Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz each had a
goal and two assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins thumped the New Jersey Devils,
5-1, at CONSOL Energy Center.
Kris Letang, Brandon Sutter and Robert Bortuzzo each lit the lamp for the
Penguins, who got their first home win of the season in three tries. Marc-
Andre Fleury needed to make just 15 stops for the win.
Andy Greene scored the lone goal of the game for the Devils, who have dropped
four straight games. Martin Brodeur was tagged for all five goals on 30 shots.
After the first 20 minutes passed without a goal, the Penguins scored twice in
the first half of the second period.
The first goal came shortly after Pittsburgh killed off a penalty with Sutter
throwing a shot on net from the slot that Brodeur stopped, but he followed up
his own rebound and backhanded it in from the right at the 2:27 mark.
Holding the puck in his own end, Anton Volchenkov attempted a cross-ice pass
from the left circle, but he didn't get enough on it and Kunitz put home the
gift with a wrister with 10:04 to play in the frame.
New Jersey, though, got one back while shorthanded to make it a 2-1 game.
After bringing the puck into the Penguins' end, Dainius Zubrus sent a pass
from the right point to the front where Greene was able to slide a backhand
between the pads of Fleury with 7:37 to play in the second.
The Penguins blew the game open in the final period with the first goal coming
at the 2:31 mark. A hard pass from the right boards by Kunitz went to the slot
where Letang snapped a wrister over the glove of Brodeur.
Less than five minutes later, Crosby received a pass and skated down the left
wing before snapping a shot over the arm of Brodeur for a 4-1 advantage.
Bortuzzo's first career goal came off a slap shot from the high slot with
10:09 to play to cap the scoring in the contest.
GAME NOTES:
New Jersey plays in New York against the Islanders on Sunday ... Pittsburgh
hits the road for a game in Washington on Sunday ... These two squads split
six games last season ... New Jersey went scoreless in two power play chances
while Pittsburgh failed to score on three power play opportunities.
The Sports Network