Wes Crosby – NHL.com Correspondent
PITTSBURGH – Kris Letang and Phil Kessel scored in the shootout to help the Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Buffalo Sabres 5-4 at Consol Energy Center on Tuesday.
After Sidney Crosby and Ryan O’Reilly failed to score in the first round, Letang scored in the second after playing a career-high 35:14. Kessel sealed the victory by going forehand to backhand in the third round. Penguins goalie Matthew Murray, who made 26 saves, stopped Jack Eichel in the second round.
Murray forced the shootout by denying Eichel on a breakaway with 28.1 seconds remaining in overtime.
The Penguins (43-25-8) are one point behind the New York Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division after handing the Sabres (31-35-11) a second loss in as many nights.
Facing a 3-0 deficit, Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy began a four-goal surge with his fourth goal of the season 1:28 into the second period to cut the Sabres’ lead to 3-1.
Conor Sheary cut into the lead further when he stole the puck away from Josh Gorges and Zemgus Girgensons, who were battling with Beau Bennett in the corner, before slowly driving to the net and shooting into the upper-left corner behind Sabres goalie Chad Johnson, making it 3-2 at 5:55 of the second.
Johnson finished with 42 saves.
Tom Kuhnhackl and Nick Bonino scored shorthanded goals 24 seconds apart to give the Penguins a 4-3 lead entering the intermission.
With Pittsburgh forward Eric Fehr in the penalty box for tripping, Matt Cullen and Kuhnhackl went on a 2-on-1 facing Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. Cullen set up Kuhnhackl for a one-timer that tied the game 3-3 with 1:13 remaining in the second.
Shortly after the ensuing faceoff, Johnson stood with the puck behind his net and his back to Pittsburgh forward Carl Hagelin, who poked the puck away from Johnson and backhanded a pass to Bonino in front of the net for an uncontested goal with 48.7 seconds left in the period.
Zach Bogosian tied the game at 4-4 when he one-timed a pass from Johan Larsson by Murray’s glove 2:13 into the third period.
Matt Moulson opened the scoring when his backhander off of a rebound went past Murray 9:26 into the first period.
David Legwand made it 2-0 after he backhanded a shot that trickled through Murray’s five-hole. Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley swiped the puck away just before it could cross the goal line, but his attempted save ricocheted off Kessel and to O’Reilly, who shot into an open net with 5:55 remaining in the first.
Jake McCabe scored Buffalo’s third backhanded goal of the period with 1:02 left in the first.
