NHL Game Summary - New Jersey at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Craig Adams' goal in the second period put the Penguins ahead for good, as Pittsburgh thumped New Jersey, 8-3, on Tuesday.
Sidney Crosby scored twice, while Pascal Dupuis, Blake Comeau, Steve Downie and Patric Hornqvist each posted a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who have won their past two. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 16 shots in the win.
"That's what great teams do," said Dupuis. "They get their top guys out that are chipping in night in and night out and you have the guys that are coming up big any given night. That's how you win games. That's how you win championships."
Dainius Zubrus, Tuomo Ruutu and Jacob Josefson all scored for the Devils, who have lost five of their last six.
Cory Schneider gave up five goals on 23 shots over the first two periods. Scott Clemmensen gave up three goals on 10 shots through the final 20 minutes of play.
"It was ugly and got away from us in the second half of the game," said Schneider. "You have to learn from your mistakes, but this is also one that you just want to put behind you and move on to the next one."
Trailing 3-1, the Penguins scored four straight to close out the second period with a 5-3 lead.
Skating with a 5-on-3 advantage thanks to a holding call on Damon Severson and a too-many-men-on-the-ice call to the Devils, Evgeni Malkin made it a one-goal game at 8:56 with his one-timer from the top of the left circle.
It was a tie game less than four minutes later when Simon Despres sent a lead pass down the right wing for Hornqvist, who snapped a wrister over the left shoulder of Schneider for his fifth of the season.
Adams was called for boarding at 15:28 to give New Jersey a power play, but the team was unable to take advantage. Coming out of the box, Adams took a feed from Brandon Sutter up the middle and lifted a forehand into the right corner for his first of the year.
With 1:11 left in the second, the Pens made it a 5-3 contest as a shot from Chris Kunitz at the right point was stopped in front, with the loose puck coming to the left side where Crosby had a wide open net for his sixth of the season.
Pittsburgh made it a three-goal game 5:29 into the third on the power play as Downie whipped a pass from the deep right boards to the front where Dupuis lifted it in for his fourth of the year.
Downie scored with 6:13 to play and Crosby notched his second of the game with 3:20 to play to put the emphasis on the rout.
New Jersey scored just nine seconds in as Zubrus beat Fleury on a quick shot from the left wing, his second of the season.
Pittsburgh, though, tied the game seven minutes later on Comeau's second of the season after Schneider had turned over the puck behind his own net.
The Devils took a 2-1 lead while shorthanded at 2:12 of the middle frame as Josefson took a turnover at the blue line down the ice and lifted a backhand over Fleury.
After the goal, the officials reviewed a flurry in front of the New Jersey net several second before where the puck might have crossed the line, giving Pittsburgh a goal. The lengthy review, though, was inconclusive and the Devils' goal stood.
The visitors made it a two-goal game three minutes later when Stephen Gionta let loose with a shot from the right wing on the fly and Ruutu putting home the rebound.