Rookie Ben Kindel’s Surprising Double Goal Seals Thrilling Penguins Victory Over Canucks

In a thrilling twist on home ice, rookie sensation Ben Kindel stole the spotlight with a pair of pivotal goals in the second period, steering the Pittsburgh Penguins to a gritty 3-2 triumph over the Vancouver Canucks. This victory not only sealed the game but capped off a flawless four-game western Canada road swing for the Penguins. Kindel, barely 18 and hailing from Coquitlam just a stone’s throw away, finally broke a frustrating 20-game scoring drought, delighting a sea of local supporters witnessing his second multi-goal performance this season. Meanwhile, Evgeni Malkin churned out his own magic, and Stu Skinner delivered a solid showing between the pipes, marking his seventh win in eight outings. Despite a late rally attempt by the Canucks—who are currently stumbling with just one win in 14—they couldn’t quite scrape back into the contest, dropping their second consecutive battle. Meanwhile, veteran Kris Letang made a welcome return, reinforcing Pittsburgh’s already potent lineup. This game was a dazzling display of resilience and young talent, and it sets the stage for what promises to be an exciting remainder of the season for both teams. LEARN MORE

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Rookie Ben Kindel scored twice in the second period to lead the Penguins to a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday and a sweep of Pittsburgh’s four-game western Canada trip.

Kindel, from nearby Coquitlam, British Columbia, had a large contingent of supporters on hand for his second multi-goal game. The 18-year-old had gone 20 games without a goal after scoring eight in his first 28 and has 10 goals and 12 assists in 48 games.

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Evgeni Malkin also scored for the Penguins (26-14-11), and Stuart Skinner stopped 19 shots and won for the seventh time in eight games.

Jake DeBrusk and Teddy Blueger scored in the third period for the Canucks (17-30-5), who failed to complete their comeback try and dropped their second straight. Kevin Lankinen stopped 21 shots.

Malkin and Kindel made it 2-0 with goals 3:17 apart in the second period. Malkin opened the scoring by taking a pass from Thomas Novak that went over a Canuck defender’s stick, then beat Lankinen. Kindel made it a two-goal lead by directing in a shot from defenseman Ryan Shea. Kindel gave Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead at 17:22 by beating Lankinen on a shot from the faceoff circle.

Pittsburgh opened its trip with a 6-3 win over Seattle on Monday, beat Calgary 4-1 on Wednesday, then defeated Edmonton 6-2 on Thursday.

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Veteran Kris Letang returned to the Pittsburgh lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury.

The Canucks have just one win in their last 14 games (1-11-2). Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko missed his eighth game with a lower-body injury.

Up next

Penguins: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

Canucks: Host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday in the sixth game of an eight-game homestand.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl