Kessel lifts Penguins over Capitals on banner night
PITTSBURGH -- Phil Kessel scored the decisive goal in the shootout, Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist to support Marc-Andre Fleury's strong night in net, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Thursday night.
The Capitals opened their season in the very building, albeit a renamed one, where their 2015-16 season ended -- and with the same result, an overtime loss, just as in the decisive Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Andre Burakovsky scored twice for Washington, but Fleury -- starting his 11th consecutive Penguins season opener -- made 39 saves, six alone in overtime -- including several difficult stops that kept the extra period going.
Malkin, Kris Letang and Kessel all beat Braden Holtby to score in the shootout, while Fleury turned aside two of the four Capitals shooters, including Alex Ovechkin when he couldn't score to answer Kessel.
The Penguins raised their Stanley Cup banner before the game, then took a 2-1 lead into the third period before Burakovsky scored his second of the game, taking advantage of an Olli Maatta giveaway to beat Fleury with a wrister. Nicklas Backstrom set up both Burakovsky goals, with the first coming less than a minute into the game.
Both teams returned virtually intact from last season, although the Penguins were without captain Sidney Crosby, who sat out with a concussion that was diagnosed only four days before. Stanley Cup-winning goalie Matt Murray also sat out with a broken hand.
Holtby, last season's Vezina Trophy winner, made 28 saves.
Malkin often is at his best when Crosby is injured, and he was again in the Penguins' first home game since they won the franchise's fourth Stanley Cup, getting the so-called Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist and a fight) by the end of the second period.
With the score tied at 1 late in the second period, Penguins forward Conor Sheary stole the puck from right wing T.J. Oshie at the blue line and threw it ahead to Malkin, who had remained behind in the offensive line. Malkin shifted the puck from his forehand to his backhand to slip it under Holtby at 18:52, his 65th goal in 112 career games without Crosby.
Malkin's fight -- at least the third involving the two rivals in the first 40 minutes -- came after right wing Justin Williams grabbed him by the neck and threw him hard to the ice along the rear boards with four seconds remaining in the period. Williams was given only a two-minute roughing penalty.
Malkin also assisted on Patric Hornqvist's game-tying goal at 8:47 of the second. Hornqvist barely ticked defenseman Letang's shot from a couple of feet inside the blue line that sailed past three Capitals players and Holtby, who immediately signaled that Hornqvist's stick might have been above the crossbar. The goal was upheld on replay.
The Capitals sat in their dressing room during the Penguins' extended pregame Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony, which featured Crosby in uniform and skating. But any Penguins momentum from the festivities ended when Burakovsky scored 59 seconds into the first on the Capitals' second shot of the season, getting a step ahead of two Penguins players to collect Backstrom's pass to the high slot and beat Fleury between the pads with a wrist shot.
NOTES: Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury lost his starting job to Matt Murray late last season, but started his 11th consecutive season opener Thursday. Murray remains out with a broken hand. ... Former Boston College F Zach Sanford, who unexpectedly made the Capitals roster during training camp, made his NHL debut on the third line with C Lars Eller and RW Justin Williams. ... Penguins F Matt Cullen, who turns 40 next month, replaced captain Sidney Crosby (concussion) on the top line. ... Washington scratched D Taylor Chorney and RW Brett Connolly. Pittsburgh held out D Derrick Pouliot and the injured Crosby and Murray. ... Twenty-one of the 23 players on the Penguins' season-opening roster appeared with the team during the playoffs last season. ... The Capitals were the NHL's Presidents' Trophy winners last season, only to be eliminated by the Penguins in six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. ... ... Penguins co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle explored selling the franchise last season, as they've done previously, but team president David Morehouse said it is no longer for sale.