Oilers 3, Penguins 2 (shootout)

A quick look at the Penguins’ 3-2 shootout loss to Edmonton at Consol Energy Center Saturday night:

*** Matt Hendricks and Jordan Eberle of the Oilers beat Penguins goalie Jeff Zatkoff during the shootout, while David Perron and Sidney Crosby of the Penguins couldn’t score on Edmonton goalie Anders Nilsson.

*** The loss tainted a sensational performance by Evgeni Malkin, who scored both of the Penguins’ goals – including one of the most breathtaking of his career. In the first minute of the second period, Malkin chased down Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom at center ice and stole the puck from him before wheeling back into the offensive zone. He executed a 180-degree turn as Edmonton’s Mark Fayne approached him in the right circle, then whipped a high backhander past goalie Anders Nilsson from inside the right dot. “Sometimes, my backhand doesn’t work,’ Malkin said. “Tonight, it worked.”

*** Malkin has seven goals in the past six games, and has scored each of his team’s past four. “He’s been on quite a tear,” left winger Chris Kunitz said. “For a team that doesn’t score many goals, he seems to be a part of almost every single one of them. It would be nice if the rest of us would kind of chip in and help.”

*** The Penguins had another listless start, and the Oilers built a 2-0 lead in the first 7 ½ minutes of play. “Every game, we start slow,” Malkin said. “I don’t know why.”

*** Center Sidney Crosby played and said he had no problems 24 hours after being cross-checked in the back of the neck by Columbus center Brandon Dubinsky. “I was happy that I felt good today and was able to play,” he said. Crosby declined to weigh in on whether the one-game suspension Dubinsky got was adequate punishment. “That [ruling] really didn’t change anything for me, to be honest,” he said.

*** Malkin finished with 11 of the Penguins’ season-high 41 shots on goal.

*** The Penguins had a five-on-three power play for 56 seconds later in the second period, but failed to manufacture the goal that would have broken a 2-2 tie. “It would have been good to put one in on that five-on-three,” Crosby said. “That’s usually the difference in a game.”

*** The Penguins are 8-0-3 in their past eight games against the Oilers.

*** Edmonton played without two of its most dynamic young forwards, franchise center Connor McDavid and right winger Nail Yakupov, both of whom are injured.

*** Malkin got his second goal on a power play, which means the Penguins have a man-advantage goal in six consecutive games.

*** Zatkoff stopped his first NHL penalty shot at 4:56 of the third period, denying Benoit Pouliot after he had been tripped by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang. Pouliot tried to slip a one-handed shot into the net, but Zatkoff extended his left leg and got his skate on the puck to keep it out.

*** The Penguins are off until Tuesday, when they will open a four-game road trip in San Jose. They will not play at home again until Dec. 11, when Los Angeles will visit Consol Energy Center.

*** Penguins right winger Beau Bennett was credited with nine hits, a career high.

*** Each of the Penguins’ past three games has gone to overtime.

*** Crosby got an assist on Malkin’s second goal to extend his scoring streak to a season-high five games.