CALGARY, Alberta (AP) The Pittsburgh Penguins scored a lot of goals in Alberta – 15 in two games, to be exact.
Patric Hornqvist and Phil Kessel each scored twice and the Penguins pounded the Calgary Flames 9-1 on Thursday night.
Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Jack Johnson, Jake Guentzel and Matt Cullen also scored, and Matt Murray made 38 saves to help the Penguins improve to 5-1-2 overall and 3-0 on a four-game Canadian trip.
”I think that just speaks to the talent we have in here,” Murray said. ”When we come with our `A’ game, it’s hard to stop. You look around our lineup and it’s pretty clear why we score that many goals.”
Crosby has scored three times in his last two games after going six without a goal to start this season. Evgeni Malkin had a pair of assists to extend his point streaks to six straight games.
After winning 3-0 in Toronto, the Penguins (5-1-2) spent a few days in Banff, Alberta, before facing the province’s NHL teams.
Crosby theorized the Banff break and a relatively leisurely schedule on this road trip has kept Pittsburgh’s scorers fresh.
”It was good that we got out here fairly early to get our feet under us, time change and all that stuff,” the captain said. ”Banff was a great trip, it’s beautiful there and we had some good practices.”
James Neal spoiled Murray’s shutout bid late in the third period.
Flames starter Mike Smith was pulled for David Rittich midway through the second period after allowing six goals on 21 shots. Rittich turned away 12 of 15 shots.
Four previous games between Calgary and Pittsburgh had either gone to a shootout or overtime, but the Penguins put on a scoring clinic, pouncing on rebounds and converting both power-play chances into goals.
The Flames (5-5) were booed at Scotiabank Saddledome after the second period when they trailed by a converted touchdown, and after the buzzer.
”They scored a few and we started taking some risks that obviously you can’t take against a team like that who knows how to put the puck in the net,” Flames captain Mark Giordano said.
NOTES: Defenseman Travis Hamonic returned to Calgary’s lineup after missing eight games. His jaw was broken in a fight with Vancouver’s Erik Gudbranson in the season opener. … Malkin has two goals and 10 assists during his six-game points streak.
UP NEXT:
Penguins: At Vancouver on Saturday night.
Flames: Host Washington on Saturday.
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