After a busy trade week that saw Mark Streit spend a few minutes under contract with the Lightning, he scored the tie-breaking goal in the third period to help lift the Penguins (39-16-8) to a 5-2 win over the Lightning (29-26-8) on Friday night in Pittsburgh.
Mark Streit began Wednesday as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers before being traded to Tampa Bay in a deal that sent Valtteri Filppula to the Flyers. The Lightning then turned around and traded him to Pittsburgh for cap relief and he would go on to score against his "former" team to break a 2-2 tie early in the third period. Less than two minutes before, Nikita Kucherov had scored on the a power play to tie the game but the Lightning could not keep the momentum in their favor.
After a scoreless first period, Adam Erne notched his first NHL goal when he scored at 6:18 in the second to give the Bolts a 1-0 lead. The defending Stanley Cup champions had an answer in the period, though - it was in the form of Evgeni Malkin, who scored twice down the stretch of the second period to send the game into the second intermission with the Penguins up 2-1.
After Kucherov's power play goal tied it and Mark Streit broke the tie less than two minutes later to start the third period, the Penguins were able to make the plays down the stretch. When given an opportunity on the power play, Justin Schultz scored at 16:37 to give Pittsburgh much needed insurance. Tom Kuhnhackl scored on an empty net with a minute to go in the contest and the Penguins would win by a score of 5-2.
Peter Budaj made his debut in net for the Lightning, five days after he was traded from the Kings in the trade that sent Ben Bishop to Los Angeles. He allowed four goals while making thirty saves against a tough opponent in Pittsburgh. Matt Murray saved 27 of 29 shots in net for Pittsburgh.
The Lightning have a quick turnaround as they travel to Buffalo for the second game of a back-to-back on Saturday night. Faceoff between the Bolts and Sabres is set for 7 PM Saturday night and can be heard throughout Tampa Bay on News Radio 970 WFLA beginning at 6:30 PM.
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
(None)
2ND PERIOD
1. Tampa Bay - Erne - (Namestnikov, Kucherov) - 6:18
2. Pittsburgh - PPG - Malkin - (Kessel, Schultz) - 8:39
3. Pittsburgh - Malkin - (Kessel, Cole) - 16:49
3RD PERIOD
1. Tampa Bay - PPG - Kucherov - (Drouin, Hedman) - 1:10
2. Pittsburgh - Streit - (Crosby, Malkin) - 2:38
3. Pittsburgh - PPG - Schultz - (Crosby, Streit) - 16:37
4. Pittsburgh - Empty Net - Kuhnhackl - (Bonino) - 19:00
PENALTY SUMMARY
1ST PERIOD
1. Pittsburgh - Cole - (Holding) - 10:28
2ND PERIOD
1. Tampa Bay - Hedman - (Tripping) - 8:33
2. Pittsburgh - Kuhnhackl - (High Sticking) - 19:14
3RD PERIOD
1. Tampa Bay - Namestnikov - (Holding) - 4:09
2. Pittsburgh - Kuhnhackl - (Tripping) - 8:16
3. Tampa Bay - Sustr - (Hooking) - 15:40
SHOTS ON GOAL
Tampa Bay - 29
Pittsburgh - 35