Penguins roll to 6th straight win
RALEIGH, N.C. — Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin each had two goals and an assist and the Pittsburgh Penguins routed the Carolina Hurricanes 6-1 on Friday night for their season-best sixth straight victory.
Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists, Sidney Crosby scored a late goal and Olli Maatta also scored. The Penguins took control with three goals — two by Kessel — in a 7:39 span in the second period.
Matt Murray made 27 saves for Pittsburgh, which has won 11 of 13 to overtake idle Washington for first place in the Metropolitan Division. Since the Penguins were shut out by Carolina on Jan. 4, they are 16-3-1.
They were just as busy off the ice, completing a midgame trade in which they picked up center Derick Brassard from the Ottawa Senators. As part of the complicated three-team deal, they sent defenseman Ian Cole to Ottawa and forward Ryan Reaves to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Teuvo Teravainen scored and Cam Ward stopped 33 shots for the short-handed Hurricanes, who have gone 0-3-1 during a four-game slide that’s keeping them outside the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Connor Hellebuyck made 34 saves for his sixth shutout of the season and Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor each had a goal and an assist in the Winnipeg Jets’ victory over the St. Louis Blues.
Mikael Granlund and Eric Staal each scored twice and Devan Dubnyk made 22 saves in Minnesota’s road victory over New York.
Jean-Francois Berube made 42 saves in his first start for Chicago to help the Blackhawks beat San Jose at home.
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired center Derick Brassard from the Ottawa Senators in a three-team deal that sent defenseman Ian Cole to Ottawa and forward Ryan Reaves to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Senators also received goalie Filip Gustavsson and the Penguins’ first-round draft pick this year as well as their third-round selection next year. Pittsburgh also acquired a pair of prospects — forward Vincent Dunn from Ottawa and forward Tobias Lindberg from Vegas — plus Ottawa’s third-round pick this year. Vegas also received a fourth-round pick this year, and is retaining 40 percent of Brassard’s salary.
Josh Bailey agreed to a six-year, $30 million deal to stay with the New York Islanders. The 28-year-old forward, selected to his first All-Star appearance last month, has 15 goals and 47 assists this season — already setting career highs for assists and points (62).
Auston Matthews will miss the Toronto Maple Leafs’ game Saturday night against Boston because of a shoulder injury. “He’s day-to-day,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. Matthews has 28 goals and 22 assists in 53 games this season.