PENGUINS 3, WILD 2
WHERE: Xcel
Energy Center
TIME: 6:00
PM, December 31, 2018Coverage: ESPN+
ATTENDANCE: 19,163
CAPACITY: 18,064
Referees: Marc Joannette and Wes McCauley
Linesmen: Derek Nansen and Darren Gibbs
Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel are
doing their part, continuing to pile up points for the Pittsburgh
Penguins, but the team's goaltenders might have been the headlining
act in a big December.
Phil Kessel had a goal and two assists, and Sidney Crosby
added a goal and assist as Pittsburgh kept rolling with a 3-2 win against
the Minnesota
Wild on Monday night.
Casey DeSmith,
who stopped 40 shots to beat Minnesota on Dec. 20, made 31 saves for the
Penguins, who have won eight of their past 10 games, a season-high six games in
a row and finished December 11-3-1.
DeSmith was 6-3-1 in December with a 2.39 goals-against
average and .929 save percentage. Matt Murray,
since returning from a lower-body injury, was 5-0 with a 1.38 goals-against
average and .959 save percentage for Pittsburgh. Heading into the game, the two
combined for a .931 save percentage in the month, which led the league.
"I think they've got a nice, healthy competition
amongst themselves right now," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.
"They're both at their very best. They're making timely saves for us.
They're making saves at key times in the game that give us a chance to either
maintain a lead or get momentum back, whatever it may be."
Kessel has three points in each of his past three games and
Crosby has four straight games with multiple points for Pittsburgh, which tied
its season high with its fourth straight road win.
Mikko Koivu scored
for the first time in 15 games and Zach Parise added
his 17th goal of the season for the Wild. Devan Dubnyk made
29 saves for Minnesota, which has lost eight of its past 11 games.
The Wild snapped a five-game losing streak on Saturday at
Winnipeg and then opened the scoring against the Penguins.
Koivu started a rush from his defensive zone and got a pass
from Nino
Niederreiter in the slot, sending a quick shot past DeSmith. It
was the first power-play goal allowed by Pittsburgh in six games. They had
killed 14 straight short-handed situations.
It was Koivu's 59th career power-play goal, tied with Marian
Gaborik for most in franchise history.
Given their first power-play, the Penguins tied the game
with Kessel sending a pass through defenseman Ryan Suter's
legs to Crosby alone on the back side for an easy tap-in goal.
It was the fifth-straight goal on the power-play for
Pittsburgh, which was 4 of 4 in a 6-1 win against St. Louis on Saturday. Crosby
has 10 points in the past four games.
Kessel scored his 17th goal of the season with 21 seconds
left in the first period when his shot from the side deflected off Suter's
stick past Dubnyk.
Riley Sheahan scored
in the second period for the Penguins and DeSmith was it his best in the
period. Minnesota had 13 shots in a scoreless second, including several in
which DeSmith made highlight saves.
GAME NOTES
Pittsburgh F Bryan Rust missed his first game of the season with a lower-body injury he sustained in the previous game against St. Louis. He's considered day-to-day. Zach Aston-Reese took Rust's spot on Sidney Crosby's line. ... Penguins D Olli Maatta was a game-time decision with a lower-body injury but was in the lineup. Jamie Oleksiak was a healthy scratch for the second straight game after missing three games with an injury. ... Minnesota D Nick Seeler (upper-body injury) skated before the game and coach Bruce Boudreau said Seeler could return on the team's upcoming four-game road trip. ... Crosby became just the second player in Pittsburgh history to play in 900 games. Mario Lemieux is the all-time leader in games played with 915.
UP NEXT
Penguins: Face the New York
Rangers on Wednesday.
Wild: Play Thursday in Toronto.
MY 3 STARS OF THE GAME
1: Casey
DeSmith G – PIT, 31 Saves\, .939 SV%
2: Phil Kessel RW – PIT, 1 Goal, 2
Assists
3: Mikko
Koivu C – MIN, 1 Goal, 1 Assist
SCORING SUMMARY
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PGH MIN
Shots 32 33
Hits 25 29
Faceoffs Won 26 29
Faceoff Win Percent 47.3 52.7
Power Play
Opportunities 1 1
Power Play Goals 1 1
Power Play Percentage 100.0 100.0
Short Handed Goals 0 0
Total Penalties 2 2
Penalty Minutes 4 4
Blocked Shots 15 9
Takeaways 6 10
Giveaways 0 4
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* - A player receives a "plus" if he is on the ice
when his Club scores an even-strength or shorthand goal. He receives a
"minus" if he is on the ice for an even-strength or shorthand goal
scored by the opposing Club. The difference in these numbers is considered the
player's plus-minus statistic.
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* - A player receives a "plus" if he is on the ice
when his Club scores an even-strength or shorthand goal. He receives a
"minus" if he is on the ice for an even-strength or shorthand goal
scored by the opposing Club. The difference in these numbers is considered the
player's plus-minus statistic.
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