Penguins 4, Panthers 2
Defenseman Zbynek Michalek scored to snap a tie with just over seven minutes remaining in the third period to lift the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
Tyler Kennedy, Pascal Dupuis and Craig Adams also tallied and Brent Johnson made 28 saves for the Penguins (46-25-8), who pulled within two points of the Philadelphia Flyers (46-22-10) for first place in the Atlantic Division.
Pittsburgh brought Jordan Staal on as an extra skater ahead of a delayed penalty and he gathered the puck along the boards before sending it across to Michalek at the right point. Michalek blasted a hard shot from above the faceoff circle past Scott Clemmensen on the high stick side.
Adams added a shorthanded empty-net goal with 90 seconds remaining to seal the win.
Kennedy got the scoring started in the first with his 20th tally but Jack Skille and Clay Wilson scored 22 seconds apart in the period to give Florida a 2-1 edge. Dupuis snapped his 14th past Clemmensen 45 seconds into the second to knot it at 2-2.