Pietrangelo leads Blues over Pens in OT
PITTSBURGH -- Alex Pietrangelo's second goal of the game came at 1:15 of overtime and gave the St. Louis Blues a 5-4 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Pietrangelo moved in from the right point and used defenseman Justin Schultz as a screen to beat Penguins goaltender Matt Murray for the winner.
St. Louis goaltender Jake Allen stopped 29 of 33 shots. Murray also made 29 saves.
Sidney Crosby, under pressure, dug the puck out of the corner and fed Schultz at the top of the slot on the game's first goal. Schultz sailed a shot over Allen's glove at 6:37 of the first period for a 1-0 Pittsburgh lead.
St. Louis tied it at 1 when the puck went off Brayden Schenn's right skate above the crease and slid inside the left post at 8:31. The play withstood a review to determine whether Schenn kicked it in.
The Blues took a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at 17:45 of the first. Most of the skaters were involved in a scrum for the puck along the boards, and when it came loose, it went to Colton Parayko -- who had drawn the tripping penalty to Olli Maatta -- alone in the slot. He rifled it past Murray.
Maatta tied it 2-2 with a shot through traffic and under the crossbar from the left point at 12:37 of the second.
Pietrangelo restored St. Louis' lead, 3-2, at 15:37 of the second during four-on-four play with a shot past Murray's glove from a crowded slot.
Paul Stastny upped the lead to 4-2 when he beat Murray to the stick side from the slot at 3:38 of the third. It was the second goal in a row for which Vladimir Sobotka got the primary assist with an efficient pass.
The Penguins drew to within 4-3 on Crosby's five-on-three goal on a rebound at 13:46 of the third, and tied it 4-4 on Conor Sheary's one-timer from the lower part of the right circle at 14:40 after a cross-slot pass from Greg McKegg.
NOTES: The Penguins raised their 2017 Stanley Cup banner, their fifth in franchise history and second in a row, in a pregame ceremony. ... Pittsburgh RW Patric Hornqvist (offseason hand surgery) was placed on injured reserve. It was initially hoped he would be ready for the opener. ... St. Louis opened the season with five players on IR: LW Alexander Steen (hand), D Jay Bouwmeester (ankle), C Robby Fabbri (knee), C Patrik Berglund (shoulder) and LW Zach Sanford (shoulder). ... Pittsburgh RW Tom Kuhnhackl played in his 100th NHL game. ... The Penguins scratched RW Josh Archibald and D Chad Ruhwedel. St. Louis scratched C Ivan Barbashev, C Wade Megan and D Nate Prosser.