsburgh 5-1 last Saturday.
Simon and Letang scored in the first period to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead. Daniel Sprong fed Simon in front of the goal with a one-handed scoop pass and the 24-year-old beat Niemi on the backhand at 3:13. Letang doubled Pittsburgh’s lead with 4:44 left with a shot on Niemi’s blocker side.
The Canadiens came out buzzing in the second period, scoring three straight goals before Kessel tied it again. Montreal outshot Pittsburgh 19-4 in the second.
Just 11 seconds into the middle period, Tatar beat Letang to a loose puck in front of the net, then fired past DeSmith for his first in a Canadiens uniform.
Gallagher tied it 2-2 at 7:38 after jumping on a rebound of Jeff Petry’s point shot.
Tatar got his second of the game, on the power play, by firing the puck off DeSmith and in from the side of the net at 8:51 to push Montreal ahead.
“We knew we weren’t good enough in the first and we talked about how we needed to be better,” said Tatar, who joined Montreal in the offseason trade that sent former captain Max Pacioretty to Vegas. “We got a pretty good jump at the start of the second period.
“Everyone played well in the second period and we had a lot of pressure. We all deserve the credit.”
With the Penguins on a man advantage, Kessel made it 3-3 from the slot at 11:14.
Montreal failed to score on a 5-on-3 power play that lasted 1:49 to end the second period.
It looked like the Canadiens had taken a 4-3 lead in the third period when defenseman Victor Mete put the puck past DeSmith, but the goal was called back for goaltender interference on Andrew Shaw after a challenge by Sullivan.
NOTES: Montreal also had a goal overturned in its previous, also due to goalie interference against Shaw, in its 3-0 loss to Los Angeles. … Pittsburgh D Justin Schultz left the game in the first period and did not return. Schultz’s leg folded awkwardly as fell to the ice after taking a hit by Tomas Plekanec, who was making his 999th career start.

Click the play button below to hear a recap of the game from the Penguins Radio Network…

 

UP NEXT
Penguins: Host Vancouver on Tuesday night.
Canadiens: Host Detroit on Monday night.
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Kessel’s hat trick powers Penguins past Vegas 4-2

By DAN SCIFO ,  Associated Press
Eds: APNewsNow. Penguins 4, Golden Knights 2. With AP Photos.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Phil Kessel scored a natural hat trick and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Thursday night.Vegas scored the first goal of the game, and Kessel had the next three — with the final two coming on second-period breakaways. It was Kessel’s sixth career hat trick and first in four seasons with Pittsburgh. His last hat trick came Feb. 1, 2014, as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, in a 6-3 win against Ottawa.Jake Guentzel scored his third goal and Evgeni Malkin had three assists for the Penguins, who allowed 11 goals in their first two games.

Casey DeSmith stopped 35 shots in his first regular-season start for Pittsburgh. Starter Matt Murray missed Thursday’s game and is day-to-day with a concussion sustained Monday during practice. Murray participated in, and faced shots during, Thursday’s optional morning skate.

Reilly Smith scored his second of the season for Vegas and 100th career goal. Tomas Nosek also scored for Vegas, which lost its third straight and has opened the season with four losses in five games. The defending Western Conference champions lost their fourth game on Nov. 2 last season.

Malcolm Subban made 18 saves for Vegas. Marc-Andre Fleury, who spent 13 seasons and won three Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh, served as the backup after allowing four goals on 28 shots during a loss Wednesday at Washington. Fans chanted for Fleury — selected in 2017 by Vegas in the expansion draft — after Subban allowed three goals on seven shots in the second period.

Nosek opened the scoring, taking a pass from Jonathan Marchessault along the boards and slipping a backhander behind DeSmith.

But Kessel answered for Pittsburgh when he beat Subban with a wrist shot following a Malkin faceoff win.

Kessel’s breakaway goal midway through the second put Pittsburgh in front for good. Malkin hit Kessel at center with a stretch pass from his own goal-line and he finished the breakaway with a glove-side wrist shot.

Kessel completed his hat trick with a second breakaway goal, similar to the first. This time, Carl Hagelin hit Kessel with a long outlet pass and he beat Subban low to the glove side.

Guentzel’s blocker-side wrist shot 57 seconds later on a backhand feed from Sidney Crosby gave Pittsburgh a comfortable three-goal lead through two periods.

NOTES: Vegas is 0-for-13 on the power play in five games. . Pittsburgh D Juuso Riikola made his NHL debut in place of D Olli Maatta, who was a healthy scratch. . The Penguins recalled G Tristan Jarry from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to back up DeSmith. Pittsburgh assigned D Derek Grant to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. . Tomas Hyka played on the third line for Vegas in place of Oscar Lindberg, who was a healthy scratch.

Click on on the play button below to hear Josh Getzoff from the Penguins Radio Network recap e game.

 

UP NEXT

Vegas: Close a five-game road trip at Philadelphia on Saturday.

Penguins: Play their first road game at Montreal on Saturday.

Kessel’s Hat-trick leads Pens over the Golden Knights 4-2 on WBVP and WMBA!!!

3rd Period Goals:

Golden Knights:

Reily Smith (13:35)

End of 2nd Period: Pens 4 Golden Knights 1 on WBVP and WMBA!!!

Pens:

Phil Kessel (9:37)

Phil Kessel (15:43)

Jake Guentzel (16:40)

End of 1st Period: Pens 1 Knights 1 on WBVP and WMBA!!!

Knights:

Tomas Nosek (6:28)

Pens:

Phil Kessel (8:03)

Byron’s 2 goals lead Canadiens past Penguins 5-

 – 10/6/18 9:54 PM
BC-HKN–Canadiens-Penguins
By DAN SCIFO ,  Associated Press
Eds: APNewsNow. Canadiens 5, Penguins 1. With AP Photos.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Byron scored two goals and added an assist, leading the Montreal Canadiens to a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.

Byron had his first multi-goal game since scoring a hat trick last December against Detroit.

Brendan Gallagher, Joel Armia and Charles Hudon also scored for the Canadiens, who snapped a five-game losing streak against Pittsburgh. It was Montreal’s first win against Pittsburgh since Al Montoya’s 36-save shutout Oct. 18, 2016.

Carey Price made 21 saves on Saturday for his first win against Pittsburgh since Oct. 13, 2015.

Riley Sheahan scored for Pittsburgh, which lamented its puck management during a wild season-opening 7-6 overtime win against Washington on Thursday.

Kris Letang, a Montreal native, had an assist and passed Hall of Famer Paul Coffey for most points in team history by a defenseman with 441. Matt Murray, who has allowed 11 goals in two games, made 24 saves in the loss.

Last season, Pittsburgh scored five goals in each of its three games against Montreal. The Canadiens returned the favor with a five-goal outburst Saturday. The teams will meet again next Saturday in Montreal.

Gallagher scored the game’s first goal midway through the opening period. Tomas Tatar’s initial shot off the rush hit Penguins’ defenseman Olli Maatta and bounced to Gallagher, who converted the 2-on-1.

Byron’s breakaway goal gave the Canadiens a 2-0 lead later in the period. He beat Maatta at the blueline and tucked a backhand-forehand deke between Murray’s outstretched pad and the post.

Byron scored his second goal just 3:43 into the second period. Max Domi chipped the puck from behind the goal to Byron, who flipped a shot past Murray.

Byron had the primary assist on a short-handed goal later in the period to make it a 4-0 game. Armia finished the 2-on-1 pass from Byron with a backhand chip behind Murray.

NOTES: The Canadiens scratched 35-year-old center Tomas Plekanec and 30-year-old defenseman Karl Alzner for the second straight game. Alzner played 622 consecutive games before he was scratched Wednesday against Toronto. . D Juuso Riikola, C Derek Grant and D Chad Ruhwedel were all scratched for Pittsburgh.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Host Los Angeles on Thursday in their home opener.

Penguins: Welcome Vegas on Thursday.

End of 2nd Period: Canadiens 4 Pens 1 on WBVP and WMBA!!

2nd Period Goals:

Canadiens:

Paul Byron (3:43)

Joel Armia (15:14)

Penguins:

Riley Sheahan (17:10)

 

 

 

End of 1st Period: Canadiens 2 Pens 0 on WBVP and WMBA!!

1st Period Goals:

Brendan Gallagher (11:08)

Paul Byron (15:56)

Pens beat Caps 7-6 in Over time thriller!!!

By DAN SCIFO, Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins gained a measure of revenge against a rival that ended their season last spring.
Kris Letang scored his second goal 1:20 into overtime and the Penguins opened theseason with a 7-6 victory over the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals on Thursday night.
“I think we wanted to respond to last season,” Letang said. “I don’t think it mattered if it was (Washington) or another team.”
Letang beat goalie Braden Holtby with a slap shot from the point on a power play. Letang finished with three points, tying Hall of Famer Paul Coffey for the most by a defenseman in team history with 440.
“I always looked up to him,” Letang said. “It’s pretty cool to have your name next to his.”
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan believes the three-point opener will give Letang confidence moving forward.
“I thought he had a really solid night,” Sullivan said. “He plays big minutes and in all of the situations for us. I’m happy for him because I know how hard he works.”
Jake Guentzel also scored twice, Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists, and Derick Brassard and Jamie Oleksiak added goals in Pittsburgh’s opener. Matt Murray made 30 saves.
T.J. Oshie scored twice for Stanley Cup champion Washington, coming off a 7-0 home victory over Boston on Wednesday night in the Capitals’ opener.
Alex Ovechkin had his second of the season and 609th overall, passing Dino Ciccarelli for 18th on the NHL list. Brooks Orpik scored his first goal in 182 regular-season games. Jakub Vrana and John Carlson also scored. Holtby made 34 saves.
The Capitals met the Penguins for the first time since eliminating Pittsburgh in six games during the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The winner of Pittsburgh and Washington’s second- round series the past three playoffs has gone on to win the Stanley Cup, including the Capitals’ first-ever championship last season. During the previous three seasons, the Penguins and Capitals met 32 times in the regular season and playoffs with 16 of those 32 games decided by one goal.
The Capitals return 20 of 22 players who won the Stanley Cup, while Pittsburgh seeks its third championship in four seasons with a lineup largely unchanged from last season.
“Both of these teams have so much firepower throughout the whole lineup,” Oshie said. “When you get a sloppy game, guys making misreads defensively, turning the puck over at the wrong time, each team is going to make you pay.”
Malkin scored 2:45 into the third period, putting Pittsburgh ahead by two, but Oshie tied it at 6 with goals 21 seconds apart.
“It was not a pretty game,” Letang said. “It was ugly. It was that type of game.”
Five of the first seven shots were goals as the Capitals held a 3-2 lead eight minutes into the game.
Both teams scored in the first four minutes of the second, but Pittsburgh closed the period with goals from Guentzel and Brassard scored less than two minutes apart, giving the Penguins a one-goal lead going into the third.
“It was hard to get momentum in this game,” Letang said. “The first one is never pretty. We got it out of the way and obviously it’s good that we got the two points.”

Click the play button below to hear a recap from the Penguins Radio Network..

 

NOTES: This is the second time in the past three years Pittsburgh opened its season with Washington. Pittsburgh is 6-0 against Washington in season openers. … D Jack Johnson played his first game for Pittsburgh after signing as a free agent for five years and $16.25 million on July 1. .. Ovechkin is one goal behind Bobby Hull for 17th. … Orpik’s last regular-season goal came Feb. 26, 2016, against Minnesota.
UP NEXT
Capitals: Host Vegas on Wednesday night.
Penguins: Host Montreal on Saturday night.