Depleted Pens storm back to down Sharks
PITTSBURGH -- In a rematch of the Stanley Cup final, the depleted Pittsburgh Penguins scored three times in the third period to come back and beat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Patric Hornqvist scored the winner on a power play at 14:02 of the third. Near the crease, he got the puck off of the skate of San Jose's Joel Ward and swatted at it. The puck went off of Sharks defensemen Paul Martin and inside the left post to break a 2-2 tie.
The Penguins, who beat San Jose in six games last spring for their fourth Cup in franchise history, were playing without captain and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sidney Crosby, who has a concussion, and top defenseman Kris Letang, who left a game Tuesday at Montreal because of an upper-body injury. Pittsburgh was further depleted in the decisive third period Thursday.
They played the third period and part of the second with just four defensemen after Olli Maatta and Derrick Pouliot left during the second because of unspecified injuries. Pouliot was making his season debut. The two were paired for the game.
Tomas Hertl gave San Jose a 1-0 lead at 5:04 of the second period. After goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped a shot by Joe Pavelski, Hertl caught up to the rebound just outside the left goal post and stuffed the puck past Fleury, who had lost his stick.
Pittsburgh was being outshot 22-6 before getting its first shot of the second period, from beyond the blue line by Trevor Daley during a Penguins power play about midway through the period.
The Penguins thought they tied it at 13:19 of the second, but it was ruled upon review that Hornqvist punched the puck in with his gloved hand.
San Jose increased its lead to 2-0 at 16:15 of the second when Patrick Marleau finished off a short two-on-one with Logan Couture by sweeping the puck under Fleury's pads. The goal came on the Sharks' 26th shot.
By the end of the second, Pittsburgh was being outshot 27-10 and was down to four defensemen thanks to injuries.
Evgeni Malkin, shortly after exiting the penalty box, ended goaltender Martin Jones' bid for a shutout when his turning shot from the slot glanced off of San Jose defenseman Justin Braun and in, making it 2-1 at 6:47 of the third.
Scott Wilson scored his first goal of the season to tie it 2-2 at 9:01 of the third. After Hornqvist loosened the puck with a hit along the boards on Brenden Dillon, Wilson pounced on the puck and beat Jones with a backhander.
NOTES: Pittsburgh played without top D Kris Letang (upper body) and LW Conor Sheary (eye), who both left Tuesday's game at Montreal and are listed as being out day to day. ... D Derrick Pouliot made his season debut, replacing Letang in the lineup. He had not played since Game 4 of the second round of the 2016 playoffs against Washington. ... Penguins captain C Sidney Crosby (concussion) had a scheduled day off from skating but could join the team for practice soon. He has not played this season. ... D Brian Dumoulin missed the Penguins game-day skate for what was termed a maintenance day but was in the lineup. ... Pittsburgh and G Matt Murray agreed to a three-year contract extension with a $3.75 million cap hit. Murray, a key player in the team's Stanley Cup run last spring, has begun practicing but has not played this season because of a broken thumb. He would have been eligible for restricted free agency next summer. ... San Jose went back to G Martin Jones after G Aaron Dell made his NHL debut Tuesday in a 3-2 win against the Islanders in New York. ... LW Matt Nieto replaced C Michael Haley in the Sharks lineup. Apparently, there is no injury situation; the team was just looking for more speed. ... San Jose also scratched C Ryan Carpenter and D Dylan DeMelo.