McBain’s 1st career goal wins it as Hurricanes beat Penguins 3-2 in OT

‘Canes beat Pens 3-2 in OT on McBain’s 1st goal

PITTSBURGH — Jamie McBain scored his first NHL goal on a slap shot from above the circles with less than a second remaining in overtime, and the Carolina Hurricanes rallied from a late deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Saturday.

Seconds after Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made what looked to be a potential game-saving stop on Chad LaRose’s wrist shot, McBain — getting two points in his third career game — beat Fleury cleanly with nine-tenths of a second remaining. After the game, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said the shot deflected off his hand.

The Penguins, 2-2-2 in their last six games, led 2-1 on Evgeni Malkin’s goal off a hard wrist shot from the left circle with 6:55 remaining. Joni Pitkanen tied it at the 16-minute mark with a drive from the left circle off Eric Staal’s long pass from behind the goal line.

The Hurricanes, 11-3-1 since Feb. 5, won despite losing starting goalie Manny Legace with an unspecified lower body injury during the second period.

Legace took several minutes to get back to his feet after being upended by Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy during a scramble in front of the net. Kennedy was called for goaltender interference at 6:43 of the period, and Legace, despite initially staying in the game, was lifted after making eight saves when play stopped again 49 seconds later.

Pittsburgh tied it at 1-all on its third shot against backup Justin Peters, by Jordan Staal on a power play with 18 seconds left in the period. Peters made 15 saves.

The Penguins, trying to strengthen their position for another run at the Stanley Cup, added a point and now lead New Jersey by two points in the Atlantic Division. The Devils played St. Louis at home later Saturday.

Staal drew a tripping penalty in the third period that, coupled with a holding call on Mike Rupp, gave Carolina a two-man advantage for 22 seconds. But the Hurricanes didn’t score on either power play — they were 0 for 5 with the man advantage — during a game in which there were long stretches when neither team mounted any pressure on the opposing goalie or sustained any offense.

Pittsburgh had only four shots in the first period and Carolina had four in the second, and there were only 24 shots combined — 13 by Carolina — in the first two periods. Zach Boychuk scored his third of the season at 6:48 of the first, scoring from in front after Penguins defenseman Mark Eaton fell down in the slot. McBain and Pitkanen were credited with assists.

NOTES: McBain has a goal and three assists in his first three games. … Malkin returned after sitting out games in New Jersey and Boston with a bruised right foot. … Pittsburgh, coming off a 2-2-1 road trip, played its only home game in a span of eight games. The Penguins play at Detroit on Monday and Washington on Wednesday. … Carolina went 3-0-1 against Pittsburgh, beating the Penguins twice in overtime in 10 days. The Hurricanes won 4-3 in Raleigh on March 11. … Fleury made 26 saves. … Malkin’s goal was his 26th.