Blueger Scores in 8th Round of Shootout, Penguins Beat Coyotes

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Teddy Blueger scored the deciding goal in the eighth round of the shootout and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 Sunday.

Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust and Arizona’s Taylor Hall each scored int he third round of the tiebreaker.

Jared McCann, Patric Hornqvist and Brandon Tanev scored in regulation for the Penguins, who swept a three-game Western road trip. Evgeny Malkin had two assists.

Tristan Jarry had 25 saves in his second victory over the Coyotes this season. He made 33 saves in a 2-0 win Dec.6.

Hall had a goal and an assist, and Conor Garland and Derek Stepan also scored for the Coyotes, who had been shutout in its previous two games. Adin Hill made 30 saves in his third start of the season for Arizona, with both Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper out with injuries.

Arizona Coyotes Taylor Hall
Arizona Coyotes left wing Taylor Hall (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)

Stepan redirected a centring pass from Niklas Hjalmarsson to give the Coyotes a 3-2 lead with eight minutes remaining before Tanev scored on a shot from the slot with three minutes left to tied it.

McCann scored at 2:43 of the first period, 18 seconds into a 5-on-3 power play. McCann has three goals in his last four games.

Garland tied it at 1 with his 15th of the season with 5:37 left in the first period, the Coyotes’ first goal since Lawson Crouse scored in the final minute of third period in a 5-2 victory at Florida on Tuesday.

Hornqvist put the puck past Hill on a sharp angle from the right side on a power play for a 2-1 lead four minutes into the second period. He has five goals in his last eight games.

Buffalo Sabres Carter Hutton Pittsburgh Penguins Patric Hornqvist
Buffalo Sabres goalie Carter Hutton is screened by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Hall countered from a similarly severe angle from left side midway through the period to tie it at 2.

NOTES

Penguins F Sidney Crosby (core muscle) did not dress Sunday after going through a full practice Saturday. He missed his 28th straight game after a Nov. 9 injury that required surgery. “We’re going to try to make decisions … that are in the best interest of Sid and the team,” coach Mike Sullivan said before the game. “That’s what we did.” Pittsburgh is 18-6-4 without Crosby. … Hjalmarsson returned after missing the previous 43 games because of a fractured left fibula. … The Penguins had two shots in the first period and 22 in the second. … The Coyotes were shut out in their previous two games, 4-0 at Tampa Bay on Thursday and 3-0 at Carolina on Friday.

UP NEXT

Penguins: Host Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Coyotes: Host San Jose on Tuesday night.

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Jack Magruder, The Associated Press