Staal's 3rd Period Goal Lifts Pens To 3-2 Victory
BOSTON (KDKA/AP) - The Penguins headed into Boston Saturday afternoon looking for a little redemption following their late collapses in each of their two previous games against the Bruins.
While the Boston once again rallied to erase a lead, it was a third period goal by Jordan Staal that lifted the Pens to victory.
The Bruins beat the Penguins in each of their previous games this season, both times in Pittsburgh and both times with late rallies. On Nov. 19, Boston scored five times in the third period to win 7-4; and just five days ago, the Bruins scored four unanswered goals in the final minutes of the game to win 4-2.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 44 saves as the Pens won without Sidney Crosby, who remains out with a concussion, for just the second time in five games.
Tuukka Rask stopped 33 shots for the Bruins.
The Pens' Chris Kunitz opened the scoring midway through the first. Then, Pascal Dupuis added his goal 41 seconds into the middle period with assists from Zbynek Michalek and Evgeni Malkin.
Dennis Seidenberg put a screened shot past Fleury 11:28 into the second period, and the Bruins tied it 13 seconds later when Ryder wristed one around a defender and past the goalie on the stick side. It's the second-fastest the Bruins have scored a pair of goals this season.
The Pens killed a four-minute, high-sticking minor in the second period even though it appeared to be Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara's stick that hit Steven Kampfer in the face.
Kampfer departed, leaving a pool of blood on the ice, and did not return. The Bruins did not get a shot off in the penalty until there were just four seconds left.
Staal scored with 16:35 left in the third period when he backhanded a loose puck in front past Rask to make it 3-2.
Also in the third period, Fleury stopped 20 shots, including about a half-dozen from close-range in the final minute after Boston pulled Rask for an extra skater.
Boston's Marc Savard went down with 12:50 left in game after taking a two-arm shove to the head into the boards by Deryk Engelland.
The Penguins now head back to Pittsburgh for a showdown against their biggest Western Conference rival, the Detroit Red Wings, on Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
