Final
Pens top Caps for 13th straight home win
Jan 16, 2014 - 7:15 AM Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Olli Maatta scored the go-ahead goal with 1:54 remaining in the third period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins set a franchise record with a 13th consecutive home win by edging the Washington Capitals, 4-3.Kris Letang, Jussi Jokinen and Taylor Pyatt also scored for the Penguins, who are 5-0-1 in their last six games. Marc-Andre Fleury earned the win with 25 saves.
The Capitals have lost three straight and seven of their last nine games (2-3-4).
Washington had taken a 3-2 lead on Alex Ovechkin's NHL-best 34th goal of the season at 8:35 of the third, but Jokinen tied the game three minutes later while the teams skated 4-on-4.
Maatta then gave Pittsburgh its only lead of the game when he took an Evgeni Malkin pass and snapped a wrist shot from atop the left circle through a Pyatt screen.
"Even though it didn't go our way at times, got down in the third, we kept fighting back and it was a great way to get the 13th win," said Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma.
Brooks Laich and Jason Chimera supplied the other goals for Washington, which got 33 saves from Michal Neuvirth.
"We figured out a way to get a lead in the third against a fresher team and we didn't sustain it and you have to be able to," said Washington head coach Adam Oates.
The Capitals were outshot 17-10 in the first period, but held a 1-0 lead on Laich's short-handed marker. Laich picked up Letang's wayward pass, triggering a counterattack. Letang went down to deny a pass on the 2-on-1 rush, but Laich was able to get the puck back and beat Fleury from the slot at 13:09.
Letang pulled Pittsburgh even seven seconds prior to the midway point of the second period, firing home a Sidney Crosby pass to finish a rush.
Washington regained the lead when Chimera concluded a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with a tap-in goal from the doorstep at 14:31 of the second period.
Pyatt's one-timer from the slot quickly tied things up at 16:08.
Game Notes
The Penguins previously won 12 straight home games from Feb. 22-March 30 last season ... Pittsburgh has won six straight over the Capitals ... Crosby extended his point streak at home to 17 games ... Washington forward Joel Ward played in his 400th career NHL game ... Penguins forward James Neal missed Wednesday's game with an upper-body injury.
- WASHINGTON: 3
PITTSBURGH: 4
Final
Jan 15 10:31 PM - Pittsburgh Goal - Olli Maatta (4), from Evgeni Malkin at 18:06.
Capitals 3, Penguins 4 3rd - 1:54Jan 15 10:28 PM - WASHINGTON: 2
PITTSBURGH: 2
End of 2nd
Jan 15 9:37 PM - WASHINGTON: 1
PITTSBURGH: 0
End of 1st
Jan 15 8:43 PM - Washington Short-Handed Goal - Brooks Laich (5), at 13:09.
Capitals 1, Penguins 0 1st - 6:51Jan 15 8:33 PM - WASHINGTON: 0
PITTSBURGH: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Jan 15 8:10 PM
Related News
- The week ahead: Penguins have opportunity for big — and important — week Dec 26
- Pens Points: Holiday Hangover Dec 26
- Celebrating the holiday with the Penguins’ Christmas-themed videos of the past Dec 24
- Pens/Sens Recap: Pittsburgh plays well in one period, salvage one point in Ottawa Dec 23
- Gamethread: Pens @ Sens Dec 23
- Game Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Ottawa Senators 12/23/2023 - Lines, how to watch Dec 23
- Thoughts on Thoughts: Pens looking for defense, Crosby tinkering with stick pattern Dec 22
- Penguins weekly stock report: Alex Nedeljkovic gets on a roll Dec 22
- Pens Points: Surviving the Storm Dec 22
- Penguins/Hurricanes Recap: Crosby only Pens’ goal scorer in game, shootout to lead team to victory Dec 21
- Gamethread: Hurricanes @ Penguins Dec 21
- Penguins players visit patients at UPMC Children’s Hospital Dec 21