DETROIT (AP) Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and two assists to help the Pittsburgh Penguins build a two-goal lead midway through the second period on the way to a 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.
Matt Murray made 26 saves for his first win in nearly a month, helping Pittsburgh earn its third straight victory.
Murray didn’t help his case to compete with Tristan Jarry for playing time, giving up two goals in the third period.
Dylan Larkin cut Detroit’s deficit to a goal with 3:04 left, slipping a wrist shot past Murray with a two-man advantage thanks to a power play and pulling its goaltender. The Red Wings were penalized for having too many men on the ice shortly thereafter and John Marino sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.
The rebuilding Red Wings have lost 11 in a row, their longest losing streak since dropping a franchise-record 14 consecutive games during the 1981-82 season.
Guentzel had his team-leading 16th goal early in the game shortly after grimacing in pain on the bench. The winger appeared to score off his right skate, ending a sequence that started with teammate Bryan Rust laying on the ice in Detroit’s end without his broken stick and pushing the puck up the ice with his glove.
Chad Ruhwedel scored his first goal of the season from just inside the blue line late in the period, putting the Penguins up 2-0.
Detroit’s Robby Fabbri scored on a rebound early in the second, ending Pittsburgh’s chance to shut out a third straight opponent.
Malkin’s whirling shot got past Jonathan Bernier midway through the second period, restoring the two-score lead with his eighth goal of the season and 399th of his career.
Dominik Kahun slithered through Detroit’s defense and scored early in the third, giving the Penguins a 4-1 lead.
Bernier was benched midway through the third period after making 19 saves. Eric Comrie, who was acquired from Arizona in a trade last month, entered the game in his Red Wings debut and stopped all four shots he faced.
Detroit’s Filip Hronek scored with seven minutes left and Larkin scored to pull the struggling team within a goal before its comeback hopes were hurt by a penalty.
NOTES: Rust played in his second straight game after missing three in a row with a lower-body injury. … Detroit has tied its second longest losing streak, equaling an 11-game skid that ended the 1976-77 season. … Jarry, who has outplayed Murray this season, had the shutouts in the two previous games against St. Louis and Arizona. … Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby missed his 13th game in a row with a lower-body injury. … Detroit had won four straight at home against Pittsburgh. … Malkin entered the game with 26 points in 18 games against the Red Wings. … Detroit’s Tyler Bertuzzi was hurt just before the final goal was scored, laying out to block a shot with an empty net behind him.
UP NEXT:
Penguins: Host Montreal on Tuesday night.
Red Wings: Play at Winnipeg on Tuesday night.
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