Kessel goal gives Pens overtime victory over Oilers
PITTSBURGH » Phil Kessel found a way to upstage Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.
The Pittsburgh forward raced down the slot and beat goalie Cam Talbot 42 seconds into overtime to give the Penguins a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night.
Ian Cole scored his first goal of the season for the Penguins, and Matt Murray stopped 29 shots. Crosby was held without a point in his showdown with McDavid, but the Penguins rode their depth to keep the struggling Oilers in check.
McDavid forced the extra period with his first goal in seven games, a wrist shot with 2:53 left in regulation that tied it. Talbot played brilliantly at times while making 42 saves but couldn’t get a handle on Kessel’s winner. LIGHTNING 5, HURRICANES 1 » Tyler Johnson had a powerplay goal and an assist, and the Lightning pulled away to beat the Hurricanes.
Steven Stamkos had two assists, giving him league leads with 17 assists and 20 points, and Nikita Kucherov scored his 11th goal with 4 seconds left. ISLANDERS 5, COYOTES 3 » John Tavares completed his hat trick with a tiebreaking goal in the third period, lifting the Islanders over the winless Coyotes.
The Islanders won their third straight and improved to 5-3-1. Jaroslav Halak made 32 saves for New York. CANADIENS 5, PANTHERS 1 » Shea Weber scored twice, helping the Canadiens end their seven-game skid with a win over the Panthers.
Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher and Max Pacioretty also scored for the Canadiens, who had not won since their season opener. Carey Price made 26 saves.
Wild’s Parise has back surgery
ST. PAUL, MINN. » Minnesota Wild left wing Zach Parise will miss at least two more months, after undergoing surgery on his lower back.
The Wild announced Tuesday that Parise underwent a microdisectomy procedure, which is designed to repair a herniated disc. The operation was performed by Dr. Kevin Mullaney in the Twin Cities. Parise is expected to return in eight to 10 weeks.
He has not appeared in a game yet this season, after experiencing trouble right before training camp began. Parise practiced with the team in spurts, but he had another setback Oct. 16 and had to leave the ice early.
Burakovsky’s thumb to cost 6-8 weeks
ARLINGTON, VA. » Washington Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky is expected to miss six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured left thumb.
The team announced the surgery on Tuesday, hours after placing the 22-year-old on injured reserve. Burakovsky was injured in the third period Saturday against Florida.
Panthers claim Niemi off waivers
The Florida Panthers claimed Antti Niemi off waivers to shore up their goaltending position, with starter Roberto Luongo sidelined because of a right hand injury.
Niemi was claimed Tuesday, a day after being waived by Pittsburgh. He allowed 16 goals in losing three games for the Pens. Niemi is now on his third team in four months and fourth since winning the 2010 Stanley Cup with Chicago.