Kessel’s goal powers Penguins past Capitals

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Phil Kessel netted the go-ahead goal off Evgeni Malkin’s pass less than 2 minutes after Beau Bennett tied it in the third period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins ended Washington’s five-game winning streak by beating the Capitals 3-1 on Wednesday night.

After a pair of scoreless periods and superb play by both goalies, Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov put the hosts ahead about 11/2 minutes into the third, when his wrist shot appeared to deflect off the left skate of Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi and past Marc-Andre Fleury.

All of 24 seconds later, it was tied thanks to Bennett, who missed the past five games with an injury. His initial shot was blocked by Braden Holtby, but Bennett put in the rebound. Soon after, Malkin sent the puck in front of the goal and through defenseman Karl Alzner’s legs to Kessel for his fourth goal.

Nick Bonino added an empty-net goal with less than 2 minutes left.

In Pittsburgh’s previous game, Kessel scored the winner 41 seconds into overtime to beat Nashville 2-1.

Fleury, making his ninth consecutive start, finished with 33 saves, including stopping Alex Ovechkin on a rush with Kuznetsov with 51/2 minutes remaining. Holtby made 22 saves.

Neither Ovechkin nor Sidney Crosby registered a point.

Since opening the season with three losses in a row, the Penguins have won five of their past six games, even though their power play has been the NHL’s worst, now 2 for 31 this season.

Thanks to overlapping penalties on Washington’s Chandler Stephenson and Brooks Orpik, the Penguins had 105 seconds of 5-on-3 time. But not only did they fail to score, they only managed to put two shots on net during that two-man advantage.

Then, 4 seconds after the game was back at even-strength, Alzner was sent off for high-sticking. When a game official went over to get him off the bench and make him head across the ice to the penalty box, Alzner looked up incredulously and asked, “High stick?”

Once again, the Penguins’ poor power play could not convert.

Things got a little chippy at the end of the second, when Crosby and Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom traded jabs with their sticks and jawed a bit at each other skating up the ice. Separately, Washington’s Tom Wilson and Pittsburgh’s Ian Cole drew matching penalties for a skirmish near the Penguins net with 21 seconds left in that period.

Notes

D Kris Letang became fourth blueliner to play in 500 games with the Penguins. Orpik played in the most games with Pittsburgh of any defenseman, with 703. ... Last season, the Capitals went 3-1 against the Penguins, outscoring them 13-5, and Holtby had shutouts in two of those games. ... As part of Hockey Fights Cancer Night, and in connection with Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, a 12-year-old from Maryland participated in a ceremonial puck drop between Ovechkin and Crosby. Fans booed loudly when Crosby’s name was announced.