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AP
PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins are showing they’re not just a top-heavy, star-laden team. The defending Stanley Cup champions have depth, too.
Evgeni Malkin had a goal, Sidney Crosby added an assist, and 13 of Pittsburgh’s 18 skaters got onto the scoresheet in a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.
Matt Cooke had a goal and an assist, Kris Letang had two assists, and Tyler Kennedy, Evgeni Malkin, Ruslan Fedotenko and Alex Goligoski had goals as the Penguins won their sixth straight and pushed their record to an NHL-best 8-1.
“When our four lines are going and everybody’s clicking and playing well together, we can be a tough team to beat,” defenseman Jay McKee said. “I think most teams, probably for good reasons, focus on Sidney and Geno (Malkin), and I think that’s playing to our advantage. We’re not just getting production from them; it’s everybody.”
Paul Kariya scored for the Blues, 1-3-1 in their past five games. They were dominated three days after a 5-0 win at Anaheim.
“For us not to be ready to play the defending Stanley Cup champions is unacceptable,” Blues goalie Chris Mason said. “We come off a good second and third period in Anaheim against a very good team. I don’t know if we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves and getting a little cocky and thinking that it should be easier than it really is. ... To come out like we did against these guys, this is what’s going to happen.”
The Penguins took a season-high 43 shots and controlled play for much of the game against the Blues, but it might have come at a price. Veteran all-star defenseman Sergei Gonchar didn’t play over the final 27 minutes because of an undisclosed injury. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said Gonchar would be evaluated Wednesday.
The Penguins struggled last season and were in 10th place in the Eastern Conference after Gonchar missed the first 56 games due to a shoulder injury.
“We’ll see what happens with Gonch,” Bylsma said. “If we miss him, I think we’re still going to be able to play a similar style.”
Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 22 saves to improve to 8-0, setting a career high for most consecutive victories.
He didn’t have much to do during the first period, when the Penguins held a 20-3 shots advantage and took a 2-0 lead.
“Right from the get-go, when you don’t have the energy or the legs, it means you’re reaching with your sticks so you’re doing things you shouldn’t be doing,” Blues coach Andy Murray said. “Obviously with the shots — total domination by Pittsburgh — it was pretty clear to see such a drop-off and it is difficult to understand why we didn’t have legs or energy.”
The Penguins took the first 10 shots in the opening 10:39 and grabbed a lead they would not relinquish at 11:19. Kennedy skated in from the left-wing boards and took a slap shot from high in the left circle that beat Mason. It was Kennedy’s team-high fifth goal.
“You give up 20 shots in the first period and 45 in the game with a team that has as much talent, skill and drive that the Penguins have, it’s going to be tough road to hoe,” St. Louis forward David Backes said.
Only 69 seconds later, Malkin scored during a power play on his fourth shot attempt of the sequence. His last attempt came from the slot as Bill Guerin screened Mason.
Playing in his 300th consecutive game (including playoffs), Malkin tied his career high with 12 shots. The goal was his fourth of the season.
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.