Pens’ Neal scores overtime goal

February 3, 2014 at 10:48p.m.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — James Neal scored at 3:05 of overtime, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1 on Monday night.

Neal netted his 18th of the season and scored his first goal in nine games for the Penguins, who won for the 16th time in 17 home games and are now 23-4 at Consol Energy Center. Pittsburgh also avoided back-to-back regulation losses for the first time since dropping three straight in early November.

Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson stopped Robert Bortuzzo from the slot in overtime, but the rebound popped out to Neal, who dragged the puck around a Senators’ defender before dumping a shot past an out-of-position Anderson and into an empty net.

Ottawa’s Stephane Da Costa and Pittsburgh’s Brian Gibbons scored in the first period.