Comeau’s OT goal lifts Penguins

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

The Pittsburgh Penguins and captain Sidney Crosby hope that a recent bout with the mumps is a thing of the past.

Blake Comeau scored 2:24 into overtime to give the Penguins a 1-0 victory against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 29 shots, registering his career-best sixth shutout of the season just hours after the Penguins thought their starting goaltender had the mumps.

“It wasn’t the mumps,” Fleury said. “Everybody goes through life with a cold here and there. It’s no big deal. I felt good.”

Fleury, who recorded the 34th shutout of his career, was tested after missing Wednesday’s practice with an illness, but the results came back negative and he was cleared for Thursday’s game.

Crosby did have the mumps and the Penguins’ captain returned Thursday after missing three games. The Penguins, who managed two wins and five of a possible six points without their captain, now have six wins in their last nine games.

“I think, as a hockey player, you crave that routine and competing,” Crosby said. “It’s much better talking about hockey than that other stuff.”

Comeau’s goal was his 11th of the season. He tapped his third game-winner of the year past goaltender Calvin Pickard after Evgeni Malkin deflected Rob Scuderi’s shot from the point in front. Malkin has points in six straight games.

“There are going to be times when goals are tough to come by,” Comeau said. “[Malkin] did a good job of tipping [the shot], it popped out to me and I was at the right spot at the right time.”

Pickard stopped 47 shots for the Avalanche, who lost for the sixth time in seven games and have one win in December.

“He played a really strong game for us and allowed us to be in that game,” Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. “Obviously, he was our star player.”