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Pens keep rolling, top Rangers in shootout

Nov 16, 2014 - 6:39 AM Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Brandon Sutter scored in the fourth round of the shootout to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a measure of revenge against the New York Rangers with a 3-2 victory.

The win was Pittsburgh's ninth in 10 games, with the only blemish over that stretch coming Tuesday at Madison Square to a Rangers team that also ended the Penguins' 2013-14 season in seven games during the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Evgeni Malkin contributed a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh and Blake Comeau also tallied in the triumph, with Marc-Andre Fleury coming up with 29 saves in a sharper effort than Tuesday's 5-0 loss in New York.

"It's important when you have a tough night that you can rebound," Penguins head coach Mike Johnston said. "We knew we had them again this week."

Henrik Lundqvist made 36 saves, including stops of Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang on breakaways in overtime, for the Rangers. Lee Stempniak and Martin St. Louis each had goals in the loss, New York's fourth in its last five outings.

After the rivals battled to a scoreless third period and an overtime session highlighted by Lundqvist's two game-saving denials, Derek Stepan was successful on the Rangers' first shootout try and Crosby countered for Pittsburgh in the second round.

New York then appeared to have the game won when Dan Boyle slid a shot past Fleury in the third round, but the goal was disallowed when replays showed his attempt hit the post before striking his stick for a double-hit.

Both teams had already gone to their respective locker rooms before being summoned back to continue the shootout.

"That's a high to a low in a hurry," Boyle said. "I think we left a point out there, that's the way I look at it."

Sutter capitalized by rifling the puck through Lundqvist's pads to start the fourth round, and Fleury turned aside Rick Nash with his left arm to give the Penguins the two points.

A wide-open first period saw the teams trade goals within a 15-second span. Comeau briefly put Pittsburgh ahead by sneaking a wrister under Lundqvist's arm on a 3-on-2 rush with 5:48 remaining in the frame, but the Rangers quickly answered when Stempniak backhanded in the carom of Dan Girardi's long drive after the Penguins couldn't clear the puck from the New York zone.

Just under two minutes after Stempniak's score, Fleury stopped Nash from in close on a Rangers' power play. However, Derick Brassard corralled the rebound and sent the puck to St. Louis, who roofed home the pass for a 2-1 New York lead.

The Penguins put together a stronger second period, outshooting the Rangers by a 15-6 count and drawing even when Nick Spaling intercepted Boyle's pass and fed Malkin for a quick shot that beat Lundqvist to the glove side 8:09 into the session.

New York was awarded a 4-on-3 power play with 1:42 left in overtime when Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi took down Chris Kreider from behind on a partial breakaway.

The Rangers failed to convert the opportunity, but still managed to force the shootout when Lundqvist stoned Letang with the blueliner fresh out of the penalty box with 4.8 seconds to go.

Game Notes

Girardi briefly left the game in the third period after receiving a hard hit from Malkin, but returned to the ice near the end of regulation ... Crosby has now been held without a point in five straight meetings with New York that include last season's playoff series ... Pittsburgh had gone 20-for-20 on the penalty kill over its previous five home games ... Nash skated in his 800th career NHL game.