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Pens top Rangers in shootout

Feb 2, 2011 - 6:35 AM New York, NY (Sports Network) - Dustin Jeffrey scored the only goal of the shootout to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Jeffrey, who was recalled from Pittsburgh's minor league affiliate only hours prior to the game, also scored in regulation for the Penguins, who have won three straight and six of their last seven games overall. Michael Rupp and Chris Kunitz also scored while Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves in the win.

Ryan Callahan returned to action after missing time since mid-December with a broken hand and scored a goal for the Rangers, who are winless (0-1-1) in the first two contests of their current three-game homestand, which concludes on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils. Brandon Prust and Artem Anisimov also tallied for New York.

Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 23 shots.

"I thought we struggled a bit with their speed through the neutral zone," said Rangers head coach John Tortorella. "They have a defensive game in transition, and that's where I thought we struggled through a lot of the game."

After a scoreless overtime, neither side found the back of the net through six shootout frames. Finally, in the seventh round, Jeffrey lit the lamp with a wrister from in close and Fleury's pad save on Marian Gaborik sealed the win.

The Rangers grabbed an early lead with a goal less than four minutes into the game. Brian Boyle passed from below the left circle into the low slot for a one-timer by Wojtek Wolski. Fleury made the save, but failed to control the rebound and Prust easily tapped the disc over the goal line from the left post at the 3:52 mark.

Early in the second period at the 1:41 mark, Anisimov's 11th goal gave New York a 2-0 edge. A wrister from the low slot by Gaborik was batted from midair into the back of the net by Anisimov, who gained space near the top of the crease.

The visitors cut their deficit in half with a power-play goal less than four minutes later. With Kris Newbury in the box for an elbowing penalty, a rocket slap shot from atop the left circle by Jeffrey flew past Lundqvist at 5:30.

Midway through the second stanza, Rupp knotted the contest when, from the top of the crease, he poked home the rebound of Maxim Talbot's shot.

Pittsburgh's momentum continued and Kunitz' 17th goal at the 14:12 mark gave the Pens a 3-2 edge. A one-timer from along the half-wall on the left side by Zbynek Michalek was redirected past Lundqvist by Kunitz, who was stationed at the bottom of the near circle.

But the Rangers tied the score on the power play with only 12.5 seconds to go before the second intermission. Michael Del Zotto released a wrist shot from the right side above the circle and Callahan redirected into the back of the cage from the goal mouth.

"It was big to get that goal just before the third period," said Callahan.

Game Notes

Pittsburgh forward Jordan Staal was issued a match penalty for punching Prust in the face amidst a scrum in the neutral zone in the second period...The season series is tied 2-2, and both teams have won both games on the road...The Pens have now captured five straight at MSG...This marked the 10th straight game that superstar Sidney Crosby (concussion) missed, and Pittsburgh also played without star forward Evgeni Malkin, who missed his fourth straight contest with a knee injury and a sinus infection...The Rangers were 1-for-6 on the power play, while the Pens ended 1-for-3 with the extra skater.