PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins top the St. Louis Blues 4-2 on Saturday night.
Malkin scored his 14th of the season on the power play. It was his third goal in two games. Malkin also set up Drew O’Connor’s fourth of the year.
Jeff Carter scored his fourth goal for Pittsburgh in the third period, and Sidney Crosby’s 20th of the season was an empty-netter. Tristan Jarry made 25 stops.
Crosby is one point from tying Joe Thornton for 12th place on the NHL’s career points list. He became the 19th player in NHL history to score 400 even-strength goals and 22nd in NHL history with 16 seasons of 20 or more goals.
The Penguins improved to 6-1-1 in their last eight games.
Robert Thomas scored his team-leading 15th of the season for the Blues, while former Penguin Kasperi Kapanen added his fourth.
Joel Hofer stopped 26 shots for the Blues, who have lost two straight following a three-game winning streak. St. Louis is 5-3 under interim coach Drew Bannister.
Carter gave Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead at 4:48 of the third period. Hofer tried to play the puck up the boards, but Jansen Harkins intercepted and sent a pass to Carter, who redirected a one-timer across the line.
Kapanen scored on a deflection at 10:21 to make it a 3-2 game. Kapanen, who was picked 22nd overall by Pittsburgh in the 2014 draft, stopped a 21-game drought with his first goal since Nov. 14.
O’Connor opened the scoring for Pittsburgh at 15:32 of the first. He took a pass from Malkin and fired a one-timer past Hofer from between the circles.
Valtteri Puustinen appeared to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead at 19:30. But the goal was waived off after Puustinen was whistled for high-sticking Brayden Schenn before his shot.
Thomas tied the game with 25 seconds left on the Puustinen penalty at 1:06 of the second. He one-timed a Jordan Kyrou pass behind Jarry from a sharp angle near the side of the net.
Malkin put Pittsburgh in front 2-1 with a power-play goal at 6:50 of the second. Jake Guentzel’s pass hit off Malkin’s right skate while he stood at the side of the crease near the left post.
UP NEXT
Blues: Welcome Vancouver on Thursday.
Penguins: Host the New York Islanders on Sunday.
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