Kessel's 300th career goal lifts Penguins past Jets in OT
PITTSBURGH -- Phil Kessel scored his 300th career goal on a breakaway at 1:07 of overtime Thursday night to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena.
Kessel got the puck on a turnover by Patrik Laine at the far blue line, zoomed down the ice and tucked the puck under the pads of Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyk.
Pittsburgh's Conor Sheary and Winnipeg's Josh Morrissey scored in the first period for a 1-1 tie.
Pittsburgh (7-3-1) won for the fifth time in six games.
The Penguins have won 17 straight home games against the Jets.
Winnipeg (4-3-1) was coming off of a five-day layoff between games.
Penguins goaltender Matt Murray (7-0-1) made 30 saves for his seventh straight win.
Hellebuyck (4-0-1), who stopped 34 Pittsburgh shots, had won his first four decisions this season.
Pittsburgh's top line produced the first goal just 1:25 into regulation.
Sidney Crosby started the breakout with a pass to winger Jake Guentzel, who raced down the left-wing boards. At the blue line, Guentzel cut in and sent a pass between the legs of defenseman Tyler Meyers toward Sheary in the slot.
Sheary was covered by defenseman Dmitry Kulikov -- who returned from a two-game absence with an undisclosed injury -- but extended his blade for a pinpoint deflection to send the puck under Hellebuyck's pads for his fifth goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Winnipeg tied it at 9:26 of the first. Bryan Little won a faceoff at the left dot back to Morrissey at the near point. Morrissey blistered a shot that went in off Murray's glove for his second goal.
The Penguins thought they had a goal at 6:10 of the second period on wraparound move by Carl Hagelin, but it was ruled that Morrissey knocked the net loose before the puck went in. Morrissey got a penalty, but Pittsburgh could not convert on the power play.
NOTES: Winnipeg C Matt Hendricks made his season debut after dealing with a foot injury. ... Pittsburgh D Justin Schultz (concussion) went on IR. ... Pittsburgh D Zach Trotman made his Penguins debut. ... Pittsburgh D Frank Corrado was recalled from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but was scratched. The Penguins also scratched RW Josh Archibald. ... The Jets scratched D Tucker Portman, D Ben Chiarot and C Marko Dano.