Game Wrap: Red Wings 4, Penguins 1

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and an assist and Jimmy Howard stopped 25 shots to lead the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-1 victory over the injury-depleted Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.

Johan Franzen added his team-leading 14th goal for Detroit and Danny Cleary provided some insurance with a pair of late goals as the Red Wings won their third straight.

Evgeni Malkin scored his 11th goal of the season for Pittsburgh, but the Penguins went 0 for 4 on the power play and couldn’t connect on their few quality chances.

The Penguins played without captain Sidney Crosby, who missed his third straight game and 23rd overall this season following a recurrence of concussion-like symptoms. Pittsburgh is 1-2-0 during Crosby’s current absence, with both losses to members of the league’s elite.

Philadelphia handled the Penguins in a 3-2 win last Thursday and the Red Wings survived a couple early scares to win in Pittsburgh for the first time in three seasons.

The teams have turned into heated rivals while splitting a pair of thrilling Stanley Cup finals in 2008 and 2009. Each views the other as a measuring stick of sorts, even without Crosby on the ice. Continue reading >>

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