Phil Kessel showcased his scoring ability, netting a hat trick to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.
Kessel’s three goals marked his sixth career hat trick and first in four seasons with the Penguins. His last came in 2014 with Toronto. Kessel’s breakaway goals, set up by pinpoint passes from Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin, helped Pittsburgh overcome an early deficit.
“It felt good to score. It’s been a while,” Kessel said. “I had some good passes, and I was able to finish.”
The Golden Knights struck first, but Kessel responded with three consecutive goals. He changed sticks before his hat trick, which began with a wrist shot following a Malkin faceoff win. He then scored two breakaway goals, thanks to long passes from Malkin and Hagelin, finishing both with glove-side shots on Malcolm Subban.
“It’s been a while, but it felt good,” Kessel said of his first hat trick since 2014. “I just found the puck in the right places.”
Jake Guentzel scored a goal, while Malkin scored three assists for Pittsburgh. Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith, making his first start of the season, stopped 35 shots in place of Matt Murray, who was sidelined with a concussion.
“I thought our guys really focused on defending better,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “It wasn’t perfect, but the effort was there.”
Reilly Smith and Tomas Nosek scored for Vegas, which dropped its third straight game. Subban made 18 saves for the Golden Knights, while Marc-Andre Fleury, a former Penguin, was the backup.
Nosek opened the scoring for Vegas, but Kessel’s first goal tied the game. He put Pittsburgh ahead for good with two breakaway goals in the second period, sealing the game with his hat trick.
“We’ve been creating chances, but we need to stay positive and keep pushing,” Subban said after the game.
Guentzel added Pittsburgh’s fourth goal, giving the Penguins a comfortable lead, while Kessel had already done the damage.
“We needed this win,” Kessel said. “We just have to keep improving each game.”
Game Notes:
- Vegas is 0-for-13 on the power play this season.
- Penguins defenseman Juuso Riikola made his NHL debut, replacing Olli Maatta.
- The Penguins recalled goalie Tristan Jarry to back up DeSmith.
- Vegas forward Tomas Hyka replaced Oscar Lindberg, who was a healthy scratch.
Up Next:
- Vegas concludes its five-game road trip in Philadelphia on Saturday.
- Pittsburgh heads to Montreal for its first road game of the season, also on Saturday.