Category: Sports

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)

Steelers WR Brown to fight civil lawsuits

Steelers WR Brown to fight civil lawsuits
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is planning to fight a pair of lawsuits filed against him stemming from an incident at a Florida apartment complex last spring.
Ophir Sternberg is seeking damages against Brown, claiming that objects thrown by Brown from the 14th floor of an apartment building came close to striking Sternberg’s father and Sternberg’s 22-month-old son in April. The lawsuit claims Sternberg’s son was “extremely traumatized” by the event.
A second lawsuit filed by the owner of the apartment building is seeking more than $15,000 in damages from Brown.
Brown told police that the incidents occurred after a gun and $80,000 were stolen from the apartment. Brown said in a statement on Thursday the lawsuits contained “false claims” against him.
“The facts will soon come out that prove my innocence,” Brown said. “My focus will remain on football and I will not let the cases serve as a distraction.”
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VIDEO: Pressbox Panel Picks Edition 4 with Guest Frank Sparks

After another week of football, the panel picking records have been updated and it’s time for our panelists to make their picks from another difficult line-up! See who Bob, Jason, Bruce, Tom, and special guest Frank Sparks are rolling with.

Head to our Facebook page and comment on the video for a chance to win a $20 Gift Certificate to Pizza Joe’s Center Township!

Western Beaver’s Matt Gray Is Tonight’s Coach On “Coaches Corner”

The Western Beaver Golden Beavers despite a 1-3 conference record, still are fighting for a playoff spot in the Midwestern Athletic Conference in Class 2A. Head Coach Matt Gray will join Bob Barrickman, Tom Hays, Bruce Frey, and Jason Colangelo at Robert’s Roadside Inn to discuss his team and the matchup this week with New Brighton (6:30 airtime Friday night on WBVP). That’s Coaches Corner, tonight on Beaver County Radio beginning at 7:05!

Brown scores twice, Steelers roll past reeling Falcons 41-17

Brown scores twice, Steelers roll past reeling Falcons 41-17
By WILL GRAVES, AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown connected on two second-half touchdowns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled away from the Atlanta Falcons for a 41-17 victory on Sunday.
Roethlisberger finished 19 of 29 for 250 yards and three scores in all, including a 9-yard strike to Brown in the third quarter and a 47-yard dart to the All-Pro wide receiver early in the fourth as Pittsburgh (2-2-1) put together its most complete performance of the season.
Brown caught six passes for 101 yards. His two touchdowns gave him 64 in his career, moving him past Hall of Famer John Stallworth and into second place on the franchise’s all-time TD reception list.
James Conner ran for 110 yards and two scores and added 75 yards receiving for Pittsburgh, which improved to 7-0-1 all-time against the Falcons (1-4) at home.
Matt Ryan passed for 285 yards and a touchdown but was also sacked six times and spent the final minutes of Atlanta’s third straight loss on the sideline with the game out of reach. Pittsburgh cornerback Joe Haden kept Falcons star wide receiver Julio Jones in check. Shadowing Jones — who entered the game leading the NFL in yards receiving — all afternoon, Haden held Jones to five receptions for 62 yards, all of them coming in the fourth quarter with Atlanta well behind.
There were no such problems for Conner, whose breakout day helped the Steelers break out of their early-season funk. The second-year back was limited to just 19 yards rushing on 11 carries in a loss to Baltimore on Sunday night. The going was considerably easier against the NFL’s 28th-ranked defense.
Conner piled up 99 total yards in the first quarter alone, but the Steelers led just 13-10 at the break thanks in part to Roethlisberger and Brown’s failure to get into a rhythm.
Brown came in averaging just 9.4 yards per reception — well below his career average of 13.4 — but brushed off the idea that he and Roethlisberger are having communication problems, joking that their “Wi-Fi” was a little off kilter but would soon start humming again.
It didn’t look that way at the end of the first half, when Roethlisberger heaved the ball off his back foot into a double-covered Brown in the end zone. Atlanta’s Damontae Kazee easily picked it off to keep Atlanta within striking distance.
It didn’t last. Roethlisberger capped a 12-play, 85-yard drive in the third quarter with a bullet to Brown. Roethlisberger gave an exaggerated fist pump in the aftermath as if to say “finally” as Pittsburgh went in front 20-10. Steelers All-Pro fullback Roosevelt Nix then blocked a punt by Atlanta’s Matt Bosher, and Nix served as a lead blocker on Conner’s 2-yard scoring sprint that put the Steelers up 27-10.
Ito Smith bulled over from 2 yards with 12:28 remaining to get the Falcons back within 10, but Pittsburgh responded immediately.
Roethlisberger hit Brown in stride down the left sideline and Brown did the rest, racing across the goal line with his longest reception of the season and quelling — for the time being — the seemingly nonstop drama around one of the NFL’s most enigmatic teams.
UP NEXT
Falcons: Welcome Tampa Bay to Atlanta next Sunday. The Falcons have won the last three meetings with the Buccaneers.
Steelers: Travel to AFC North rival Cincinnati next Sunday. Pittsburgh swept the season series from the Bengals last season.
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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)