EDMONTON, Alberta — The Pittsburgh Penguins’ slow start to the NHL season is a distant memory at this point.
Phil Kessel’s fifth goal of the season broke a tie midway through the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 Friday night for their sixth win in a row.
Daniel Sprong also scored, and the Penguins won their ninth in 10 games after a 0-3-0 start.
Oscar Klefbom had the Oilers’ lone goal. Edmonton has lost two of three.
Kessel scored on a power play 9:45 into the third. His shot from the point was partially blocked by Brandon Davidson’s hand, and then floated past goalie Anders Nilsson.
“We’re getting better, we’re starting to improve,” Kessel said. “We had chances, but, a little crisper and we’ll be better.”
Jeff Zatkoff stopped 27 shots and won for the second time in two starts this year.
Stars 4, Hurricanes 1: Patrick Sharp scored a tie-breaking goal with 8:45 remaining as the Dallas Stars completed a 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Stars increased their margin with center Radek Faksa’s first career goal just 2:05 after Sharp’s score. Right winger Ales Hemsky scored the first goal for Dallas, while defenseman Jason Demers was credited with an empty-net goal. Center Jordan Staal scored for the Hurricanes. Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen stopped 30 shots.
Devils 4, Blackhawks 2: Center Travis Zajac scored his sixth goal of the season while goaltender Cory Schneider made 27 saves as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Chicago Blackhawks.
Zajac and right wingers Lee Stempniak and Kyle Palmieri had a goal and an assist each while left winger Mike Cammalleri also scored for the Devils.
Right winger Patrick Kane and center Tanner Kero scored for Chicago, whose goaltender Corey Crawford stopped just 10 of 13 shots in the first period before Scott Darling took over in the second and stopped 12 of 13 shots.
Red Wings 2, Maple Leafs 1 (OT): Jakub Kindl scored at 2:17 of overtime as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Red Wings left winger Henrik Zetterberg scored his 300th career goal in the first period.
Defenseman Dion Phaneuf tied the game for the Maple Leafs with 1:01 to play in the third period. Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer made 22 saves. Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek stopped 32 shots.
Rangers 2, Avalanche 1: Derek Stepan and Oscar Lindberg scored goals 21 seconds apart as the New York Rangers beat the Colorado Avalanche.
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had 29 saves for the Rangers.
Ducks 4, Blue Jackets 2: Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf had three assists each and Josh Manson scored his first career goal to lead Anaheim over Columbus.
Clayton Stoner, Cam Fowler and Patrick Maroon also scored for the Ducks while Scott Hartnell scored both of the Blue Jackets goals. — Agencies
