NHL Update: Pittsburgh Penguins beat Buffalo Sabres, 3-2
Matt Cooke scored the game-winning goal in the middle session, as Pittsburgh Penguins satiated the need for a victory in a 3-2 romp of Buffalo Sabres, at CONSOL Energy Center on Friday night.
Dustin Jeffrey and Tyler Kennedy both also tallied goals for Pittsburgh, which has won five consecutive contests and eight of nine overall. Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 27-of-29 shots for the victors.
"They came out pretty strong and were up for a while," said Fleury. "We expected them to come out strong but we didn't want to let up those two quick goals. It's nice to see we didn't let down after that and came back to win it."
Paul Gaustad and Mike Grier both found the net for Buffalo, which dropped its second game in previous six. Ryan Miller gave up three goals on 39 shots in losing effort.
"We came out strong and started the game off right," said Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers. "But we let them off the hook in the second and third and it cost us."
Gaustad got Sabres on the board for 1-0 lead just 17 seconds into the opening period. The goal came when Alex Goligoski turned the puck over to Rob Niedermayer, who slipped a pass to Gaustad in the slot. Gaustad fired a shot that was blocked but he tucked
his own rebound over Fleury in a goalmouth scramble for his sixth goal of the season.
Sabres made it 2-0 game in eighth minute of the first period. Grier was credited with a wraparound goal when the puck deflected off the skate of a Penguins defenseman Deryk Engelland before crossing the line.
Penguins finally opened their scoring in the fourth minute of the middle stanza, when Jeffrey's backhander kicked out from Miller, banked off Buffalo forward Tim Connolly's skate and headed into the cage.
“I wouldn’t think that (Malkin’s injury) was a catalyst or an indicator that our team got going,” Coach Dan Bylsma said. “But we needed to wake up from where we were at in the first.”
Kennedy pulled Penguins even at 2-2 just two minutes later with a high wrist shot from the right circle, then 40 seconds later Pittsburgh sealed the win at 3-2, as Cooke received a pass from Jordan Staal and knocked a backhander into the net.
“There’s a huge recognition of responsibility when certain players aren’t in the line-up,” Cooke said. “We have to find ways to win. No one wants to see anyone get hurt, but it happens. I think we as a group do a great job, our defence, (Fleury), everybody.
Everyone’s stepping up and raising their level to help this team be successful.”
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