Penguins even series with 1-0 win on Kessel's goal
PITTSBURGH -- Phil Kessel scored at 13:05 of the third period to break up a goaltending duel and give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 1-0 win over the Ottawa Senators in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals Monday night at PPG Paints Arena.
That gives the teams a 1-1 split heading to Ottawa for the next two games. Game 3 is Wednesday.
Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves for his second shutout of the playoffs and second in three games. It was his 10th career postseason shutout.
Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson also was strong, stopping 28 of 29 Pittsburgh shots.
Kessel scored on his own rebound from the slot after his initial shot was blocked by Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
Kessel had gone three games with no points and had just one point, a goal, in his previous five games.
From late in the second period until after Kessel scored, the Senators went 18:53 without a shot before Fleury stopped one by Zack Smith.
Pittsburgh was undermanned most of the game after it lost two players to injuries in the first period.
Top-line winger Bryan Rust left after he took a big hit from Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf and fell backward onto the ice. A little later, defenseman Justin Schultz appeared to hurt his right arm or shoulder going into the end boards behind the Penguins' net.
Neither play resulted in a penalty. There was no immediate update on either player.
The Penguins made shooting more a priority coming into Game 2. They didn't get to that early on, trailing in shots 10-8 after the first.
Pittsburgh picked things up over the course of the second period and led in shots 20-16 going into the third but to no avail, thanks to Anderson.
NOTES: Ottawa LW Viktor Stalberg (lower-body injury) remained out despite being called a possibility to play by coach Guy Boucher. ... RW Chris Neil returned to the Ottawa lineup after missing Game 1 because of what Boucher said was a nagging problem. ... Pittsburgh LW Carl Hagelin (lower-body injury) returned after missing two games, but RW Patric Hornqvist was scratched after leaving the pregame warmup early. Hornqvist did not practice Sunday. ... Penguins D Trevor Daley (lower-body injury) continues to skate on his own. ... Pittsburgh LW Chris Kunitz played in his 150th career playoff game, the sixth active player to reach that number. ... Ottawa captain Erik Karlsson said he played the famed golf course at nearby Oakmont Country Club on the team's day off Sunday.