In a game that kicked off a critical seven-game road trip across the country as the Pittsburgh Penguins try to climb back into a playoff spot, they rode an efficient power play and strong goaltending on Friday while shedding some bad habits to down the Buffalo Sabres 5-2.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen wasn't able to bail out the Sabres when they began to make mistakes in the second period. Their starting goalie was outplayed by Penguins backup Alex Nedeljkovic, as Pittsburgh scored four consecutive goals and held on for a 5-2 win in KeyBank Center.

With the Pittsburgh Penguins finding themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas has to decide who to keep and let go.

Alex Nedeljkovic became the second goaltender in Pittsburgh Penguins history to score a goal during a 5-2 victory against the Buffalo Sabres, at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Friday. His score came on an empty net at 17:18 of the third period.

The Sabres welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to KeyBank Center Friday night. Buffalo looks to make it back to back wins this week at home as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gets the start in net.

Owen Power and Zach Benson scored for Buffalo ... and Rust made it 4-1 at 1:09 of the third. Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring ...

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been on a rollercoaster this season that has had more downs than ups. They stumbled coming out of the gate, and their season looked like it was over before it even began.

Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Evgeni Malkin and Matt Nieto each suffered injuries during a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Beyond a posting on one of the team’s social media accounts acknowledging Malkin’s ailment,

Nedeljkovic scored when he sent the puck from behind the net down the ice and into an empty net with 2:42 left in the third.

Owen Power and Zach Benson scored for Buffalo ... went 1 for 4 against the Penguins.Penguins: Pittsburgh pulled three points behind Boston for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Alex Nedeljkovic became the first goalie in NHL history to have a goal and an assist, and made 40 saves as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2.

The Buffalo Sabres fell 5-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday to conclude a three-game homestand at KeyBank Center. The Sabres led 42-19 in shots and gained an early lead on Owen Power’s ...