After a rocky start, the Penguins have climbed back to .500 with their third consecutive victory, this one coming at the expense of the Florida Panthers by a 3-2 margin in overtime at Consol Energy Center on Tuesday night.
In addition to exorcising the demons of their early start, the Penguins turned things around on the power play, as well. After starting the season 0-for-17, the Pens scored two goals on the man advantage, including Evgeni Malkin’s 4-on-3 game-winner in overtime.
Florida left-winger Jonathan Huberdeau boarded Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin with 25 seconds remaining in regulation, setting up the Penguins on their third power play of the evening. The Pens couldn’t capitalize in regulations, but with more ice available in the overtime period, Evgeni Malkin took a feed from Kris Letang and beat Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo.
Sidney Crosby also assisted on the Malkin game-winner. He got on the board in a big way, scoring his first three points of the season. His first-period tally got the Pens on the board and off the schneid on the power play.
The Pens pushed their advantage to 2-0 when Phil Kessel found the rebound of a Rob Scuderi shot and whipped it past Luongo for his second goal of the season early in the third period.
Florida battled back valiantly, with Quinton Howden making a great individually effort to gather the puck in his feet and out-wait a diving Marc-Andre Fleury.
Each team had a goal disallowed in the third. Chris Kunitz appeared to jab one in under the pad of Luongo, but it was waived off and upheld upon review. Kunitz pushed Luongo’s pad into the net with his stick.
Just after the disallowed goal, the Panthers hemmed the Penguins in their zone, and Derek MacKenzie found an opening in the defense. Connor Brickley found him with a pass from behind the net for his second assist of the night, setting up overtime and earning a crucial point on the road for Florida.
Fleury finished the night with 31 saves on 33 shots and his third consecutive win. Fleury’s save percentage remains at an exceptional .937 on the season.
The Pens will wrap up their five-game home stand against the Dallas Stars on Thursday.
Photo credit: AP Photo
