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Penguins 4, Capitals 3

Dave Molinari 9 years ago

Some news and notes, numbers and quotes from the Penguins’ 4-3 victory against Washington at the Verizon Center Wednesday night:

*** The victory was the Penguins third in a row – their longest such streak since a 3-0 run Dec. 15-20 – and raised their record to 35-17-9. They moved to within three points of the first-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division and to within one of the second-place New York Rangers.

*** During warm-ups, Tom Wilson, a rugged Capitals winger, jostled Penguins center Evgeni Malkin at center ice. “I’m standing at the red line and he’s coming to me,” Malkin said. “I don’t know why.” Only Wilson knows what motivated him but everyone knows how Malkin responded: He assisted on three of the Penguins’ four goals and was the dominant figure on the ice. “I was ready for the game,” Malkin said.

*** The Penguins avoided being swept in the season series for just the second time in franchise history.

*** In the second period, referees Justin St. Pierre and Kelly Sutherland handed out 10 minor penalties. “We chart five-on-five [scoring] chances,” Johnston said. “And our guy up top didn’t have any [recorded in that period].”

*** The Penguins, who never had a lead in their previous three games against Washington, never trailed in this one.

*** Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury had a late-game scuffle with Washington winger Joel Ward. Fleury says Ward kneed him in the face, and Fleury retaliated. “I gave him a little stick in the skates and a glove in the face,” Fleury said. “I wish I would have hit him harder.”

*** Fleury paid for his revenge, though. Alex Ovechkin scored Washington’s third goal four seconds into the power play that resulted from Fleury being penalized for roughing.

*** Brandon Sutter scored the Penguins’ second goal while they were killing a holding minor to Sidney Crosby. It was his team-leading third shorthanded goal of the season and the Penguins’ first against Washington since Ryan Malone scored one March 8, 2006.

*** The Penguins were 1-for-8 on the power play, with Crosby scoring the man-advantage goal.

*** Chris Kunitz scored what became the game-winner at 7:12 of the third period, when he punched in a Blake Comeau rebound for his first goal in 12 games.

*** Hornqvist has at least one goal in three consecutive games, his longest such streak since scoring in four in a row for Nashville, March 28-April 5, 2014.

*** Malkin has 17 points in his past 13 regular-season games at the Verizon Center.

*** The Penguins have not lost four games in a row to the Capitals since Jan. 1-Oct. 13, 2011.