Malkin, Maata goals give Penguins 2-1 win over Leafs

The Pittsburgh Penguins can’t get over seeing star Sidney Crosby shut out night after night.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Phil Kessel isn’t getting worked up about seeing a few old friends this weekend.

Despite six sometimes turbulent seasons, Kessel insists he enjoyed his time in Toronto.

The Penguins, who started 0-3, have won consecutive games. Jonathan Bernier will get the nod Saturday, but has dropped all five career decisions (0-3-2) to Pittsburgh while recording a 3.55 goals-against average.ABOUT THE PENGUINS (1-3-0): Evgeni Malkin, who scored his first goal of the young season in Thursday’s 2-0 victory over Ottawa, has tormented Toronto in his career. He’s got 300 shots in mind for his top goal-scorer, a feat Kessel reached twice with the Leafs – most recently during the 2013-14 season when he totaled 305 shots or 3.7 per game.

Olli Maatta made it 2-0 less than a minute later, making it look like Bernier might be yanked quickly from this start after lasting just 20:20 minutes in his last game.

“I thought he was good in spurts and got his legs moving a little bit, but for the most part he was a step behind in terms of what was happening with the pace of play”. The Maple Leafs scored 10 goals combined in their previous two games but managed only a first-period goal by right winger Leo Komarov while losing their sixth in a row to Pittsburgh. “I’m probably going to stare at it for a while”, Sprong said. Kessel also termed it “weird… those guys still are my buddies”. Just like the Penguins are wondering when a power-play goal will happen – they were 0-for-5 and are 0-for-17 for the season – and they’re still not getting much production from Kessel (one goal) and Crosby. “We know that and we’re looking at all options”. I didn’t want him sitting too long, so that was the decision we made that day.

“I thought once Bernie settled in he played good but we need Bernie to settle in right from the get go”, said Babcock. We have the ability to split them and the ability to put those players together. He realizes that every game, even the ones in October, are important and his goal is to help the Penguins gain as many points as possible.

Jake Gardiner scored his second goal in as many nights for Toronto, which has lost four of five to begin the season. As a result of that, he deserved a game, because of the camp he had….

In his first two starts this season, Bernier allowed the opposition’s first shot on goal to enter the net. “I got to be better for my team right off the bat”, said Bernier, who also gave up a goal on the first shot he faced this season.

“We did a lot of good things, but we ran out of energy in the third”, Babcock said.

Kessel had a hand in almost a third of Toronto’s goals in six bumpy but productive seasons. Malkin scored on an unassisted wrist shot inside the far post after he gathered in the puck outside the blue line and eluded right winger Mark Arcobello.

Taking that early 2-0 lead, the Penguins offense went quiet against Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier the rest of the way. However it wasn’t to last as three minutes into the game Joffrey Lupul took a boarding penalty. Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock immediately called a timeout but did not pull Bernier, who is competing with James Reimer for the starting job.

NOTES: Maple Leafs’ F Tyler Bozak was scratched against Pittsburgh after leaving Friday’s game against Columbus with a lower-body injury. Toronto didn’t hold a morning skate.

His showing against the Maple Leafs could have easily been predicted with one look at his numbers against since he entered the league. Clendening was paired with Olli Maatta while Ben Lovejoy played alongside Brian Dumoulin. D Tim Erixon, who was part of the Kessel trade, sat for Pittsburgh along with F Bobby Farnham and D Adam Clendening. The assist was Plotnikov’s first National Hockey League point.