Pittsburgh 4, Washington 3
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Where: Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Referees:
Kevin Pollock, Kelly Sutherland
Linesmen:
Derek Amell, Mike Cvik
Attendance:
18667
By SportsDirect Inc.
Penguins 4, Capitals 3: Rookie defenseman Olli Maatta snapped a tie with 1:54 left in the third period as Pittsburgh set a franchise record with its 13th consecutive home victory.
Maatta's wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle beat a screened Michal Neuvirth as the Penguins defeated Washington for the sixth consecutive time and eclipsed the record of 12 straight home wins set from Feb. 22-March 30, 2013. Jussi Jokinen scored the tying goal with 8:25 to play and added an assist, defenseman Kris Letang and Taylor Pyatt also tallied and Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 25 shots for his NHL-leading 27th win.
Captain Alex Ovechkin scored his league-leading 34th goal, Brooks Laich notched a short-handed tally and Jason Chimera scored for the second contest in a row as Washington dropped its third straight game (0-1-2). Neuvirth made 33 saves for the Capitals, who never trailed until the 19-year-old Maatta's game-winner.
Ovechkin gave Washington a 3-2 lead at 8:35 of the third, picking up his stick after it was knocked out of his hands and beating Fleury to the glove side seconds later with a one-timer from the right circle, but the Penguins tied it exactly three minutes later. Brandon Sutter slid a crossing pass in front that Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov got his stick on, but Jokinen swept the puck into the net for his 13th goal.
Letang atoned for a weak defensive play on Laich's first-period goal with the tying tally midway through the second, finishing a 4-on-2 rush with a shot that deflected off Nicklas Backstrom's stick and knuckled past Neuvirth. Chimera redirected a dazzling pass by Marcus Johansson 4 1/2 minutes later, but the Penguins had an immediate response when Maatta set up Pyatt for a one-timer from the slot that made it 2-2 entering the third.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby extended his home point streak to 17 games with an assist on Letang's tally, giving him at least one point in 22 of the 23 games at Consol Energy Center. ... Johansson collected a pair of assists while Laich's goal marked only the second short-handed tally surrendered by the Penguins this season. ... Pyatt, claimed off waivers from the New York Rangers on Jan. 2, scored his first goal since April 23.
Top Game Performances
| Washington |
|
Pittsburgh |
|
Marcus Johansson 2 |
Points |
Jussi Jokinen 2 |
|
Jason Chimera 1 |
Goals |
Jussi Jokinen 1 |
|
Marcus Johansson 2 |
Assists |
Matt Niskanen 2 |
|
N/A |
Power Play Goals |
N/A |
|
Brooks Laich 1 |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
|
Michal Neuvirth .892 |
Save Percentage |
Marc-Andre Fleury .893 |
|
Michal Neuvirth 33 |
Saves |
Marc-Andre Fleury 25 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
| Washington
|
28 |
3 |
0-2 |
3-3 |
8 |
24 |
| Pittsburgh
|
37 |
4 |
0-3 |
2-2 |
6 |
23 |
Upcoming Games
-
Pittsburgh will play their next game at home against Florida. The Penguins have a W/L % of .735 after a win and .643 after a loss.
-
Washington will play their next game on the road against Columbus. The Capitals have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .440 after a loss.
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