National Hockey League
Pittsburgh 4, Winnipeg 1
When: 3:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 27, 2016
Where: Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Referees: Eric Furlatt, Wes McCauley
Linesmen: David Brisebois, Brian Murphy
Attendance: 18650

PITTSBURGH -- Goals by defenseman Kris Letang and left winger Carl Hagelin in the first minute of the second period helped carry the Pittsburgh Penguins past the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 Saturday afternoon.

Hagelin added a second goal and center Scott Wilson added one for Pittsburgh, which is 6-0 at home since the Jets moved to Winnipeg and on a 15-0 streak at home against that franchise. The team was the Atlanta Thrashers the last time it won in Pittsburgh, 4-2, on Dec. 27, 2006.

Right winger Blake Wheeler scored for the Jets.

With the win, the Penguins kept a hold on the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference with 70 points.

Second-line center Evgeni Malkin (10 games, lower body injury) and third-line center Nick Bonino (17 games, hand injury) returned to the Penguins lineup. Malkin shot wide on a nice setup from right winger Phil Kessel early in the first period and finished without a point. Bonino picked up an assist.

The game was the first for center Marko Dano with Winnipeg. He was acquired Thursday in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. Dano did not register a point.

There was no scoring in the first period, and the game looked like it might go the way of the team's most recent meeting, a 1-0 Jets win at home Dec. 17 when the only goal came on a penalty shot by center Bryan Little. He is out for the balance of the season because of a fractured vertebra.

The Penguins broke through quickly in the second period. It took Pittsburgh more than 11 minutes into the first period to get a shot by Letang from the top of the right circle but the Penguins had a much different start to the second.

Letang took a short pass from right winger Patric Hornqvist and blasted a shot over the glove of Winnipeg goaltender Michael Hutchinson 28 seconds into the second. Just 23 seconds later, Hagelin, from the top of the crease, made it 2-0 when he redirected a one-timer from defenseman Ian Cole at the center point.

That score stood until 11:17 of the second. With Malkin in the penalty box on a tripping minor, Wheeler got his stick on a blast from the right point by defenseman Dustin Byfuglien and the puck shot past Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to make it 2-1.

The Jets thought they might have tied it at 15:53 of the second. During a wild scramble in the crease, the puck got under Fleury, but it was immediately ruled no-goal on the ice, and a review upheld that call, ruling the whistle blew before the puck crossed the goal line.

Pittsburgh took a 3-1 lead at 5:19 of the third period. Bonino pilfered the puck from near the corner and fed defenseman Derrick Pouliot. Wilson got his stick on Pouliot's shot from the right point, and the puck knuckled under Hutchinson.

Hagelin's second goal came at 10:02 of the third. He stuffed the puck inside the left post and off Hutchinson on a back-door feed from Kessel to make it 4-1.

Pittsburgh rookie left winger Conor Sheary left the game after being hit into the boards in the second period. He appeared to favor his shoulder, but there was no immediate update on his status.

NOTES: Pittsburgh recalled D Steve Oleksy from the AHL as a seventh defenseman but did not insert him in the lineup. ... The Penguins also scratched C Kevin Porter and LW Sergei Plotnikov. ... RW Tom Kuhnhackl played despite missing Penguins practice Friday and being labeled a game-time decision because of a lower-body injury. ... It was Penguins coach Mike Sullivan's 48th birthday. ... The Jets scratched D Paul Postma, RW Matt Halishuk and C Bryan Little. ... Winnipeg played in its 10th arena in February. ... The Jets begin a five-game homestand Tuesday against the Florida Panthers. ... Pittsburgh originally would have had just one game over the next five days, Monday at home against the Arizona Coyotes but now play Tuesday at the Washington Capitals, a game that was previously postponed Jan. 24 because of a snowstorm.
Top Game Performances
 
Winnipeg   Pittsburgh
Blake Wheeler 1 Points Carl Hagelin 2
Blake Wheeler 1 Goals Carl Hagelin 2
Dustin Byfuglien 1 Assists Ian Cole 2
Blake Wheeler 1 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Michael Hutchinson .879 Save Percentage Marc-Andre Fleury .964
Michael Hutchinson 29 Saves Marc-Andre Fleury 27
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Winnipeg 28 1 1-2 1-1 2 23
Pittsburgh 33 4 0-1 1-2 4 31
Upcoming Games
  • Pittsburgh will play their next game at home against Arizona. The Penguins have a W/L % of .467 after a win and .567 after a loss.
  • Winnipeg will play their next game at home against Florida. The Jets have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .500 after a loss.