Pittsburgh Penguins vs Buffalo Sabres Match Player Stats On Mar 05, 2020

Patric Hornqvist scored two goals Thursday to help the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins down the Buffalo Sabres 4-2.

Marcus Pettersson and Sidney Crosby also scored, and Evgeni Malkin had two assists for the Penguins, who have won two straight coming off a six-game losing streak.

Goaltender Matt Murray stopped 28 of Buffalo's 30 shots.

Jake McCabe and Marcus Johansson scored for the Sabres, who have lost five in a row.

Jonas Johansson, in his sixth NHL game and his first against Pittsburgh, made 28 saves.

Buffalo missed a chance to sweep the three-game season series after winning the first two by a combined 8-3.

Pittsburgh opened the scoring at 7:56 of the first. Jonas Johansson stopped an initial shot by Hornqvist, then was leveled when Buffalo's Curtis Lazar knocked the Penguins' Nick Bjugstad into the crease. Johansson was still down when Hornqvist, also falling, used a sweeping backhand to deposit the rebound.

Buffalo lost a challenge of goalie interference on the goal. On Pittsburgh's resulting power play, Bryan Rust turned the puck over to McCabe at the blue line, and McCabe raced the other way on a breakaway and lifted a backhander past Murray to tie it at 9:01 of the first.

Pettersson's blast from above the left circle at 12:26 of the first gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead.

Hornqvist's second goal came during a power play at 13:32 of the second and was Pittsburgh's first shot of the period. Malkin brought the puck out from the end boards and dished a short, soft pass to Hornqvist, whose shot from in tight went off Buffalo defenseman Brandon Montour and between Jonas Johansson's pads.

Marcus Johansson drew the Sabres to within 3-2 at 1:57 of the third. His shot from above the left hash marks beat Murray on his blocker side.

Crosby pushed it to 4-2 at 6:02. Off the rush, he unleashed a backhander that sailed over Jonas Johansson's left pad and under his glove.

--Field Level Media