Crosby and Malkin score as Penguins shut out Predators in Sweden to split NHL Global Series
STOCKHOLM — Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin scored a little over two minutes apart in the first period to help the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Nashville Predators 4-0 Sunday to split their NHL’s Global Series in Sweden's capital.
The Penguins bounced back from a 2-1 loss to the Predators in the opener of the two-game series Friday and snapped a three-game skid. Rookie goaltender Sergei Murashov stopped 21 shots for his first victory in his second NHL start.
After Parker Wotherspoon put the Penguins up 1-0, Malkin doubled the lead 8:08 in when his pass from behind the goal line was deflected into the net by Nashville defenseman Nicolas Hague. The 39-year-old Malkin scored his team's only goal Friday.
Malkin and Crosby lead Pittsburgh in scoring. Malkin has 23 points and Crosby 21.
Crosby, 38, one-timed a shot from the left circle past the midway point of the first to make it 3-0, scoring his 12th goal of the season and 637th of his career. Blake Lizotte finished it off with an empty netter with 2:48 left.
Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros allowed three goals on 21 shots.
The NHL has played games in Europe since 2008 as part of its efforts to grow the fan base in hockey-mad countries like Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and others. This was the league's 48th regular-season game outside North America.
The Penguins and Predators again split an international series, after doing so at the start of the 2000-01 regular season in Japan.
The Penguins returned to Stockholm for the first time since 2008 when they faced Ottawa, before winning the Stanley Cup to cap off that season. Crosby, Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang were all on that team. They are currently in their 20th season as teammates with the Penguins.
Penguins: host the Minnesota Wild on Friday.
