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Kessel's shootout goal lifts Bruins over Penguins

Jan 19, 2007 - 5:37 AM BOSTON (Ticker) -- Boston rookie Phil Kessel appears to be coming of age.

Kessel assisted on the tying goal in the third period and scored in the fourth round of the shootout to give the Bruins a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 19-year-old center, who was drafted fifth overall in June, recorded his first career multi-goal game with a pair of tallies in Boston's 6-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. With Thursday's shootout even at 1-1, Kessel skated in on Marc-Andre Fleury and slipped the puck between the goaltender's pads to secure the victory.

"I have a move set," Kessel said. "If he takes it away low, I was going to go high. That's about it."

Kessel has two goals and an assist in seven games after missing a month due to cancer surgery.

"I hadn't played in the NHL for like a month, and I'm getting back into it now," he said. "We got a good win today. I thought we played well. I thought we generated some chances and we got a win. That's the main goal."

Trailing 4-3, the Bruins tied the game with 6:22 remaining in the third, when Marc Savard banged in a rebound from the doorstep shortly after Boston successfully killed a 5-on-3 disadvantage that lasted nearly two minutes.

"Phil got a shift with us," Savard said. "He worked hard in the corner, battled, got a shot off and the rebound came out and it was right there. A bit of luck, but that's what happens when you work. I think you get breaks."

"Their goalie made some good saves," Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien said of the power play. "We hit the crossbar and then (Boston goaltender Hannu Toivonen) made a fantastic save on (Evgeni) Malkin. At least tonight, we got some chances."

The goal extended Savard's points streak to five games in which he has four goals and six assists.

Malkin scored twice and fellow rookie Jordan Staal added a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who also lost a shootout decision to the Bruins on November 22.

Malkin's first goal came with 97 seconds remaining in the first period, when he snapped a shot from the left faceoff circle over Toivonen's glove to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. His completed his third multi-goal game of the season at 14:39 of the second, forging a 3-3 tie with a shot from the low faceoff circle that also sailed over Toivonen's glove.

Glen Murray and defenseman Brad Stuart each scored a goal and set up another and Savard notched two assists for Boston, which won for just the third time in 10 games.

Pittsburgh fell to 0-6-3 in its last nine visits to Boston. The Penguins last won here on November 1, 2003.

"You're never going to complain about points, but it doesn't make it any easier," said Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby, who assisted on Ryan Malone's first-period goal. "It's still a tough loss. We have to move forward."