PITTSBURGH (AP) – Phil Kessel’s 300th career goal at 1:07 of overtime lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
Kessel, who also scored the overtime winner against Edmonton on Tuesday, became the 18th American-born player to reach 300 career goals and the second active behind Minnesota’s Zach Parise.
Kessel stripped Patrik Laine of the puck at his own blue line and went the other way on a breakaway. Kessel, with nine points in his last seven games, snapped a wrist shot between the pads of Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck for the winner.
Conor Sheary scored his fifth for the Penguins, who won for the fifth time in six games. Pittsburgh has won seven of nine since losing the first two games of the season.
Pittsburgh also won its 17th straight home game against the Jets dating back to March 24, 2007. Overall, Pittsburgh won 17 of the last 20 meetings against the Jets, who last won in Pittsburgh, Dec. 27, 2006, when they were the Atlanta Thrashers.
Matt Murray won his seventh straight since allowing 11 goals on 65 shots in his first two appearances. Murray, who stopped 30 shots, helped Pittsburgh earn points in all eight starts this season.
Josh Morrissey scored his second for the Jets, who had won four of their previous five after being outscored 13-5 in the first two games of the season against Toronto and Calgary.
Hellebuyck, who made 34 saves, saw his four-game win streak end. He was seeking a personal best five-game streak and the team record for the longest win streak by a goaltender to begin the season.
Sheary opened the scoring 1:25 into the game when he re-directed Jake Guentzel’s pass between Hellebuyck’s pads.
Morrissey tied it later in the period when his shot from the point caught the stick of Penguins’ D Kris Letang and went past Murray’s glove hand.
Murray kept the game tied entering the third period, first with a sharp blocker save on Nikolaj Ehlers before back-to-back stops on Tyler Myers and Laine. He stopped Myers on a breakaway and Laine during a two-on-one with Ehlers.
Laine tried again with a wrist shot 30 seconds into the third period, but Murray made the save and a follow-up pad stop on Kyle Connor.
NOTES: Penguins’ D Justin Schultz was placed on injured reserve after sustaining a concussion Tuesday against Edmonton. Pittsburgh recalled D Frank Corrado, but he was scratched against Winnipeg. … D Zach Trotman, who previously spent time with Boston, made his Penguins debut. … C Matt Hendricks made his debut with the Jets after missing the first seven games with a lower-body injury. He spent time with Edmonton last season. … Jets D Dimitry Kulikov played Thursday after missing two games with a lower-body injury.
UP NEXT
Jets: Continue a stretch of four games in six nights Friday at Columbus
Penguins: Open a five-game road trip Saturday at Minnesota. Pittsburgh plays eight of the next 10 on the road.
