Saturday, November 9, 2019 07:00 PM (ET)

Penguins' shootout win ends losing streak vs. Blackhawks

Field Level Media
Nov 9, 2019

Jake Guentzel and Jared McCann scored in the shootout Saturday to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 win over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks.

Guentzel beat Chicago goalie Corey Crawford between the pads, and McCann blasted a shot past Crawford's stick. Pittsburgh goalie Matt Murray stopped Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat, while allowing a goal to Patrick Kane.

The win was tempered because Penguins captain and leading scorer Sidney Crosby left early in the third period with an unspecified injury. He grimaced when he collided with Chicago defenseman Erik Gustafsson, and their skates tangled. Crosby finished his shift, including a blocked shot off his right skate, then limped down the runway.

According to a tweet from the Penguins after the game, coach Mike Sullivan said that Crosby left with a "lower-body injury. He is being evaluated as we speak. We will get more information on Monday."

Guentzel and Bryan Rust scored in regulation and Evgeni Malkin had two assists for Pittsburgh, which broke a 10-game losing streak against the Blackhawks.

Dominik Kubalik and Kane scored in regulation for Chicago.

Murray and Crawford each made 29 regulation/overtime saves.

When Pittsburgh defenseman Justin Schultz lost a puck battle in his end, Chicago turned it into a three-on-one break against Schultz's partner, Marcus Pettersson.

Kubalik finished off a tic-tac-toe play, converting on a feed from Pittsburgh area native Brandon Saad from near the bottom of the right circle for a 1-0 lead at 7:09 of the second.

Kane scored 1:38 later to make it 2-0. Off the rush, he got his shot from the right dot past Pettersson's stick and Murray's glove.

Guentzel scored his team-leading eighth goal at 16:04 of the second to cut it to 2-1. Malkin carried the puck down the left side of the Chicago zone. Slater Koekkoek had position on Malkin, preventing him from cutting toward the net, but when Malkin was nearly beside the net, he swept the puck out front, where Guentzel one-timed a shot high under the crossbar.

Rust tied it on a back-door pass from John Marino at 10:57 of the third, lifting a shot high inside the near post from a sharp angle. It was Rust's fifth goal in six games and gave him at least one point in each of six games since he made his season debut after an injury.

--Field Level Media

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