PITTSBURGH (AP) ― Once Evgeni Malkin got angry, the game really got out of hand.
Malkin had his ninth career hat trick, Jordan Staal added two goals and the Pittsburgh Penguins won for the fifth time in seven games by routing the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-1 on Saturday.
Chris Kunitz, Matt Cooke and Pascal Dupuis also scored, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 34 saves for Pittsburgh, which has won eight of nine home games and leapfrogged the New Jersey Devils in the crowded Eastern Conference playoff-race pack.
Malkin had five goals and two assists in his previous two games against Tampa Bay, but he wasn’t able to get going in this one until he got into a bit of a skirmish with Tampa Bay goaltender Dwayne Roloson, with Pittsburgh leading 3-0 eight minutes into the second period.
That’s when Roloson shoved Malkin to the ice with extended arms after Malkin was fighting for position in front of the net.
“Of course I was mad because I’m just doing my job,” said Malkin, who responded by throwing a punch back up at Roloson with his back on the ice. “I don’t know why he’s mad; I’m just trying to control the puck and shoot and the defenseman cross-checks to my back. ... I don’t know why he punched me in my face.”
St. Louis 3, Winnipeg 2
Phoenix 3, Edmonton 1
Washington 4, Toronto 2
Boston 5, Ottawa 3
NY Rangers 3, Buffalo 2
Florida 3, Carolina 2
Colorado 4, Detroit 3
Los Angeles 4, Chicago 0
Nashville 6, San Jose 2
Philadelphia 5, Calgary 4
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
