The Penguins got their three-game swing through Alberta and British Columbia started off on the right foot with a 2-0 shutout victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped all 22 Oilers shots to record his seventh shutout of the season, which leads the NHL. It also ties him with Tom Barrasso in 1997-1998 for the most shutouts in a season in Penguins history.
“It feels like it’s been a while,” said Fleury on his record-tying shutout. “It was a little quiet for the first two periods, but the third was a little more exciting. It’s nice to finish it on a good note.”
After a scoreless first period, Evgeni Malkin made his presence felt in his return to action by scoring the game-winning goal just 24 seconds into the second period. Mark Arcobello dug the puck out of the corner and fed Malkin in front for his 20th goal of the season. Patric Hornqvist recorded the other assist.
The Pens’ second line was buzzing all night, and Arcobello led all Penguins with five shots on goal in his return to Edmonton, where he began his NHL career.
“That line, they probably, as a group, generated more than any of our lines,” said Penguins head coach Mike Johnston, who was especially impressed with the way Arcobello responded to the additional minutes he received.
“It was definitely a weird feeling, seeing the other side,” Arcobello said of his return to Alberta’s capital. “I’m so used to playing in that jersey that it was a little weird, but I felt good out there.”
Another player making his return to Edmonton, David Perron, gave his new team a 2-0 lead when a Kris Letang slapshot deflected off both his leg and his skate and then into the net with under a second remaining in the second period.
Perron has dynamite for Pens since he was acquired from the Oilers last month. He has seven goals in his first 13 games in a Penguins uniform. Sidney Crosby also assisted on the goal. Letang has assisted on eight of the Penguins last nine goals.
Viktor Fasth took the tough-luck loss in goal for the Oilers, making 24 saves while his team was unable to provide much offense at the other end. Defenseman Oscar Klefbom led all Oilers with five shots.
Tbe Penguins we able to get the win despite not earning a power play for the first time all season. The lone penalty that the Oilers took – a roughing minor by Matt Hendricks in the third period – resulted in a four-on-four situation with Penguins defenseman Robert Bortuzzo also getting whistled.
With the team playing three games in three different cities over the next four nights, the Penguins gave some of their stars a bit of a rest while shutting the Oilers down in the third period. Perron (18:18), Crosby (18:04), Chris Kunitz (17:02), Malkin (16:59) and Hornqvist (16:35) all played well below their season averages in ice time.
The Penguins improved their record to 29-14-8 and with 66 points, have retaken first place in the Metropolitan Division. The New York Islanders are one point behind them with a game in hand and the New York Rangers are two points back with two games in hand. The Islanders visit the Flyers on Thurdsay.
The team will now make the 300-kilometer trek south to Calgary for their 9:00 p.m. game on Friday night against the Flames.
Photo credit: NHL
