Ben Kindel scored the only goal in the shootout, and the Pittsburgh Penguins held on for a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Wednesday after giving up a two-goal lead in the third period, NHL.com reported.
Samuel Girard opened the scoring at 8:57 of the first, one-timing a pass from Evgeni Malkin that deflected in off Yaroslav Askarov’s right arm, NHL.com said. Kindel made it 2-0 at 3:28 of the third on the power play, finishing a rebound sequence from Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell. Macklin Celebrini pulled the Sharks within 2-1 at 11:32, a wrist shot from the slot off a Michael Kesselring pass that was also his 200th career point. Mason Marchment tied it at 15:49, tapping in a Celebrini feed at the left post for his 100th NHL goal. Kindel then beat Askarov five-hole in the shootout. “Not much, just pick a move and stick with it. Five-hole and it went in,” Kindel said.
The Penguins are 7-10-2 and have won two of their last three. The Sharks fell to 8-11-2 and have lost six of their last seven (1-5-1). Celebrini (78 goals, 123 assists) became the fifth-fastest active player to 200 career points, behind Sidney Crosby (142 games), Alex Ovechkin (165), Malkin (166) and Kirill Kaprizov (167), NHL.com said. “Just kept battling,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Grinded and found a way to get a point out of that one was probably the biggest thing.”
NHL.com credited Sergei Murashov with 34 saves and Askarov with 33. A Penguins team recap said Murashov “stopped 36 of 38 shots in regulation and overtime, before turning aside all three Sharks he faced in the shootout.” Those save totals conflict; this report keeps both figures with their sources and does not choose between them. The Penguins site also said it was Murashov’s second straight win, after his first of the season on Saturday in Los Angeles.