Penguins build 5-goal lead, coast past Flames

Michael Bunting and Kris Letang each had a goal and two assists for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 6-2 win against the visiting Calgary Flames on Saturday.

Blake Lizotte had a goal and an assist, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 30 saves for the Penguins, who have won three in a row.

Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri each had a goal and an assist for the Flames, who dropped their fourth straight (0-3-1) and have lost seven straight on the road (0-4-3). Dan Vladar made 37 saves.

Anthony Beauvillier gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead at 17:14 of the first period, taking a feed from Lizotte and sending a backhand from the right circle short side over Vladar’s shoulder.

Bunting connected seven seconds into a power play to double the lead at 2:40 of the second period. Vladar got a piece of Matt Grzelcyk’s shot from above the right circle but couldn’t hold it, and the rebound fell to Bunting on the doorstep to sweep it past the netminder.

The Penguins capitalized on another power play to extend it to 3-0 at 9:02. With Vladar out of position after making a save to his left, Letang fed a quick pass to Philip Tomasino in the left circle for a wrist shot into the wide-open net.

Rickard Rakell made it 4-0 at 5:25 of the third period. Sidney Crosby carried the puck down the left side into the offensive zone and held off defenseman Jake Bean before slipping a backhand centering pass to Rakell, who was alone in front.

Letang’s one-timer from the top of the left circle off a feed from Grzelcyk on the power play beat Vladar top corner far side to extend it to 5-0 at 7:59.

Huberdeau received a short centering pass from Kadri and put it inside the left post to make it 5-1 at 14:27, and Kadri narrowed it to 5-2 at 15:05 when he collected a loose puck in front and lifted it over Nedeljkovic’s right shoulder.

Lizotte scored top corner from above the left circle for the 6-2 final.

–Field Level Media