Oilers down Penguins in shootout at CONSOL

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Matt Hendricks and Jordan Eberle scored in a shootout and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Saturday night.

Hendricks deked around Penguins goaltender Jeff Zatkoff to start the shootout, and then Eberle put a quick shot between Zatkoff’s legs. Oilers goaltender Anders Nilsson stopped David Perron and Sidney Crosby.

Leon Draisaitl scored his eighth and Lauri Korpikoski his third and the Oilers ended a five-game road losing streak and three-game skid overall.

After Edmonton led 2-0, Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin scored his 10th and 11th goals early in the second period. The Penguins dropped their second straight and have lost three of four.

Edmonton also won in Pittsburgh for the first time since Jan. 10, 2006 and has won here just twice in 22 1/2 years. Edmonton lost eight of its previous 10 against the Penguins.

Malkin has seven goals and 10 points in his last six games and Crosby continued a season-high five-game point streak with an assist. Pittsburgh has at least one point in five of its last six games.

Nilsson, making his fifth start in six games, stopped 39 shots. Zatkoff, making his second start against Edmonton and fifth this season, made 34 saves.

Pittsburgh was forced to kill an overtime penalty after Crosby hooked Oscar Klefbom on a breakaway following a turnover. The Oilers nearly ended it in overtime, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ one-timer from the top of the crease sailed over the goal.

Zatkoff kept the game tied at 2 early in the third period when he stopped Benoit Pouliot on a penalty shot. He denied Nugent-Hopkins later from point-blank range following Adam Clendening’s turnover, and then Iiro Pakarinen missed a centering pass with Zatkoff out of position.

Draisaitl scored his eighth of the season 2:02 into the game, converting a rebound off Taylor Hall’s shot in front. He has points in nine of 14 games since he was recalled Oct. 29 from AHL Bakersfield.

Korpikoski gave the Oilers a 2-0 lead later in the period, a power-play goal scored 5 seconds after Penguins D Rob Scuderi was called for tripping.

Malkin scored twice in the first 3:29 of the second period to tie it.

His first, scored 48 seconds into the period, was a highlight-reel goal that started when he stripped Klefbom on a backcheck in the neutral zone. Malkin entered 1-on-1 against Mark Fayne, spun to his backhand and roofed a shot over Nilsson’s shoulder.

Malkin tied it 2:41 later with a slap shot from the right point on the power play. The Penguins have a power-play goal in a season-high six straight games. Pittsburgh, which started the season with two power-play goals in its first nine games, has scored with the man advantage in 11 of the previous 14 contests.

NOTES

Oilers F Jujhar Khaira became the third player of East-Indian descent to play in the NHL. ... Saturday marked the 500th regular-season game in which Crosby and Malkin have played together. ... Oilers D Justin Schultz returned to the lineup for the first time since Oct. 25. He was out with a back injury. ... The Oilers close a five-game trip Monday night at Toronto. Pittsburgh will begin a four-game West Coast trip Tuesday night against San Jose.