Crosby sparks Pens' comeback vs. Panthers
PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby, playing for the first time this season, started Pittsburgh's comeback with his first goal of the season and Carl Hagelin and Eric Fehr scored in the third period as the Penguins beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 Tuesday night.
Crosby, like the Penguins' offense, looked a bit rusty early on as the Panthers opened a 2-0 lead on goals by Reilly Smith and Mark Pysyk, but Pittsburgh came back from a two-goal deficit for the second straight home game. They beat San Jose 3-2 with a similar rally Thursday.
The Stanley Cup champion Penguins looked a step slow and a bit off their game in the first two periods, despite Crosby's power-play goal, but they got into a much faster tempo while dominating the third period.
Hagelin tied it with 5:36 of the third with his first of the season, pulling up in the right circle to beat Panthers backup goalie James Reimer with a shot off the goalie's blocker.
Fehr then won it just over four minutes later, also with his first of the season, following a Penguins faceoff win in the defensive zone. Tom Kuhnhackl skated the puck up the left-wing boards, shrugging off two defenders, before finding Fehr for a short-distance wrist shot.
Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 20 saves as Pittsburgh improved to 4-0-1 at the newly named PPG Paints Arena, while Reimer, making his second start, turned aside 19.
The Panthers scored the game's first two goals.
Croby pulled one back in the second period only nine seconds into a power play generated by a high-sticking call on Florida's Greg McKegg. Evgeni Malkin's pass from the left circle hit Crosby in stride down the middle for a high wrist shot past Reimer. The goal was Crosby's first since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against Tampa Bay.
Smith scored the only goal, at 18:02, of the first period.
With the Panthers on a power play, Colton Sceviour's shot from the left point deflected off Michael Matheson's stick to Smith in front for a backhander that eluded Fleury, who made his seventh straight start.
Florida made it 2-0 at 6:08 of the second, and mere seconds after Penguins defenseman Ian Cole leveled 44-year-old Panthers right winger Jaromir Jagr, the longtime Penguins star, with a shoulder hit at mid-ice. Shane Harper pulled up in the right circle and fed Mark Pysyk as he skated down the slot for Pysyk's first of the season.
Pysyk's goal was the seventh in a row against the Penguins, who took a 1-0 lead Saturday in Nashville, only to allow the final five goals in a 5-1 loss.
NOTES: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner last season, made his season debut after sitting out six games with a concussion. He centered a line with LW Scott Wilson and RW Patric Hornqvist. ... Panthers RW Jaromir Jagr received a plaque -- fashioned out of a piece of the now-demolished Civic Arena's stainless steel roof -- from the Penguins following the morning skate. Jagr hasn't played for Pittsburgh in 15 years, but remains the second-leading scorer in team history. ... Penguins F Conor Sheary (eye) will remain out at least another week. ... Penguins D Kris Letang (upper-body injury) sat out a third consecutive game. ... Panthers G James Reimer made his second start of the season. F Jussi Jokinen (lower body) didn't make the trip to Pittsburgh. ... The Panthers scratched LW Steven Thornton and D Steven Kampfer. Pittsburgh held out LW Tom Sestito and G Mike Condon.