Penguins beat Ducks 2-1 in overtime to end losing streak

By The Associated Press on October 31, 2024.

Pittsburgh Penguins' Rickard Rakell (67) puts a shot past Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) for a goal with Marcus Foligno (17) defending during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. The Wild won 5-3. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Sidney Crosby scored his second goal of the game 2:35 into overtime as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 on Thursday night to end a six-game losing streak.

Crosby found himself in alone on Lukas Dostal and hit the brakes before roofing the puck over the Ducks’ goaltender for the 93rd game-winning goal of his career.

Alex Nedeljkovic made 22 saves for Pittsburgh, which outshot Anaheim 46-23. Dostal stopped 44 shots to keep the Ducks in it, but it still wasn’t enough.

Alex Killorn picked up his second goal of the season for the Ducks, who ended a four-game East Coast trip with a 1-2-1 mark.

Anaheim led going into the third period before Crosby tied it with a redirect off a point shot from Matt Grzelcyk 1:47 into the final frame.

FLYERS 2, BLUES 1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Bobby Brink redirected Joel Farabee’s feed past goalie Jordan Binnington with 3:01 left in Philadelphia’s victory over St. Louis.

Garnet Hathaway also scored and Sam Ersson made 20 saves to help Philadelphia win consecutive games for the first time this season. St. Louis has lost three straight and four of five.

Hathaway opened the scoring midway through the first period on a nice feed from Ryan Poehlinfgm who weaved through the defense and slid a backhand pass to his linemate.

Ersson followed up his shutout Tuesday night at Boston with another strong performance. His only blemish came midway through the third period when Nathan Walker snapped a shot past him off a carom off Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim’s skate on a shot by Philip Broberg.

CAPITALS 6, CANADIENS 3

WASHINGTON (AP) – Alex Ovechkin scored his 858th career goal and had two assists, and Washington beat Montreal to continue their strong start.

Ovechkin is now 37 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. After making Cayden Primeau the 176th different goaltender he has scored on, Ovechkin is on pace for 45 this season, which would put him at 895 and perhaps beyond this spring.

Before scoring with 7:33 left in the third period, Ovechkin set up goals by Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas. Wilson ended an 0-for-22 power-play drought with his team-leading sixth goal of the season.

Brandon Duhaime and Jakub Vrana scored less than a minute apart, and new dad Connor McMichael also had a goal for the Capitals, who improved to 7-2-0. They last won seven of their first nine games in 2015-16.

Montreal’s Cole Caufield scored his 10th to tie New Jersey captain Nico Hischier for the league lead. Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki had the other goals for the Canadiens, and Primeau stopped 28 shots.

MAPLE LEAFS 4, KRAKEN 1

TORONTO (AP) – William Nylander scored twice, Joseph Woll made 24 saves and Toronto beat Seattle.

Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews, with a bank-shot empty-netter, also scored to help Toronto improve to 6-4-1. Matthews also had an assist.

Eeli Tolvanen scored for Seattle. Joey Daccord stopped 26 shots.

Knies opened the scoring late in the first period, and Nylander scored twice in the second.

Tolvanen spoiled Woll’s bid for his second career shutout with 3:28 left in regulation and Daccord on the bench for an extra attacker.

HURRICANES 8, BRUINS 2

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Jack Roslovic and Andrei Svechnikov each scored twice and Carolina returned home for the first time in more than two weeks to rout Boston for their fifth straight victory.

Carolina scored three times in a 52-second span in its four-goal first period.

Martin Necas had a goal and an assist, Dmitry Orlov, Sean Walker and Jesperi Kotkaniemi also scored, and Seth Jarvis had two assists. Pyotr Kochetkov made 13 saves.

Brad Marchand and Humpus Lindholm scored, but the Bruins fell to 1-4-1 in their last six games. Jeremy Swayman was pulled after allowing six goals on 22 shots before the midway mark.

Roslovic scored 6:28 into the game. After Marchand tied it, the Hurricanes had rapid-fire goals from Svechnikov, Orlov and Necas, with two of those on power plays.

OILERS 5, PREDATORS 1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Leon Draisaitl scored two goals and assisted another to lead Edmonton to a victory over Nashville.

Viktor Arvidsson, Corey Perry and Zach Hyman also scored, and Calvin Pickard made 26 saves for the Oilers, who have won three of their last four. Edmonton played its first game since losing team captain Connor McDavid to an ankle injury in the first period of Monday night’s 6-1 loss to the Blue Jackets.

Filip Forsberg scored, and Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators.

Playing in his first career NHL game, Edmonton’s Noah Philp picked up the secondary assist on Perry’s first-period goal for his first NHL point.

SHARKS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) – Will Smith scored twice for his first NHL goals, and San Jose beat Chicago.

The Sharks have won three straight after going winless in their first nine games, while the Blackhawks have dropped five of their last six.

On a power play midway through the second period, Smith ““ the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft ““ scored the winning goal with a wrist shot off the crossbar.

Ryan Donato and Tyler Bertuzzi scored 50 seconds apart in the first period to give Chicago a 2-1 lead, with Connor Murphy assisting on both goals. Donato’s goal was 37 seconds after Smith opened the scoring.

Alexander Wennberg tied the game at 2 early in the second for San Jose.

Mackenzie Blackwood and Petr Mrazek each stopped 26 shots, but Blackwood will be credited with the win.