Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Evgeni Malkin potted the game-winner on the power play 7:20 into the third period, as the Pittsburgh Penguins edged the Edmonton Oilers, 3-2, on Tuesday at CONSOL Energy Center.
Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz each registered a goal and an assist, while Sidney Crosby collected a trio of helpers for the Penguins, who are off to their best home start (4-0) since opening the 1994-95 season 7-0 at Civic Arena.
"Our guys capitalized on some chances and found ways to put it in the back of the net," Crosby said. "We generated some good chances tonight and it was nice to get it going."
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 20-of-22 shots in the triumph.
Jordan Eberle and Ales Hemsky each scored once for the Oilers, who received 25 saves from Jason LaBarbera in their fourth consecutive setback.
"It's about wins and losses and we've got to find ways to win games," LaBarbera said. "That's the bottom line. Everyone of us can step it up a bit more and just find a way to get a win and get a good feeling in here."
With the game tied 2-2 after 40 minutes, Edmonton's Andrew Ference caught Crosby up high with his stick and was sent off for high sticking at 6:52 of the final period.
On the ensuing man advantage, Paul Martin fanned on a one-timer from the right point, but the disc trickled into the low right circle, where Malkin recovered it before rifling a shot high over LaBarbera to make it 3-2 with 12:40 remaining in the contest.
The Oilers failed to manage much from there despite a power play at the 8:32 mark, as Fleury fought off the only three shots he faced in the frame to keep the Penguins in front.
LaBarbera was pulled with more than two minutes to go, but the visitors had nothing in the tank.
Pittsburgh opened the scoring just over three minutes into the game. Crosby won an offensive zone faceoff in the right circle before getting the disc back behind the Edmonton net. He quickly dished to a cutting Dupuis, who ripped a shot through the five-hole of LaBarbera to make it 1-0 just 3:08 into the contest.
After being outshot 15-4 in the first, Edmonton opened the second on a 5-on-3 power play, but the Oilers were unable to cash in until just after the two-man advantage expired.
With Martin's hooking minor coming to an end, Jeff Petry flipped a shot on net from the right point that Fleury turned away.
David Perron's putback attempt from the low right side hit the post, but Hemsky was there to pound in the rebound, tying the game just 1:39 into the second stanza.
Pittsburgh answered just prior to the midway point of the frame, as Dupuis flipped a shot on net from above the right circle that snuck past LaBarbera and trickled toward the goal line.
Before the Edmonton netminder could recover, Kunitz skated in and poked the disc into the back of the net to make it 2-1 at 9:40.
Edmonton found the equalizer with 4:01 left in the second, as a 3-on-2 rush produced a scrum in front. Fleury made a sprawling save on Taylor Hall on the doorstep, but Eberle recovered the rebound and wheeled into the slot before flipping a backhand past a pile of bodies in front to tie the game at 2-2.
Game Notes
Crosby has registered at least one point in each of Pittsburgh's first six games this season, matching his best start to a campaign (rookie season of 2005-06) ... Pittsburgh has won 19 of its past 21 games at home dating back to last season ... Edmonton finished 0-for-3 on the power play.
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