DeSmith makes 26 saves, Penguins shut out Senators

Casey DeSmith made 26 saves for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 2-0 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday.

The shutout was DeSmith's second of the season and eighth in 69 NHL starts.
Jeff Carter and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins (29-11-8), who have won two straight since the All-Star break after losing their previous four.
"It's a full team game, and we played great tonight," DeSmith said. "I just happened to be behind everybody. … I was fortunate to make some saves tonight. Everybody in front of me did the rest."
Matt Murray made a season-high 42 saves in his first game against his former team for the Senators (16-23-4), who had won their previous two games. The goalie played five seasons for Pittsburgh, winning the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, before being traded to Ottawa on Oct. 7, 2020.
"I tried to take it as just another game," Murray said. "It's been two years in the making, though. I've missed them a couple times with the weird alignment last year. So nice to get it over with, I'll say that.
"It was weird, for sure, at the start of the game. I know, firsthand, how dangerous those guys are offensively. They came to play tonight. I've seen them in practice for so many years. It was different, for sure. It was a weird feeling."
Carter gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead at 7:25 of the second period on a one-timer from the slot set up by Kris Letang. The goal ended Carter's drought of five games without a point since having an assist against the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 25.
"This is a pretty solid 60 minutes, throughout the lineup," Carter said. "We played fast. They're a good team. They played fast. They're a skilled team. They got some chances. [DeSmith] made some big saves for us. But I thought it's probably our most complete game in a long time. It's a good step for us."

Rust scored an empty-net goal with 12 seconds remaining in the third period for the 2-0 final. He has scored 15 goals in his past 15 games.
Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, who needs one goal to reach 500 in the NHL, had six shots on goal and an assist on Rust's goal.
"I thought [Crosby] was tremendous tonight on both sides of the puck," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "Their line, I thought, was tough to handle all night long. They had some really good looks, especially in the third period. Just playing with a one-goal lead the way we did, just an assertive game plan, on our toes.
"It always starts with Sid, for me. He's such a great leader in that regard, just playing the game the right way."
Before Carter's goal, Dylan Gambrell had a chance to put the Senators ahead on a breakaway in the second period. Nicholas Paul dove to tip the puck away from Carter in the neutral zone, sending Gambrell in alone, but DeSmith slid to his right for a save on a backhand at 4:46.
Carter nearly extended Pittsburgh's lead on a shorthanded breakaway before Murray sprawled to freeze the puck against the right post with his pad at 10:16 of the second.

Murray has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his past five starts.
"We just couldn't generate enough," Senators coach D.J. Smith said. "Give Pittsburgh credit. They were skating. They came to play today. That's not the team we saw in Pittsburgh (a 6-4 Senators loss on Jan. 20). They checked. They gave you nothing. Those are tough games for young guys."
NOTES: Murray was not available for Ottawa's loss at Pittsburgh on Jan. 20 because of an illness unrelated to COVID-19. Murray was 117-53-19 with a 2.72 goals-against average and .914 save percentage with the Penguins. … Pittsburgh forward
Evgeni Malkin
missed his second game in NHL COVID-10 protocol. He could return Sunday at the New Jersey Devils, Sullivan said. … Carter scored his 86th game-winning goal in the NHL. Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (119) is the only active player with more.