PITTBURGH — Evgeni Malkin got the winner as the Penguins beat the Calgary Flames, 2-1, in a shootout Wednesday, in the annual Thanksgiving Eve game at PPG Paints Arena. That extended Pittsburgh’s winning streak to a season-high four games.
Malkin celebrated his goal by gently tossing his stick into the roaring crowd.
Flames second-string goalie Dan Vladar, who was making his first start in 13 days, was stellar with 37 saves during regulation to send the game into overtime.
While the score was deadlocked at 1-1, Vladar stopped Brock McGinn and Jeff Carter on breakaways. The second of the two saves came about five minutes into the third period. Moments later, he stuffed Jason Zucker, alone in front.
The Penguins survived a late penalty, their 13th straight kill in the last five games, to play overtime for the fourth time this season. They lost the first three in OT.
They were unable to capitalize on a 4-on-3 power play at the end of overtime.
All and all, this was a respectable effort against one of the best of the West.
The Penguins lost, 4-1, to the Flames in Calgary a month ago. They skated away from that game with great respect for the Flames, a trendy preseason Stanley Cup pick who are now heating up, winning four of five entering Wednesday.
Pittsburgh has played better since then, too. They entered the night with five wins in seven games after losing seven in a row, including that one in Calgary.
A well-placed Jan Rutta wrister gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead 2:09 into the game. The steady defenseman beat Vladar, a fellow Czech native, on his blocker side.
The first was a stifling period for the Penguins, who allowed just one shot from the slot, per Sportlogiq, and doubled up the Flames in offensive-zone possession time. But they were unable to add to that lead, even with a pair of power plays.
They got two more glorious chances to pad their lead on the first shift of the second period but Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell couldn’t put the puck past Vladar. The goalie may still be showing off his glove save on Rakell as we speak.
The Flames tied it up, 1-0, with a Dillon Dube deflection 8:37 into the second. The Penguins, with the long line change in that period, had tired players trapped on the ice. Marcus Pettersson was out there for 168 seconds when Dube scored.
Calgary carried the play for stretches due to their physicality below the dots. That led to several prolonged shifts for Pittsburgh’s defensemen. But the Penguins did well to not allow a high number of dangerous chances on Tristan Jarry.
Jarry made 32 saves in regulation, including a big one late on Elias Lindholm.
ICE CHIPS
-- Before the game the Penguins honored Evgeni Malkin, who played in his 1,000th NHL game Sunday. During warmups, all of his teammates wore a No. 71 jersey. Then the Penguins showed a tribute video featuring messages from his son, his parents, current and former teammates and countryman Alex Ovechkin.
-- With the Penguins already up, 1-0, in the first period, Bryan Rust had a goal wiped out when a Calgary coach’s challenge determined the play was offside.
-- The Penguins went with a pair of defensemen, Kris Letang and Jeff Petry, on their top power-play unit Wednesday. Rust dropped down to the second unit.
-- Casey DeSmith, who missed Tuesday’s practice because he was evaluated for an upper-body injury, participated in the morning skate Wednesday then backed up Jarry against the Flames. Coach Mike Sullivan said DeSmith is “fine.”
-- Kasperi Kapanen and Chad Ruhwedel were again the healthy scratches.
-- The Penguins and UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex this Saturday and Sunday will play host to the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association. The event includes four PWHPA games, community events and girls hockey clinics.
COMING UP
The Penguins will practice Thursday morning in Cranberry then fly to Philadelphia for Friday’s showdown with the rival Flyers. That game has a 5 p.m. start.
