Logan Couture, who finished with five points, scored the go-ahead goal on a shot that squeaked under Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith’s pad at 15:35 of the third Saturday as the visiting San Jose Sharks won 6-4.
Couture had two goals, including an empty-netter, and three assists. Alexander Barabanov added a goal and two assists, and Mikey Eyssimont, Erik Karlsson and Noah Gregor also scored for the Sharks, who ended a four-game losing streak.
San Jose goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen made 37 saves.
Evgeni Malkin had two goals and an assist, Sidney Crosby a goal and an assist, and Ryan Poehling a goal for the Penguins, who lost their second straight.
DeSmith made 26 saves.
Eyssimont opened the scoring 1:25 into regulation on a one-timer from the low slot.
At 5:45 of the first on a power play, Malkin tied it. Rickard Rakell, near the left edge of the crease, set up Malkin for a tap-in near the far post.
Crosby got the other assist for his 1,468th point, moving him out of a tie with Stan Mikita and into 15th place alone on the all-time NHL list.
On another power play, Crosby scored for a 2-1 Pittsburgh lead at 12:55 of the first. Off a rebound of a shot by Malkin, he batted the puck in from near the left post.
With 6.5 seconds left in the first, Karlsson tipped a pass by Barabanov into a half-open net for a 2-2 tie.
Gregor gave San Jose a 3-2 lead at 4:54 of the second when he punched in a rebound of Couture’s shot.
At 7:49 of the second, the Penguins’ Marcus Pettersson and the Sharks’ Jonah Gadjovich fought.
With Pittsburgh short-handed, Brian Dumoulin sprang Ryan Poehling and Brock McGinn on a two-on-one. Poehling kept the puck and scored between Kahkonen’s pads for a 3-3 tie at 14:54 of the second.
Barabanov struck at 17:07 of the second when his blast from the center point made it through traffic for a 4-3 lead.
At 10:06 of the third, Malkin tied it when he roofed a shot from the right dot.
–Field Level Media
