Penguins easily dispatch Ducks, 5-1
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Kris Letang had a goal and an assist in his first game in two weeks as the Pittsburgh Penguins routed the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 on Wednesday night in front of 15,543 at the Honda Center.
Evgeni Malkin scored his sixth goal of the season, Sidney Crosby had an assist for his sixth point in four games and goalie Matt Murray stopped 32 shots in his season debut for the Penguins (7-2-1), who earned their fourth consecutive victory and their fifth in six games.
Goalie John Gibson allowed a season-high five goals while making 29 saves, and Cam Fowler scored the only goal for the Ducks (4-5-2).
With the Penguins holding a 3-1 lead, Letang scored 1:27 into the third period when he deflected Justin Schultz's shot from the right boards at the right post. Letang missed the past five games after sustaining an upper-body injury Oct. 18 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Crosby now has four goals and two assists after helping Patrick Hornqvist end the scoring with 12:46 to play. Carl Hagelin passed the puck behind his back from behind the Ducks' net to Crosby, whose pass in front of the crease found Hornqvist for a wrist shot near the right post.
Pittsburgh scored twice in less than three minutes to take a 2-0 lead early in the first period. Chris Kunitz began the scoring sequence on Malkin's goal by securing a loose puck at the blue line near the left boards. Kunitz passed to Phil Kessel at the left point, then Kessel passed to Malkin, who one-timed a slap shot from the right face-off circle at 7:41.
At 10:24, Matt Cullen one-timed another slap shot from the right face-off circle for his third goal. Eric Fehr started the play by flipping the puck from the Penguins' zone over three of the Ducks' skaters to Tom Sestito at Anaheim's blue line. Sestito over-skated the puck but spun around to send a cross-ice pass to Cullen.
The Ducks narrowed their deficit to 2-1 at 15:49 of the first period on Fowler's power-play goal, a slap shot from the blue line. Ryan Kesler earned his 500th career point on Fowler's fourth goal.
Bryan Rust extended the Penguins' lead to 3-1 at 16:42 of the second period when he converted the rebound of Nick Bonino's backhand shot that ricocheted off the crossbar into the crease.
After Letang's goal, Pittsburgh had a chance for another goal when Scott Wilson received a penalty shot after Anaheim defenseman Clayton Stoner tripped him on a breakaway. Wilson hit the left post on the chance. Hornqvist then ended the scoring at 7:14.
NOTES: Pittsburgh scratched RW Tom Kuhnhackl and D David Warsofsky. ... Penguins LW Conor Sheary skated Tuesday for the first time since being hit in the eye with a stick Oct. 18 against the Montreal Canadiens. Doctors have not yet cleared Sheary for contact. ... Wednesday marked Penguins C Matt Cullen's 40th birthday. Cullen played his first 5 1/2 NHL seasons with the former Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. ... The Penguins traded G Mike Condon to the Ottawa Senators for a fifth-round draft pick. Condon played just one period for Pittsburgh this season. ... Anaheim scratched C Ryan Getzlaf, D Korbinian Holzer, and LW Nick Ritchie, who received a hit in the head from Los Angeles Kings D Tom Gilbert on Tuesday night. Getzlaf has an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. ... The Ducks placed LW Mason Raymond on unconditional waivers and assigned G Dustin Tokarski to San Diego (AHL). They also recalled C Michael Sgarbossa and RW Ondrej Kase from San Diego.