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Staal scores twice as Pens down Devils

Oct 23, 2011 - 4:55 AM Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Jordan Staal scored twice and Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.

Richard Park had two assists while Chris Kunitz and James Neal each had a goal for the Penguins, who have won their past three games.

"I'll take a night like this anytime," said Staal, whose second goal of the game was the 100th of his career. "It's nice to win the game when you reach a milestone like that."

Patrik Elias scored a shorthanded goal for the Devils, who have dropped two straight after winning their previous three. Johan Hedberg gave up all four goals on 29 shots.

A high sticking call to David Clarkson 5:31 into the first led to a Pittsburgh power play and Staal got the goal as he one-timed a short pass from Park at the left circle into the right corner of the net.

The score stayed that way until the third period when Petr Sykora was issued a double minor for high sticking.

It was Elias' stick that hit the Penguin in the face, but Sykora was sent to the box and the Devils were able to take advantage of the miscue from the referees.

"It was unrespectable to the referee for me but I was trying to help my team," said Sykora. "I didn't want Patty (Elias) going to the penalty box because he's on our first PK unit."

Skating into the Pittsburgh end down the left side, Ilya Kovalchuk sent a backhand pass from the left circle on the fly that was slowed down by a defender, but got through and Elias one-timed it home at the 1:47 mark to tie the game.

However, the game was tied for just 80 seconds as Pittsburgh scored on the second minor when a pass from the high slot by Kris Letang went over to the right circle where Kunitz one-timed it home.

Just 1:10 later, Staal notched his second goal of the game when he got the puck in the slot, cut over to the right side to get past Kovalchuk and lifted a backhander into the net for a 3-1 lead.

Five minutes later it was a 4-1 game when Neal dug the puck out of a scrum along the right boards and turned around before throwing a quick shot on net that fooled Hedberg.

Game Notes

Pittsburgh center Evgeni Malkin sat out a fifth straight game with soreness in his surgically repaired right knee...Pittsburgh starts a home-and-home set with the Islanders in New York on Tuesday...New Jersey continues its four-game road trip in Los Angeles on Tuesday...Pittsburgh took four of six from New Jersey last season.