James Neal was a force all night with nine shots, one goal and one assist; Evgeni Malkin, Tyler Kennedy and Steve Sullivan added goals and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 25 shots as the Penguins ended a six-game skid with a 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers.
After a scoreless opening period in which Pittsburgh had an 18-6 advantage on shots, the Penguins took a 1-0 lead on Steve Sullivan's goal at 1:49 of the second. Florida goaltender Scott Clemmensen attempted to bring the puck out from behind the net, but it slipped away from him and out to Matt Cooke below the right circle. He passed to Sullivan in the low slot, and Sullivan easily got the puck past Scott Clemmensen trying to get back in position.
Evgeni Malkin made it 2-0 with an unassisted score with 35 seconds to go in the period. Malkin brought the puck along the boards and shot from low in the left circle. His shot was blocked by Clemmensen and bounced off the end boards. Malkin grabbed the rebound and fired a backhanded shot that glanced off Clemmensen and into the net for his 18th goal of the season.
Tyler Kennedy stretched the lead 36 seconds into the third as the Penguins came down the ice with a 3-on-2 advantage and his wrist shot whistled past Clemmensen on the glove side.
Michal Repik scored a goal and Clemmensen made 37 saves for Florida.
Repik got the Panthers on the board at 6:55 of the final period, tipping in Jason Garrison's shot from just inside the blue line.
James Neal closed the scoring with 4:17 to go, sending a shot from the left circle past Clemmensen for his team-leading 22nd goal of the season.
The Associated Press
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