Murray, Penguins shut out Coyotes 7-0

[December 13, 2016]  PITTSBURGH -- Matt Murray had a 32-save shutout and seven players scored Monday as the Pittsburgh Penguins overwhelmed the Arizona Coyotes 7-0 for their season-high sixth win in a row.

Murray, still a rookie in terms of Calder Trophy eligibility despite helping Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup last season, improved to 11-2-0 with his second shutout of the season, the third of his career.

Pittsburgh also owns a season-best, five-game home winning streak and has scored 30 goals during that stretch.

Scott Wilson scored the only goal of the first period before Nick Bonino, Trevor Daley, Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby scored in the second for a 5-0 lead.

Phil Kessel, on one of his typical slap shots, and Justin Schultz, on a power play, added goals in the third.

Evgeni Malkin had two assists to extend his point streak at home to 12 games. Crosby, who scored for the fourth straight game, has an eight-game point streak. Bonino registered an assist in addition to his goal.

The Coyotes (9-14-5) fell to 1-4-2 in their past seven games. It was the opener of a four-game road trip.

The Penguins (19-7-3) dominated the first period, including a 15-7 shot advantage, but had just a 1-0 lead to show for it.

Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith was screened when Wilson, from near the left dot, lifted a shot over Smith's glove and inside the far post at 8:40.

For the second game in a row, Pittsburgh got an injury scare involving its captain and the NHL's goal leader. With three seconds left in the first, Crosby got tangled with teammate Kris Letang and Arizona's Martin Hanzal, resulting in a stick to the face. Crosby was on the ice briefly before going to the dressing room.

There was no penalty on the play.

Crosby returned about a minute into the second period.

On Saturday at Tampa, Crosby went through the NHL concussion protocol but later said he simply got a neck stinger when he was checked into the glass. He returned in that game, too.

Bonino gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead with an unassisted goal at 4:30 of the second. He picked off a clearing attempt and scored from the lower part of the right circle.

Penguins goalie Matt Murray (30) makes a save against the Arizona Coyotes during the third period at the PPG PAINTS Arena. The Penguins won 6-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Daley upped the margin to 3-0 at 6:58 when he got a loose puck in the slot off another Arizona turnover and scored another unassisted goal.

Rust, from the top of the slot, made it 4-0 at 8:30 and chased Smith for backup Louis Domingue. Smith stopped 18 of the 22 shots he faced.

It was Crosby's turn next. He batted an Evgeni Malkin rebound out of the air and under the crossbar for a power-play goal and a 5-0 lead at 15:13 of the second. It was his 21st goal in his 23rd game.

Domingue wound up allowing three goals on 12 shots.

NOTES: Monday was the one-year anniversary of Mike Sullivan's appointment as the Penguins' coach. He guided the team to the Stanley Cup title last spring. ... The Penguins stuck with a plan to use Kris Letang and Trevor Daley on the points during power plays after the two-defenseman look netted three man-advantage goals Saturday. ... C Josh Jooris, picked up Sunday off waivers from the New York Rangers, made his Coyotes debut. ... C Peter Holland, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs last week, still awaits his Arizona debut, thanks to the standard visa issues that go with moving from a Canadian team to the United States. ... D Michael Stone played after the Coyotes made him a healthy scratch Saturday. ... D Connor Murphy did not travel to Pittsburgh while he has an upper-body injury evaluated. He could join Arizona during its road trip. ... Pittsburgh scratched C Eric Fehr and D Steve Oleksy; the Coyotes scratched LW Anthony Duclair and D Kevin Connauton.

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