Fleury, Crosby propel Penguins past Blue Jackets
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins had their top line rolling, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was sharp again Friday in a 4-1 win over Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena.
With the win, Pittsburgh seized a 2-0 lead in its Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists, Jake Guentzel had one of each and the other member of that line, Conor Sheary, added an assist.
Evgeni Malkin, set up by Crosby, added a goal one second after a Pittsburgh power play ended early in the third period for a 3-1 lead. Patric Hornqvist added an empty-net tally to seal the win.
Brandon Saad scored to forge a 1-1 tie seven minutes into the second period.
Fleury, who stepped in when Matt Murray got hurt during the warmup before Game 1, stopped 39 of 40 shots.
Game 3 is Sunday in Columbus.
The Blue Jackets got the first eight shots of the game, but Pittsburgh scored on its first, thanks to keen forechecking by Sheary.
Sheary took the puck from Sergei Bobrovsky behind the net, causing the Columbus goaltender to scramble back to his crease. Sheary sent the puck out front to the bottom of the left circle for Guentzel, who fed Crosby near the right post for a tap-in at 8:31 of the first.
Saad, a native of suburban Pittsburgh who was benched for most of the third period in Game 1, tied it in the second. Off the rush, Saad blasted a shot from the left dot into the far top corner to make it 1-1.
Guentzel restored the Penguins' lead at 2-1 just 51 seconds later. Working a two-on-one with Crosby, he one-timed a pass from the Penguins' captain past Bobrovsky's left skate. It was Guentzel's first career postseason goal.
NOTES: The teams dressed the same lineups as in Game 1. ... G Marc-Andre Fleury, who started for Pittsburgh, moved ahead of G Tom Barrasso for the all-time club record for postseason appearances (102). ... Columbus C Lukas Sedlak (upper-body injury) has begun skating. ... The Penguins held a pregame moment of silence and players wore special decals on their helmets in honor of Pittsburgh Steelers chairman, former United States ambassador to Ireland and community icon Dan Rooney. He died Thursday at age 84. ... The start time for Game 5 in Pittsburgh, if necessary, has been set for 7 p.m.