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Calgary Flames lose 9-1 to Pittsburgh as Kessel, Hornqvist lead the way for Pens

WATCH ABOVE: Some recent video about the Calgary Flames.

Patric Hornqvist and Phil Kessel each scored a pair of goals for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 9-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Jack Johnson, Jake Guentzel and Matt Cullen also scored for the Penguins, who improved to 3-0 on a four-game road trip through Canada.

Pittsburgh (5-1-2) scored 18 goals in those three wins, including an overtime victory over the Edmonton Oilers and a shutout of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Pens face the Canucks in Vancouver on Saturday.

Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray repelled 38 of 39 shots for the win.

Evgeni Malkin had a pair of assists to extend his point streak to six straight games (two goals, 10 assists).

Crosby has scored three times in his last two games after going six without a goal to start this season.

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READ MORE: Sidney Crosby scores winner as Penguins outlast Edmonton Oilers

Watch below: Some videos from Global News’ recent coverage of the Calgary Flames.

Flames forward James Neal foiled Murray’s shutout bid with two minutes remaining in the game, but Cullen scored for Pittsburgh 34 seconds later.

Flames starter Mike Smith was pulled for David Rittich midway through the second period after allowing six goals on 21 shots. Rittich turned away 12 of 15 shots.

Four previous games between Calgary and Pittsburgh had either gone to a shootout or overtime, but the visitors put on an a goal-scoring clinic Thursday pouncing on rebounds and converting both power-play chances into goals.

Crosby dished to Guentzel slipping by Calgary’s defence at 13:55 of the third period. Guentzel scored on a one-handed tip-in.

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The Flames (5-5-0) were booed as they headed to the dressing room after the second period trailing by a converted touchdown.

Johnson’s wrist shot from the face-off circle beat Rittich for a power-play goal at 19:39. Rittich relieved Smith at 9:29 when Kessel scored his second of the game on a breakaway.

Hornqvist opted to keep the puck on a 2-on-1 with Matt Cullen at 7:22 and beat Smith stick side for his second of the night.

Kessel scored on his own rebound at 1:17 of the second period as did Rust at 19:08 of the first.

Hornqvist tipped in an Malkin shot from the blue-line for a power-play goal at 14:19, which was the Swede’s 100th career goal in a Penguins jersey.

After his show-stopping overtime winner Tuesday in Edmonton, Crosby whipped a sharp-angled backhand between Smith’s left shoulder and the crossbar at 4:23.

Minutes earlier, Neal waited too long to get a shot away on a sprawling Murray.

Defenceman Travis Hamonic returned to Calgary’s lineup after missing eight games. He suffered a broken jaw in a fight with Vancouver’s Erik Gudbranson in the season-opener.

The Flames are at home to the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon before a two-game road trip to Toronto and Buffalo, N.Y.

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