(AP) – Tyler Kennedy scored the first of Pittsburgh’s four second-period goals, reserve goalie Brent Johnsonwon his fourth straight decision, and the Penguins closed the regular season with a 5-2 victory Sunday over the already-eliminated Atlanta Thrashers.
Pascal Dupuis, Michael Rupp and rookie Mark Letestuadded goals to give the Penguins a 4-1 lead 18:14 into the second. Kennedy’s 21st goal came on a power play.
Late in the third, Mike Comrie scored an empty-net goal to make it 5-1. Ben Lovejoy finished with three assists.
– The Penguins won their 24th road game of the season, tying a franchise record set in 1992-93. Pittsburgh’s 54 points on the road broke the team’s record for most road points, surpassing the 92-93 mark of 51.
– Pittsburgh’s power play killed off three of Atlanta’s five power-plays, giving the Penguins’ PK a success rate of 86.1 on the season. That mark puts the Penguins atop the league in that category, which is the first time in franchise history Pittsburgh achieved that feat.
– The Penguins swept the season series against Atlanta (4-0). Pittsburgh also swept Buffalo and Florida this season, giving them three sweeps in series’ of at least four or more games.
– Mike Rupp’s second-period tally gave him four points (2G-2A) in the last five games.
– Eleven different players scored points in the game.
– The Penguins won at Phillips Arena for the fifth time in the past three years, having only lost at Atlanta once during that span.