|
 Niemi made 33 saves, and the Stars dominated the Penguins for the
second time in 15 days, winning 4-1 Thursday night for their fifth
consecutive victory.
Niemi was excellent from the start to improve to 6-1-1 in his career
against the Penguins, who had won three in a row before generating
little offense against a Stars team that has scored 25 goals to
Pittsburgh's 11 this season.
Niemi stopped 70 of the 71 Pittsburgh shots he has faced this
season, 37 in a 3-0 season-opening win in Dallas on Oct. 8. He has
throttled Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (no points for the sixth
time in seven games), right winger Phil Kessel (two career goals
against Dallas) and center Evgeni Malkin, who had scored in three
consecutive games.
The Penguins (3-3-0) also couldn't convert on their five power
plays, including a five-on-three chance in the third period. They
are 2-for-25 with the man advantage this season.
The Stars, off to a 6-1-0 start that includes four consecutive road
wins, didn't get a point from either of their high-scoring forwards
-- the reigning NHL scoring champion, left winger Jamie Benn (10
points), and center Tyler Seguin (10 points) -- but they didn't need
any.
Pittsburgh controlled the early play with a 9-2 advantage in shots
that included multiple scoring chances by Malkin and Kessel.
However, the Stars switched the momentum with first-of-the-season
goals by defensemen Johnny Oduya and John Klingberg less than five
minutes apart.
"It was quick (at the start), but we were able to keep them out of
right in front of the net, not give them the rebounds," Niemi said.
"Then they quieted a little bit down and we got our own game back."
Penguins coach Mike Johnston didn't like how his team played after
that, saying, "I thought we tried to be too cute with the puck,
passing up shots ... and tried to make too many plays. That got us
in trouble because Dallas is a transition team. ... They're a
counterpunch team, and they've got a lot of speed."
Oduya scored his first goal in 40 regular-season games and 63 games
overall with a seemingly harmless wrist shot from the blue line at
10:55 that somehow eluded goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who didn't
appear to see the puck.
"I didn't think we were very good at the start," Oduya said. "I
thought they were way better. Nemo (Niemi) made some great saves,
otherwise we could have been down two or three goals."
After a delay-of-game penalty on Pittsburgh right winger Patric
Hornqvist, Fleury (19 saves) was screened by Benn on Klingberg's
power-play goal at 15:05. Klingberg's hard wrist shot from the left
point sailed under the crossbar.
"I had a good screen in front of the net," Klingberg said.
[to top of second column] |
Stars center Jason Spezza was stopped by Fleury on a backhander from
close range early in the second period. However, Spezza came back to
score his fifth goal of the season unassisted at 5:07 with a snap
shot created by Penguins left winger David Perron's ill-advised pass
to the slot.
"Offensively, we didn't create enough, and defensively we had some
turnovers," Crosby said. "It's not a good combination against a
quick team like that that can make you pay when they get odd-man
rushes."
Center Nick Bonino scored his first goal with Pittsburgh after
working a one-man forecheck, skating from behind the net to beat
Niemi to the short side at 11:20 of the second period.
Left winger Mattias Janmark restored Dallas' three-goal lead only
1:42 later on a rebound for his third of the season.
Pittsburgh couldn't score in the third period even after pulling
Fleury to create a six-on-three power play.
"We were blocking shots and (were) strong at the net and able to
clear in front of the net," Niemi said.
NOTES: Stars G Antti Niemi and G Kari Lehtonen are sharing the
goaltending job, an unusual arrangement these days in the NHL. ...
The Stars scratched D Patrik Nemeth and D Jamie Oleksiak. ... Stars
LW Travis Moen (upper body) is on injured reserve. ... The Penguins
ended 3-2 on a five-game homestand, their longest of the season.
They play six of the next seven on the road, including a western
Canada swing. ... Penguins RW/LW Pascal Dupuis played 12:43 in his
first game since Nov. 15, 2014. He appeared in only 55 games the
last two seasons because of an ACL tear and career-threatening blood
clots. He ended the game on Sidney Crosby's top line, replacing LW
Chris Kunitz, who has one goal in 28 games dating to last season.
... Penguins RW Daniel Sprong sat out a second consecutive game. The
Dutch-born Sprong spent several days in Canada ironing out a visa
issue. ... The Penguins scratched Sprong, RW Bobby Farnham and D
Adam Clendening.
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