Penguin scores twice just hours after call-up
Chris Conner, recalled from the minor leagues earlier in the day,
netted two goals and the Pittsburgh Penguins scored twice one
minute apart in the third period to beat the slumping New York
Rangers 4-2 Monday night.
After Artem Anisimov gave the Rangers their only lead 9:15
into the third with his second goal of the night, Evgeni Malkin got
Pittsburgh even at 9:46 - 16 seconds into a power play. Conner then
fired in a rebound of Sidney Crosby's shot one minute later to put
the Penguins back in front.
Pascal Dupuis' empty-netter sealed Pittsburgh's fourth win
over the Rangers this season with 39.8 seconds left.
That was enough to give a win to Marc-Andre Fleury, who
returned from a four-game absence caused by a broken finger.
Conner staked the Penguins to a 1-0 lead less than 3 minutes
into the game with his first of the season.
Anisimov made it 1-1 in the second for the Rangers, who had
been shut out in their previous two games. New York has dropped
three straight and six of eight (2-5-1), including four shutout
losses.
New York had several chances to score more in this one but
couldn't take advantage of a 4-minute power play in the third
period after Jordan Staal was sent off for high-sticking, and
another power play that came a few seconds after Staal left the
box.
The Rangers recorded seven shots in the advantage, but Fleury
stood up to them all. He finished with 28 saves.
One he would like to have back was Anisimov's jam shot that
was forced in at the right post and then nudged over the line by
Fleury's skate. Anisimov has nine goals this season.
Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves.
The Ranger broke out of their latest long scoring drought
when Anisimov netted the tying goal with 6:56 left in the second.
After Christopher Higgins knocked the puck away from defenseman
Mark Eaton inside the Pittsburgh blue line, Anisimov corralled it,
cut across the slot, and let go a rising shot that eluded diving
defenseman Kris Letang and beat Fleury.
Anisimov's first in 18 games, was New York's first goal in
156 minutes, 32 seconds. The Rangers snapped an earlier power
outage of 172 minutes, following another pair of consecutive
shutouts, during a 4-1 loss at St. Louis on Jan. 16.
Conner, playing in only his seventh game of the season with
the Penguins, made the most of his time alongside Crosby just 2:47
in. Skating on a 3-on-2 break, Conner took a right-to-left pass
from the Penguins captain, glided into the circle and snapped a
shot from the center that beat Lundqvist inside the left post.
Conner was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL on
Monday and took the spot in the lineup vacated by 39-year-old
forward Bill Guerin, who was scratched for the first time this
season. Crosby has six goals and five assists against the Rangers
this season.
NOTES: Crosby was chosen as the NHL's third star of last week
after he posted three goals and five assists in three games. ...
Conner had one assist during his earlier six-game stint with the
Penguins. In 71 games with Dallas over three-plus seasons, Conner
had seven goals and 14 assists. ... Rangers enforcer Donald
Brashear</fstl:categorylink> returned to the lineup after
being scratched for five games. C Erik Christensen sat out.