Crosby, Penguins rout Rangers
NEW YORK -- Sidney Crosby scored two of the Penguins' five second-period goals in Pittsburgh's 6-1 drubbing of the New York Rangers on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Penguins exacted revenge for a 5-2 home loss to the Rangers on Monday, a game that saw the Rangers score five unanswered goals after falling behind 2-0 in the first period.
Over the second and third periods, the Rangers were held without a shot for 23 minutes, 58 seconds.
Right winger Phil Kessel and left wingers Scott Wilson and Conor Sheary also scored for the Penguins in the second period. Center Matt Cullen added a goal in the third period.
Goaltender Matt Murray made 16 saves to earn the win.
Left winger Rick Nash score the Rangers. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist started but was relieved after allowing four goals on 17 shots. Antti Raanta made 19 saves on 21 shots in relief.
Nash gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with ninth goal of the season at 4:22 of the first period. He scored five seconds into a power play after a point shot by right winger Mats Zuccarello failed to reach the net but fell at the feet of Nash, who calmly maneuvered around Murray for the goal.
The Penguins responded in the second period with five consecutive goals.
Wilson scored on a back-door feed from Kessel at 2:02 to tie it. Crosby's first goal was a deflection of a point shot from defenseman Ian Cole at 4:58 to put the Penguins ahead for good.
Kessel made it 3-1 at 10:12 when he cut through the middle of the zone off the rush and snapped a shot over Lundqvist's glove. Crosby's second goal was an accident, as his pass on a two-on-one bounced off defenseman Ryan McDonagh and over Lundqvist, ending his night at 12:57. Sheary capped the scoring with a short-side goal against Raanta at 16:42 after the Penguins held the puck in the zone for 96 seconds.
NOTES: Penguins LW Chris Kunitz (lower body) is week-to-week but coach Mike Sulilvan said he does not expect him to need surgery. ... Penguins RW Patric Hornqvist (concussion) is day-to-day but did not travel to New York. ... Penguins LW Tom Sestito and D Steve Oleksy were healthy scratches. ... Rangers LW Matt Puempel, who was claimed off waivers from the Ottawa Senators on Monday, was a healthy scratch along with D Adam Clendening. ... Rangers LW Pavel Buchnevich should be out two to three weeks after an MRI on his ailing back revealed no structural damage.