Brayden Point scored three straight power-play goals in 1:31
– the sixth-fastest three goals in NHL history – and the Tampa Bay Lightning
beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Thursday night.
Billy Mosienko holds the record, scoring three times in 21
seconds for Chicago against New York in 1952. Point’s 91-second burst was the
second-fastest three goals since 1967-68.
Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby sat out after sustaining an
upper-body injury Tuesday night at New Jersey. Coach Mike Sullivan confirmed
the injury is not a concussion, and Crosby is considered day-to-day, but will
likely miss a week.
Yanni Gourde also had a power-play goal, Nikita Kucherov
added three assists, and backup goalie Louis Domingue made 28 saves to help the
Lightning win for the fifth time in seven games. Starting goalie Andrei
Vasilevskiy is out indefinitely.
Patric Hornqvist scored twice for Pittsburgh, Phil Kessel
also connected, Evgeni Malkin had two assists and Matt Murray stopped 22 shots.
The Penguins have lost seven of eight following a four-game winning streak.
Pittsburgh committed eight penalties through two periods,
which led to four Tampa Bay power-play goals.
The teams combined to score the first five goals on power plays.
Newly acquired forward Tanner Pearson was in the lineup for
Pittsburgh. The Penguins acquired Pearson from Los Angeles on Wednesday in
exchange for Carl Hagelin in a roster shakeup. Pearson skated with Malkin and
Hornqvist.
Hornqvist scored Pittsburgh’s first power-play goal at home
in seven games when he tipped Kessel’s shot behind Domingue. Kessel gave
Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead with a power-play goal later in the period.
Pittsburgh took three penalties in 10 seconds during the
final minute of the first period.
Point’s first power-play goal came with 2.7 seconds left in
the period. He scored twice in the first 1:28 of the second period, finishing
two slick one-touch passing sequences with one-timers.
Hornqvist’s second goal tied it for Pittsburgh, but Gourde
gave Tampa Bay the lead with the Lightning’s fourth power-play goal of the
game, a blocker-side slap shot from the top of the circle.
GAME NOTES
Kucherov had his 200th NHL assist. Gourde has points in
eight of his last 10 games. Tampa Bay’s Alex Killorn has an assist in a
career-best four straight games. Kris Letang passed Syl Apps for sixth on the
Penguins’ assists list. Letang has points in 11 of his last 14 games against
Tampa Bay. … The Lightning allowed the first goal for the ninth time in the last
10 games. The Penguins wore their yellow third jerseys for the first time. Hall
of Famer and Penguins owner Mario Lemieux dropped the puck for a ceremonial
opening faceoff, celebrating 25 years of his foundation.
UP NEXT
LIGHTNING: The
Lightning continues their road trip by going to Philadelphia on Saturday night
to face the Flyers
PENGUINS: The Penguins hit the road also as they travel
to Ottawa to face the Senators on Saturday night.
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