LDN - Sports

Kessel leads Pens past Jackets in OT

[February 04, 2017] PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Penguins right winger Phil Kessel played in his 800th career game Friday. It was a milestone for which he was oblivious.

"I didn't even know until they announced it on the (scoreboard)," Kessel said. "I guess it's a lot of games but hopefully I can get a bunch more."

Not many of the previous 799 contests have been more productive.

Kessel finished with two goals, including an overtime score, and an assist as the Penguins beat the Blue Jackets, 4-3, at PPG Paints Arena.

His overtime goal came at 3:15 of overtime. Working the lone power play of the contest, Kessel dealt a pass from the high slot to defenseman Kris Letang in the right circle. Letang swatted a one-timer, which was blocked by Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner. The puck deflected to Kessel low in the right circle and he was able to chip a wrister past the glove of Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

"I rolled up high and they covered (center Sidney Crosby) close to the net. and (Letang's) open," Kessel said. "Shot at the net and it came out to me."

"I think he's really making a concerted effort to play in all the areas of the game that we're challenging him," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "To see him get rewarded like he did tonight was great.

"He can really shoot the puck and when he gets in those scoring areas he's dangerous. He doesn't need too many opportunities. When he shoots the puck he's dangerous and we're glad he got rewarded."

Center Nick Bonino and right winger Patric Hornqvist also scored for the Penguins (32-13-5) while goaltender Matt Murray made 28 saves.

Centers Brandon Dubinsky, Alexander Wennberg and right winger Cam Atkinson scored for the Blue Jackets (32-12-5) and Bobrovsky made 29 saves.

Kessel opened the scoring at 13:37 of the first period. Capitalizing off strong shifts in the offensive zone by Pittsburgh's third and fourth lines, Kessel controlled the puck on the left half wall, circled around the top of the zone and released a wrister from above the right circle that beat Bobrovsky's glove hand on the near side.

The Penguins made it a 2-0 game at the 18:28 mark. After Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski bobbled a puck at his own blue line, Pittsburgh center Matt Cullen jumped on the puck and surged past defenseman Dalton Prout. As Prout hauled him down near the crease, Cullen was able to push a forehand shot on net which Bobrovsky initially stopped.

Cullen re-directed the puck back on net with his right skate and, as it approached the goal line, Hornqvist swiped the puck into the vacant cage.

The Blue Jackets got on the scoreboard at 15:43 of the second period. Off a two-on-one rush, Jenner lifted a wrister from the right circle. Murray made the initial save but couldn't corral the rebound. Dubinsky settled the puck to the left of the crease and lifted a wrister past a scrambling Murray.

Pittsburgh regained a two-goal lead 2:40 later. Working the puck up the left wing, Jake Guentzel sent a pass from the half wall to the right of the crease for Bonino. Fending off defenseman Jack Johnson, Bonino settled the puck and flicked a forehand shot over Bobrovsky's left pad.

A strong third period allowed the Blue Jackets to tie the game.

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Penguins right wing Phil Kessel (81) and center Nick Bonino (13) celebrate a goal by Bonino against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at the PPG PAINTS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

It took only 29 seconds for the Blue Jackets to make it a 3-2 game early in the third. Working a puck up the left wing, defenseman Seth Jones flicked a backhanded pass toward the crease. Left winger Brandon Saad settled the puck and dealt it to his right for Wennberg, who ripped a wrister past Murray's blocker on the far side.

The Blue Jackets tied the game at the 11:20 mark. Settling a loose puck in the right circle, Dubinsky backhanded it to the left of the crease. Atkinson deflected the puck up and swatted it out of mid-air past Murray's right leg.

"It was an opportunity to come out and be a good third period team which we have for pretty much the whole year," Dubinsky said. "We wanted to put pressure on them. We felt like if we put pressure on them and forechecked them that we would get some turnovers and we would find a way to bury a couple and we were able to do that."

The Penguins, who were outshot in the third, 8-4, realize they can't surrender multi-goal leads at this stage of the season.

"We don't want to give points away like that," Bonino said. "We do gain one of them, which is nice, which is what we're looking for. But come this stretch here, we're not going to be able to give points to other teams."

Despite the loss, the Blue Jackets found some satisfaction in getting a point in the standings.

"It's a really good point being down by a couple going into third but you're always looking to get that second one," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "All in all, we have to leave here in a decent mood as far as scrapping away to get a point and let's move on to our next game that's coming pretty quickly."

NOTES: Penguins G Matt Murray started his eighth consecutive game. G Marc-Andre Fleury has not played since a 6-3 road loss to the Red Wings on Jan. 14. ... Pittsburgh C Matt Cullen returned to the lineup after missing six games due to a foot injury. ... Penguins RW Phil Kessel appeared in his 800th career game. ... The Penguins' scratches were RW Tom Kuhnhackl and D Chad Ruhwedel. ... The Blue Jackets played their second of three consecutive games against Metropolitan Division opponents. They defeated the New York Rangers on the road, 6-4. On Saturday, they host the Devils. ... The Blue Jackets' scratches were D Markus Nutivaara and D David Savard. Nutivaara has missed eight games due to an undisclosed ailment. Savard has been sidelined five of the past six games due to an undisclosed injury.

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