Malkin, Kessel reunite in Pens’ win

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan understands the risk/reward when he pairs Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel.

When fully engaged and focused on the finer points of the game, they are as dynamic as any second-line duo in the NHL. When they’re not, things can get sloppy. Really sloppy.

So Sullivan will occasionally split them up, as he did with Pittsburgh’s offense languishing at the end of a road trip out West.

Yet Sullivan almost always puts them back together, confident the good will outweigh whatever baggage might come along with it.

The evidence was on display during a workmanlike 3-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night. Malkin and Kessel both had a goal and two assists as the Penguins put together a clinical performance to take some of the sting out of an uneven five-game swing through Western Canada.

“They were threats most shifts,” Sullivan said. “They’re playing hard right now. ... What our coaching staff really likes is how hard they’re playing, how committed they are.”

Funny how much better the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions look when that happens.

“We’re excited to play together but we need to understand it’s one game,” Malkin said. “It’s important, but now we need to do it more.”

Justin Schultz scored in his return from a concussion and Matt Murray stopped 24 shots to stretch his home unbeaten streak to 13 games.

Tobias Rieder got his third goal of the season for the Coyotes, who fell to an NHL-worst 2-13-2. Antti Raanta made 34 saves but was sloppy in the early going as the Penguins raced to a quick lead.

Schultz scored 59 seconds into the game and Malkin made it 2-0 just over two minutes later. That was more than enough for Murray, who was rarely challenged.

“Those are tough games sometimes,” Murray said.

“You get periods of time where you’re just standing there doing nothing and trying to keep yourself engaged and all of a sudden it’s a 3-on-1 or a breakaway. It can be a bit difficult at times but as a team we did a good job handling it, keeping them contained and not giving them a whole lot.”

Raanta settled down after his sluggish start and kept Arizona in it thanks in part to a sprawling save with his right pad to thwart a 2-on-1.