All-Star Milan Michalek scored twice to lead the visiting Ottawa Senators to a 5-1 rout of the struggling Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.
Michalek's first multi-goal game since Nov. 29 helped Ottawa hand the Penguins their fifth straight loss, a skid in which they've managed just six goals.
The Senators opened the scoring 11:13 into the first period on a solid second effort from Chris Neil. The veteran plugger was stopped on a wraparound attempted but slapped his own rebound past Penguins netminder Brent Johnson for his second goal in as many games.
Bobby Butler extended the advantage less than three minutes later, finishing off an end-to-end rush from Nick Foligno by firing a shot that eluded Johnson.
All-Star Jason Spezza made it 3-0 early in the second frame before Michalek, Ottawa's goal-scoring leader, got in on the action at 5:43 after Colin Greening's shot from the slot glanced off his skate and beat Fleury with the Senators on a power play.
Evgeni Malkin put Pittsburgh on the board at 11:14, taking advantage of an Ottawa turnover to beat Senators netminder Craig Anderson from the side of the net just before getting hit by defenseman Sergei Gonchar.
Michalek's second of the night put the game well out of reach with 7:37 remaining in regulation.
Ottawa | Pittsburgh | |
Colin Greening 3 | Points | Evgeni Malkin 1 |
Milan Michalek 2 | Goals | Evgeni Malkin 1 |
Colin Greening 3 | Assists | Evgeni Malkin 0 |
Milan Michalek 1 | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Craig Anderson .967 | Save Percentage | Marc-Andre Fleury .867 |
Craig Anderson 29 | Saves | Marc-Andre Fleury 13 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Ottawa | 23 | 5 | 1-4 | 1-1 | 6 | 29 |
Pittsburgh | 30 | 1 | 0-1 | 3-4 | 10 | 32 |