(SportsNetwork.com) – The Pittsburgh Penguins take aim at a seventh straight
victory on Saturday night as they battle the Buffalo Sabres for the second
time in a week.
Pittsburgh’s current winning streak, its longest since claiming seven straight
from Dec. 9-21 of last season, includes a 5-0 win over Buffalo last Saturday.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 18 saves in the shutout, Chris Kunitz had two goals and
an assist and Evgeni Malkin finished with a goal and two helpers.
Sidney Crosby added three assists to the Penguins’ fourth straight victory and
13 in their past 17 against the Sabres.
Jhonas Enroth made 29 saves for the Sabres, who have dropped three in a row
and five of six to the Pens at home.
The win for Fleury began an impressive stretch for the netminder, who was
coming off a shutout victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 30 and then
signed a four-year, $23 million extension on Wednesday.
Fleury, who had gotten the night off in a 4-1 win over Minnesota on Tuesday,
returned to the net on Thursday and made 34 saves in a 4-3 shootout win over
the Winnipeg Jets. He pushed his personal shutout streak to a career-high 164
minutes and 22 seconds before the Jets got one past him in the opening period.
Malkin was held without a point for the first time in 12 games, but both he
and Crosby scored in the shootout. Brandon Sutter had a goal and two assists
in regulation, with Steve Downie scoring once and assisting on a tally by
Simon Despres.
“I think both teams had their opportunities to win the game at different
points,” Crosby said. “First period they carried the play, second we did,
third and overtime was probably anybody’s game. It was a pretty good hockey
game, all in all.”
Pittsburgh has won the first two of a five-game road trip and Fleury should
get the start again on Saturday. He is 16-5-2 with a 2.30 goals against
average and .917 save percentage in his career versus Buffalo, with last
Saturday’s win his third career shutout against the club.
The Sabres wrap a four-game homestand coming off their ninth victory in 11
games. They were bested 3-2 on Friday night by the Edmonton Oilers, with
Michal Neuvirth needing to make a season-high 49 saves to keep it close.
Matt Moulson scored his first goal of the season and Drew Stafford also
tallied.
“We had a 2-1 lead in this game, but it wasn’t enough if we don’t compete,”
said Buffalo head coach Ted Nolan.
Enroth, originally scheduled to start on Friday before Nolan made a switch,
could go tonight instead and is 1-4-0 with a 3.12 GAA and .899 save percentage
lifetime versus the Penguins.
Neuvirth, who has made three starts in a row, is 2-1-2 with a 2.13 GAA, .926
save percentage and two shutouts versus the Pens.
