LDN - Sports

Kessel lifts Penguins over Capitals on banner night

[October 14, 2016] PITTSBURGH -- Same teams, same extremely competitive game, same overtime result. The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins picked up where they left off five months ago, with one big difference.

Marc-Andre Fleury was back in net for the Penguins, just like in the previous 10 season openers, and he looked like he had something to prove.

Phil Kessel scored the decisive goal in the shootout, Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist to support Fleury's strong night in net, and the Penguins beat the rival Capitals 3-2 in their season opener on Thursday night.

Malkin, Kris Letang and Kessel all beat Braden Holtby to score in the shootout, while Fleury turned aside two of the four Capitals shooters, including Alex Ovechkin when he couldn't score to answer Kessel's decisive shot.

"He's one of best goalies in the league for a reason -- sometimes you've got to rely on that goalie," Penguins forward Conor Sheary said of Fleury's 39-save night. We relied on Flower for some big saves tonight."

Or just like they did for so many seasons before, since Fleury broke into the NHL in 2003. Only they won the Cup with Fleury starting only once in the playoffs last spring, benched for raw rookie Matt Murray after sustaining his second concussion of the season.

But with Murray currently out with a broken hand that occurred in the World Cup, Fleury again looked like the franchise goalie the Penguins long considered him to be.

"Starting the season, there were a little bit of nerves, (and I) had to go back into it," Fleury said. "It's good to get back into it, see a few shots."

The 2015-16 Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals opened their season in the very building, albeit a renamed one, where their 2015-16 season ended -- and with the same result, an overtime loss, just as in the decisive Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. It was their seventh playoff loss in eight series against Pittsburgh.

"The pucks weren't bouncing our way early and we weren't really clicking, but once we got going in the third I thought we played pretty good," Washington left wing Marcus Johansson said.

Andre Burakovsky scored twice for Washington, including the tying goal in the third, but Fleury made six saves alone in overtime -- including several difficult stops on Burakovsky and Alex Ovechkin that kept the extra period going. Holtby, last season's Vezina Trophy winner, made 28 saves.

"We're thrilled for Marc, how hard he battled to come back last year.

He's worked extremely hard to get to this point and he made some really good saves, especially in overtime and down the stretch," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.

The Penguins raised their Stanley Cup banner before the game as the Capitals sat patiently in their dressing room, then took a 2-1 lead into the third period before Burakovsky scored his second of the game, taking advantage of an Olli Maatta giveaway to beat Fleury with a wrister. Nicklas Backstrom set up both Burakovsky goals, with the first coming less than a minute into the game.

Both teams returned virtually intact from last season, although the Penguins were without captain Sidney Crosby, who sat out with a concussion that was diagnosed only four days before.

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Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) skates with the Stanley Cup prior to playing the Washington Capitals at the PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Malkin often is at his best when Crosby is injured, and he was again in the Penguins' first home game since they won the franchise's fourth Stanley Cup, getting the so-called Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist and a fight) by the end of the second period.

With the score tied at 1 late in the second period, Sheary stole the puck from T.J. Oshie at the blue line and threw it ahead to Malkin, who shifted the puck from his forehand to his backhand to slip it under Holtby at 18:52, his 65th goal and 151st point in 112 career games without Crosby.

Malkin's fight -- at least the third involving the two rivals in the first 40 minutes -- came after right wing Justin Williams grabbed him by the neck and threw him hard to the ice along the rear boards with four seconds remaining in the period. Williams was given only a two-minute roughing penalty.

Malkin also assisted on Patric Hornqvist's game-tying goal at 8:47 of the second. Hornqvist barely ticked Letang's shot from a couple of feet inside the blue line that sailed past three Capitals players and Holtby, who immediately signaled that Hornqvist's stick might have been above the crossbar. The goal was upheld on replay.

"I thought it was pretty clear," Holtby said. "It's tough when play a team like Pittsburgh and you get that against you, because you know they're not going to give you too much after that, it's going to be a tight game. It was tough."

NOTES: Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury lost his starting job to Matt Murray late last season, but started his 11th consecutive season opener Thursday. Murray remains out with a broken hand. ... Former Boston College F Zach Sanford, who unexpectedly made the Capitals roster during training camp, made his NHL debut on the third line with C Lars Eller and RW Justin Williams. He had one shot in 14:46 of ice time. ... Penguins F Matt Cullen, who turns 40 next month, replaced captain Sidney Crosby (concussion) on the top line. ... Washington scratched D Taylor Chorney and RW Brett Connolly. Pittsburgh held out D Derrick Pouliot and the injured Crosby and Murray. ... Twenty-one of the 23 players on the Penguins' season-opening roster appeared with the team during the playoffs last season. ... The Capitals were the NHL's Presidents' Trophy winners last season, only to be eliminated by the Penguins in six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. ... ... Penguins co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle explored selling the franchise last season, as they've done previously, but team president David Morehouse said it is no longer for sale. ... The Penguins' arena, formerly known as Consol Energy Center, was renamed PPG Paints Arena only last week.

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