Pittsburgh 3, NY Rangers 0
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 31, 2013
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Referees:
Mike Hasenfratz, Marc Joannette
Linesmen:
David Brisebois, Derek Nansen
Attendance:
17200
By SportsDirect Inc.
Penguins 3, Rangers 0: Tomas Vokoun turned aside all 28 shots he faced and Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Simon Despres collected a goal and an assist apiece as visiting Pittsburgh recorded its sixth consecutive victory over New York.
James Neal added his team-leading fifth goal for the Penguins, who have defeated the Rangers twice this season - and outscored them 25-8 during the six-game winning streak.
Vokoun registered his 49th career shutout and first this season after stopping six shots in the first period, 13 in the second and nine in the third. The veteran netminder defeated the Rangers for the second time in 2013 and improved to 12-7-1 with one tie and three shutouts in his career against New York.
Malkin, who had three assists in Pittsburgh's 6-3 win over the Rangers on Jan. 20, opened the scoring just 1:24 into the first period with a one-timer from the far edge of the right faceoff circle.
After Sidney Crosby misfired on a breakaway midway through the second period, the captain's shot from the point was deftly deflected by Neal for a power-play goal just 28 seconds into the third. Despres provided insurance midway through the period after coming out the penalty box as he tucked the puck past Henrik Lundqvist for his first goal of the season and second of his career.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Malkin, who is the reigning Hart Trophy winner, has collected six goals and as many assists in his last six games versus the Rangers. Neal also has excelled, recording three goals and four assists in his last five contests against New York. ... After yielding four goals on 18 shots in the teams' earlier meeting, Lundqvist finished with 26 saves on Thursday. ... The Penguins claimed LW Zach Boychuk off waivers from Carolina on Thursday. Boychuk, who was the 14th overall pick of the 2008 draft, hasn't played since the Hurricanes' season-opening loss to Florida.
Top Game Performances
| Pittsburgh |
|
NY Rangers |
|
Simon Despres 2 |
Points |
N/A |
|
Simon Despres 1 |
Goals |
N/A |
|
Simon Despres 1 |
Assists |
N/A |
|
James Neal 1 |
Power Play Goals |
N/A |
|
N/A |
Short Handed Goals |
N/A |
|
Tomas Vokoun 1.000 |
Save Percentage |
Henrik Lundqvist .897 |
|
Tomas Vokoun 28 |
Saves |
Henrik Lundqvist 26 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Shots |
Goals |
Power Play |
Penalty Kill |
Penalty Mins |
Face Offs Won |
| Pittsburgh
|
29 |
3 |
1-6 |
4-4 |
10 |
34 |
| NY Rangers
|
28 |
0 |
0-4 |
5-6 |
14 |
33 |
Upcoming Games
-
NY Rangers will play their next game on the road against Tampa Bay. The Rangers have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .667 after a loss.
-
Pittsburgh will play their next game at home against New Jersey. The Penguins have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .667 after a loss.