Sergei Murashov earns 1st win as Penguins shut out Predators to close Sweden trip

The Pittsburgh Penguins might not want to leave Sweden.

After a lackluster performance in their first game at Avicii Arena, the Penguins got revenge on the Nashville Predators 4-0 Sunday morning behind a dominant first period and rookie goaltender Sergei Murashov's first career win — and shutout.

Following Friday's performance, when the Penguins didn't trouble Predators goalie Juuse Saros much at all, Sunday's first period was a complete role reversal. The Penguins scored more goals (three) than the Predators managed shots on Murashov's net (two).

"I really liked our first period," Penguins coach Dan Muse said. "I liked the way we came out. [Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin] were a huge part of it — they were the goals — but I also think the way the team played in the first period, we were really happy with it. Mentally, we needed to come out, so that's a credit to those guys. It's a credit to our leadership, too, making sure that the group is ready to go."

Pittsburgh got the scoring started early, just 2:19 into the contest. Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon got his second tally of the season with a wrister from the point. Joona Koppanen and Danton Heinen were posted up in front of Saros, who couldn't see the puck before it flew in over his left shoulder.

Malkin still had some Swedish luck on his side. Two days after banking in a goal off of Saros' back, the Penguins center scored from behind the net again Sunday, this time ricocheting a pass intended for Anthony Mantha off of Nicolas Hague's skate for a 2-0 lead.

The Swedish fans on hand got to see another Penguins star get on the score sheet with 9:47 remaining. The puck found Crosby's stick near the left faceoff circle, and the captain snapped a wrister past Saros' short side. The Penguins went into the dressing room with a 3-0 lead after the first period.

"We were pretty motivated coming off last game, the way it finished," Crosby said. "Didn't feel like we played our best. ... I thought we were motivated to bounce back and I thought it showed with the way we played. Doesn't always work out that you get three [goals] even if you have a good start, so that was big."

Whereas the first was defined by the Penguins' dominance, the second period was a little more dicey for them. Pittsburgh never really troubled Saros in the second, only hitting him with four shots on net. The Predators, meanwhile, started to find their legs.

But while maintaining leads has been a problem for the Penguins this season, they held firm in the second. Murashov made a few key saves on left-circle slap shots from Steven Stamkos. But a key moment came from the Penguins' penalty kill. Ryan Shea was in the box for a slashing penalty when the Penguins earned a bench minor for too many men on the ice. But the Penguins held strong for the 34 seconds at 5-on-3 and the ensuing power play and seized momentum.

Things started to get a little chippy near the end of the second period, when Ryan Graves flattened Luke Evangelista — and the linesman — into the Predators bench. Evangelista was bloodied by his own stick on the play, but that didn't stop most of Nashville's bench from wanting a piece of Graves, setting up for a contentious third.

"Second period, we were on the kill a lot, so credit to those guys. They did a really good job," Muse said. "That can be tough, too, for the guys who don't kill penalties because now you're sitting and you're waiting. I thought given those circumstances the guys ... who went out there and killed penalties did an outstanding job. Sergei made some good saves."

That contentiousness tightened the game in the third period, even as the ice kept tilting in Nashville's favor. The Penguins didn't threaten much, outside of a redirection from Koppanen that rang the post and a 2-on-1 shot from Blake Lizotte that was saved by Saros.

Lizotte added an empty-netter late for the final score.

Murashov stood tall in the Penguins net in the final period, making a smart save on a Matthew Wood cross-ice one-timer and a Nick Perbix backhander from the slot. Murashov ended up saving all 21 shots.

"I really enjoy it. That's my job. That's why I'm here," Murashov said. "It's nice to be in the game engaged. Every challenge, you scale off that, just jumping, just battling. ... It's a good feeling."

Murashov was gifted a watch after earning the shutout and being named the first star. The only issue?

"I don't wear watches," Murashov said sheepishly. " ... I don't know what to do with it."

It was over when ...

The Penguins killed off 34 seconds of 5-on-3 after a too many men on the ice call and a slashing penalty to maintain their 3-0 lead with 5:35 left in the second period. Nashville still controlled the game from there, but the Penguins didn't collapse as they've done a few times this season.

Stat of the game

14:58 — The Penguins held the Predators without a shot on net for 14:58 between the end of the first period and start of the second.

Around the boards

— Ville Koivunen didn't play Sunday in Stockholm. Dan Muse announced pregame that Koivunen is out day to day with a lower-body injury.

— Because of Koviunen's injury, the Penguins lineup was shuffled. Connor Dewar was promoted to the first line on Crosby's left wing. Kevin Hayes and Tommy Novak swapped lines. Ben Kindel dropped back down to center the third line. Heinen jumped into the fourth line. Connor Clifton slotted in for Mathew Dumba next to Graves on the third defensive pair.

— Harrison Brunicke was scratched again. It was the 19-year-old blue liner's fifth straight scratch, meaning he's now eligible for a 14-day conditioning stint in the AHL.

— Malkin's goal in the first period was the 519th of his career, passing Dale Hawerchuk for 40th all time. It was also Malkin's 1,369th career point, tying Johnny Bucyk for 27th in NHL history.

— The Penguins didn't have a power play Sunday but went 4 for 4 on the penalty kill.

Coming up next

After the Penguins' international trip, they get a nice, long break. They return home Friday for a 7 p.m. ET matchup with Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild.

____