December 8, 2019 11:06 am
DETROIT (AP) – Evgeni Malkin is picking up the slack with Sidney Crosby out, making dazzling plays on offense and getting back on defense. Malkin and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and two assists to help the Pittsburgh Penguins build a two-goal lead midway through the second period en route to a 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. The 33-year-old Malkin scored on a whirling shot that got past Jonathan Bernier midway through the second period, restoring a two-score lead with his eighth goal of the season and 399th of his career. “I’m thrilled with Geno’s game right now,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s having success at both ends of the rink.” Crosby missed his 13th game in a row, recovering from last month’s surgery to repair a core muscle. The Penguins have made up for the loss of the superstar by having an NHL-high 24 players score at least one goal this season. “It has helped us grab the points that we’ve grabbed over the last few weeks through some of the injuries that we’ve endured,” Sullivan said. “We have some pretty good offensive players that aren’t in the lineup right now.” Guentzel had his team-leading 16th goal early in the game, shortly after grimacing in pain on the bench. The winger appeared to score off his right skate, ending a sequence that started with teammate Bryan Rust laying on the ice in Detroit’s end without his broken stick and pushing the puck up the ice with his glove. Guentzel has been playing with Malkin instead of Crosby and is enjoying every shift. “He’s playing at a high caliber right now and it just fun to be a part of it and go along for the ride,” Guentzel said. Matt Murray made 26 saves for his first win in nearly a month, helping Pittsburgh earn its third straight victory. He didn’t help his case to compete with Tristan Jarry for playing time, giving up two goals in the third period.
December 8, 2019 8:07 am
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Kaleb Wesson scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and No. 6 Ohio State routed Penn State 106-74. Ohio State scored 100 points against a Big Ten rival for the first time since 1991. Four players hit double figures for the Buckeyes (9-0, 1-0 Big Ten), who shot 57.4 percent from the field. Andre Wesson scored 15, and sophomores Duane Washington Jr. and Luther Muhammad, each added 14. The Nitany Lions (7-2, 0-1) were led by Izaiah Brockington’s 19 points and Seth Lundy’s 10. Penn State lost for the second time in four games.
December 6, 2019 3:52 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Cincinnati Reds and All-Star infielder Mike Moustakas have finalized a four-year, $64 million contract that’s the richest free agent deal in franchise history. Moustakas hit .254 with 35 home runs and 87 RBIs for the Brewers last season, recording an .845 OPS and making the All-Star team for a third time. The nine-year major league veteran has belted 182 home runs and driven in 561 runs in 1,131 games for the Royals and Brewers.
December 5, 2019 3:49 am
UNDATED (AP) – Zack Wheeler is staying in the National League East, but he’ll be about 90 minutes southwest of his previous ballclub. Two people familiar with the deal tell The Associated Press that the free-agent right-hander has accepted a five-year, $118 contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Wheeler spent his first seven seasons with the Mets and was 11-8 with a 3.96 ERA for New York this year. He’s pitched in five major league seasons but has never won more than 12 games or pitched 200 innings, missing the 2015 and ’16 seasons following Tommy John surgery.
Wheeler is 44-38 with a 3.77 ERA in 126 starts, fanning 726 over 749 1/3 innings.
December 5, 2019 3:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Tristan Jarry stopped 28 shots and the Pittsburgh Penguins handed the St. Louis Blues a rare regulation road loss with a 3-0 victory. Penguins forward Stefan Noesen celebrated his return to the NHL with his first goal of the season for Pittsburgh. The Penguins called Noesen up from the minor leagues to help them deal with a rash of injuries to high-profile players, including captain Sidney Crosby. Alex Galchenyuk and Teddy Blueger also scored for Pittsburgh. St. Louis saw its 10-game road point streak end despite 30 saves by Jordan Binnington.
December 4, 2019 3:44 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Xavier Johnson scored a season-high 20 points to lead Pittsburgh over Rutgers, 71-60 in the 2019 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Johnson finished 8 of 14 shooting and hit 2 of 5 from beyond the 3-point arc. He also recorded a game-high eight assists.
December 3, 2019 3:44 am
SEATTLE (AP) – The Seattle Seahawks have grabbed control of first place in the NFC West with a strong second half against Minnesota Monday night. Rashaad Penny scored one touchdown rushing and one receiving in the Seahawks’ 37-30 win over the Vikings. Seattle trailed 17-10 until Penny burst into the end zone on a one-yard run early in the third quarter. The Seahawks pulled ahead on a field goal and took control when Russell Wilson hit David Moore for a 60-yard TD. Penny’s 13-yard scoring grab made it 34-17 with 13 12/2 minutes to play. Wilson was 21 of 31 for 240 yards, two touchdowns and an interception that was returned 30 yards by Anthony Harris for a TD. The Seahawks and 49ers are 10-2, but Seattle holds the tiebreaker with four games remaining. Kirk Cousins was 22 of 38 for 276 yards and one TD for the 8-4 Vikings, who are one game behind the first-place Packers in the NFC North.
December 3, 2019 3:41 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed former New Jersey and Anaheim forward Stefan Noesen to a two-way contract. Noesen previously agreed to a minor league deal with the Penguins but earned a promotion to the NHL after collecting 14 goals and eight assists in 22 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. The 26-year-old Noesen played 159 games combined for New Jersey and Anaheim from 2015-19.
December 2, 2019 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without defenseman Brian Dumoulin for at least eight weeks after he underwent left ankle surgery. Dumoulin left Saturday night’s 5-2 loss to St. Louis in the first period with what the team termed a lower-body injury. General manager Jim Rutherford said surgeons repaired lacerated tendons in Dumoulin’s left ankle. Dumoulin has one goal and six assists in 23 games with the Penguins. He missed four games earlier in the season with an unspecified lower-body injury.
December 1, 2019 2:23 am
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Journey Brown ran for 103 yards with three touchdowns and No. 12 Penn State pulled away from Rutgers 27-6 on Saturday. Will Levis played quarterback for the Nittany Lions (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten, No. 10 CFP) in place of injured started Sean Clifford and added 108 rushing yards on 17 carries and a 42-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson in the fourth quarter. Isaih Pacheco led Rutgers (2-10, 0-9 Big Ten) with 102 yards rushing on 18 carries and Johnny Langan completed 12 of 24 passes for 164 yards with 58 rushing yards. Penn State led 7-3 after a sleepy first half that featured six combined punts. The Nittany Lions took control of the game early in the third quarter. Levis ripped off a 49-yard run on Penn State’s first play of the half to set up an 18-yard touchdown run from Brown, who bounced off defenders for his second score of the day. Penn State led 13-3 after Rutgers blocked Jake Pinegar’s extra point try. After Rutgers’ Justin Davidovicz made a 38-yard field goal, Levis hooked up with Dotson, who spun around three defenders near the goal line to make it 20-6. Brown capped an 8-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run on Penn State’s next possession. Penn State wasn’t nearly as efficient in the first half when Rutgers jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a 29-yard field goal from Davidovicz. Penn State responded with a six-play, 76-yard scoring drive fueled by Levis’ running. He racked up 48 yards before Brown plunged in from 2 to give Penn State a 7-3 lead.
