PITTSBURGH, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Jan Hrdina and Robert Lang each collected a goal and an assist Thursday night to help the injury-riddled Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Penguins have played all season without the help of Alexei Kovalev due to a knee injury and recently lost the services of Mario Lemieux, who underwent hip surgery, and Martin Straka, who suffered a broken leg in a 2-2 tie with Florida on Sunday.
Hrdina picked up the slack by scoring the go-ahead goal with 2:19 remaining in the second period. Lang stopped a clearing attempt at the right point and shoveled it to Hrdina in the high slot. Unchallenged by the defense, he beat goaltender Curtis Joseph with a slap shot just inside the left post.
Lang gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead just over two minutes into the final period. He picked up his own rebound at the top of the crease, maneuvered to his backhand to avoid incoming defenseman Aki Berg and lifted the puck over Joseph.
Penguins goalie Johan Hedberg made 26 saves to improve to 5-5-0.
But it was defenseman Andrew Ference who made a diving play with three minutes remaining to preserve Pittsburgh's two-goal lead. Toronto's Darcy Tucker drew Hedberg out of the net at the start of his wraparound, but as he came around to the left side of the net, Ference dove to block the seemingly easy shot.
Toronto took a 1-0 lead at 13:10 of the first period on a slap shot by Dmitry Yushkevich. Stephane Richer tied it on a slapper from the right boards midway through the second period.
The Penguins improved to 5-1-1-1 since hiring coach Rick Kehoe and remained unbeaten in their last four home games (3
1).
