Pittsburgh Beats Buffalo 3-1 as Penguins Earn 11th Straight Trip to Playoffs

Sidney Crosby scored his NHL leading 41st goal of the season and Matt Murray had 29 saves as the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo 3-1 on March 21st. Crosby made some nice moves weaving his way through traffic on the way the net. The victory clinched a playoff slot for Pittsburgh for the 11th straight season.

Late in the game, Crosby took a stick to the face from Buffalo’s Evander Kane. Kane got a double minor for high sticking, but Crosby lost two teeth. Pittsburgh moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division, one point ahead of idle Columbus. Pittsburgh is also one point behind Washington in that airtight Metro race. The Capitals ended the Calgary Flames’ 11 game winning streak, beating them 4-2 in Washington. The Capitals will host Columbus on March 23rd. Pittsburgh will play at Ottawa that night; the Senators trail Atlantic Division leading Montreal by three points.