SUNRISE, Fla. — Craig Anderson wasn’t perfect. For a change, the Florida Panthers’ goalie didn’t have to be.
Anderson stopped 25 shots, David Booth had a goal and two assists and the Panthers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Thursday night.
After carrying Florida to consecutive 1-0 victories and setting a slew of NHL records in the process, Anderson’s bid for a third consecutive shutout ended when Ryan Malone tapped in a rebound at 6:19 of the first period. That snapped Anderson’s run of 106 consecutive saves.
“Once they scored, it was actually a big weight off my chest,” Anderson said. “There was a little bit of pressure there.”
Stephen Weiss, Rostislav Olesz and Brett McLean also scored for Florida, which sealed it on Bryan Allen’s empty-netter with 51.8 seconds left.
Reigning Hart Trophy winner Sidney Crosby, in his second game back since suffering a high ankle sprain and missing six weeks of action, had an assist for the Penguins.
“We just didn’t come out the right way and we definitely paid for it,” Crosby said. “This time of year, you can’t afford to do that.”
