Crosby, Penguins Pull Away From Rangers In 6-1 Rout
NEW YORK (AP) - Sidney Crosby had two goals and an assist during a five-goal second period and the Pittsburgh Penguins shut down the division-leading New York Rangers in a 6-1 rout on Wednesday night.
The Penguins held New York without a shot on goal over 23:59 spanning the second and third periods. Scott Wilson, Conor Sheary, Phil Kessel and Matt Cullen also scored for Pittsburgh, and Matt Murray had 16 saves.
The Penguins moved two points behind New York for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Rangers won at Pittsburgh 5-2 on Monday behind a breakout second period. The Penguins exacted revenge Wednesday in nearly the exact same fashion.
Pittsburgh trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes, but then the defending Stanley Cup champions took control, chasing Henrik Lundqvist after four goals on 17 shots.
Wilson got his third of the season 2:02 into the second to tie it. Stationed in front of Lundqvist, Wilson corralled a cross-ice pass from Kessel and scored with a forehand shot.
Crosby put the Penguins ahead 2:56 later by redirecting Ian Cole's point shot. Cole had intercepted Mats Zuccarello's clearing attempt inside the blue line to start the counter attack.
Kessel increased Pittsburgh's lead to 3-1 with a wrist shot over Lundqvist's left shoulder at 10:12, and Crosby pushed the advantage to 4-1 2:45 later with his second of the game and NHL-leading 14th of the season. Crosby and Sheary broke in on a 2-on-1 with Ryan McDonagh defending, and Crosby's attempted pass deflected off of McDonagh's stick and fluttered over Lundqvist's paddle.
Following Crosby's second goal, New York coach Alain Vigneault replaced Lundqvist with Antti Raanta.
The goaltending change didn't work, as Sheary wristed his fourth goal of the season with 3:18 left. Cullen's fourth of the season with 6:55 left in the third ended the scoring.
Raanta finished with 19 saves on 21 shots.
Pittsburgh may have been sparked by a first-period incident involving McDonagh, Sheary and Crosby.
Crosby dropped his gloves and challenged McDonagh after New York's captain drove Sheary into the half wall. McDonagh had his jersey pulled over his head during the tussle, and officials assessed McDonagh a five-minute major for boarding and Crosby got a two-minute minor for roughing.
The Penguins didn't score on the extended power play but did generate three shots and their pressure kept the Rangers from being able to implement and sustain their attacking style of play.
New York led after Rick Nash's power-play goal 4:22 into the game. Nash poked a loose puck past a sprawled Murray for his ninth of the season, five seconds after Evgeni Malkin was assessed a two-minute minor for tripping J.T. Miller in the neutral zone.
New York went 1 for 3 on the man advantage while killing all three Pittsburgh power plays.
New York's 17 shots were a season-low. Zuccarello ended the nearly 24-minute shot drought with a backhander with 3:45 left in the game.
NOTES: Newly acquired LW Matt Puempel participated in New York's morning skate. The Rangers claimed Puempel off waivers Monday from the Senators. He and D Adam Clendening were scratched. ... Pittsburgh scratched D Steve Oleksy and LW Tom Sestito. RW Patric Hornqvist did not make the trip as he is recuperating from concussion symptoms. ... Following the morning skate, Vigneault said the Rangers essentially modeled themselves after the Penguins during the offseason. "There's no doubt they found a way to play at a fast pace, with speed; the right way. They won. They're the champions," Vigneault said. ... The Metropolitan Division rivals will meet three more times in the regular season: Dec. 20 in Pittsburgh, March 31 in New York and April 9 in New York.
UP NEXT:
Penguins: Play at Minnesota on Friday night.
Rangers: Play at Philadelphia on Friday night.
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