Penguins beat Senators in Eastern Conference finals rematch
OTTAWA -- The Pittsburgh Penguins scored twice in the second period then held on to defeat the Ottawa Senators 3-1 in a rematch of last spring's Eastern Conference finalists at Canadian Tire Centre.
Patric Hornqvist, Jake Guentzel and Riley Sheehan scored for the Penguins (11-7-3). Jean-Gabriel Pageau replied for the Senators (8-4-5).
Matt Murray made 21 saves in the Pittsburgh goal while Craig Anderson stopped 26 shots for Ottawa.
Pageau broke Murray's shutout bid with 9:31 left in the third when he broke in down the right wing and flipped a shot just under the cross bar for his second of the season.
Sheehan snuffed out any chance of a comeback when he took a pass from Sidney Crosby and scored into an empty net with 31 seconds left on the clock.
The Penguins took a 2-0 lead into the final 20 minutes on deflected goals by Hornqvist and Guentzel late in the second period.
Hornqvist notched his seventh of the year while standing into front tip a point blast by Olli Maatta at the 16:10 mark. Conor Sheary had the other assist.
Nine seconds before the intermission, Guentzel changed directions of a high shot from Brian Dumoulin for his sixth of the second. Brian Rust also had an assist on the goal.
The Senators were up 10-8 on the shots clock after a first period which saw Murray make a highlight reel, diving stop to take an open net away from Mike Hoffman. Both teams had two power-play chances.
NOTES: Senators D Chris Wideman was used as a fourth line winger for the second game in a row ... Penguins scratched D Frank Corrado and RW Josh Archibald ... Senators F Nick Paul was scratched ... The Senators next game is Saturday afternoon at Canadian Tire Centre against the Arizona Coyotes ... The Penguins return home for Saturday's meeting with the Chicago Blackhawks, a team that beat them 10-1 in their second game of the season.