HOCKEY: Penguins stay hot, take down free-falling Devils

Connor Clifton and Egor Chinakhov scored just 50 seconds apart in a three-goal third period, lifting the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-1 win over the visiting New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. The Penguins played without superstar Sidney Crosby, who will miss at least four weeks with a lower-body injury sustained while representing Canada at the Milan Cortina Games earlier this month.

Tommy Novak opened the scoring for Pittsburgh, while Evgeni Malkin recorded two assists. Blake Lizotte added an empty-net goal as the Penguins returned from the Olympic break, improving their record to 15-3-3 since December 28. Goaltender Arturs Silovs made 28 saves in the victory.

With the game tied 1-1 in the third period, Pittsburgh mounted a strong offensive push. Clifton’s shot from the top of the circle, deflected off the post from a Ryan Shea attempt, put the Penguins ahead with 13:30 remaining. Less than a minute later, Malkin sent the puck through the neutral zone to Chinakhov, who scored with a forehand-backhand finish past New Jersey goalie Jacob Markstrom, who finished with 31 saves.

Paul Cotter scored for the Devils, who are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference. New Jersey matched a season high with their fifth consecutive loss, part of a 1-7-0 stretch. The Devils failed to convert any of five power-play chances, including four in the second period, and have been outscored 16-4 in their last five games.

Pittsburgh opened the scoring late in the first period when Novak redirected Kris Letang’s one-timer off a Malkin pass during a power play. The Devils tied the game early in the second period on a delayed penalty, when Dougie Hamilton’s shot deflected off Cotter, ending his 23-game goal drought. United States Olympic hero Jack Hughes assisted on the play. -Field Level Media/Reuters