Penguins 4, Lightning 2
Bryan Rust and defenseman Brian Dumoulin each scored their first NHL goal as host Pittsburgh extended its winning streak against Tampa Bay to 10 games.
Steve Downie recorded a power-play goal and an assist while Brandon Sutter added a short-handed tally for the Penguins, who played without captain Sidney Crosby (mumps) for the third straight game. Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 28 shots to post his 17th victory for Pittsburgh, which extended its point streak to five games (3-0-2).
Nikita Kucherov registered a goal and an assist while rookie Jonathan Drouin also tallied for the Lightning, who have lost four of their last five contests. Ben Bishop stopped 4-of-5 shots in the first period before being replaced due to a lower-body injury by Evgeni Nabokov, who made 18 saves over the final 40 minutes.
Sutter opened the scoring with 51 seconds left in the first period, jumping on a turnover and whipping a shot that went in off the handle of Bishop’s stick. Drouin knocked in a rebound 24 seconds later during the same power play, but Rust capitalized on another turnover by scoring from the slot 2:55 into the middle session.
The Penguins made it 3-1 with 33.3 seconds left in the second as Patric Hornqvist’s shot hit Nabokov near the left shoulder and fell behind him, allowing Downie to sweep it in. Dumoulin’s shot from the top of the right faceoff circle deflected off Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman’s skate and past Nabokov 7:47 into the third to make it 4-1.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin has notched at least one point in 13 of his last 15 games after recording an assist on Downie’s goal. … Tampa Bay D Radko Gudas skated through warmups but was scratched for the second straight game as he recovers from an illness. … Pittsburgh RW Beau Bennett, who has been out since Nov. 24 with a lower-body injury, also is being tested for the mumps after showing symptoms, while D Robert Bortuzzo missed the game with an upper-body injury.