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PITTSBURGH -- If Pittsburgh Penguins rookie defenceman Olli Maatta was nervous, it certainly didnt show. Maatta sealed the Penguins season-high sixth straight victory when he scored on a third-period penalty shot Thursday night, and Pittsburgh beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2. "I was nervous, for sure, but I think thats the only move that Ive got and it worked," Maatta said. "I thought he got it at first and then I saw it go in so I was pretty excited." Chris Kunitz scored his 19th goal, Pascal Dupuis and Brandon Sutter each scored for the second consecutive game, and defenceman Matt Niskanen also tallied for Pittsburgh, which has won 11 of 12 overall and a season-high nine straight home games. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby added two assists, extending his season-best point streak to nine games. He leads the league with 51 points. Jason Pominville netted his team-high 16th goal and Dany Heatley scored 3:13 into the third period for the Wild, turning a three-goal deficit into a 4-2 game. "We were not ready to play the game hard enough and thats something that we have to look at ourselves in the mirror," said Wild head coach Mike Yeo, a former assistant at Pittsburgh. "To come out and get out-battled and outworked was disappointing." The Wild had an opportunity to make it a one-goal game shortly after with a 5-on-3 power play for 1:46, but the Penguins killed both penalties. Maatta was awarded a penalty shot after he was hauled down by Jonas Brodin on a breakaway while coming out of the penalty box. "Thats the game, depending on what happens there," Crosby said. "If they score on that power play its a different game and theyre one away from tying it." Instead, the 19-year-old Maatta, who made the team out of training camp, scored his third career goal on his first career penalty shot, part of a his first career three-point night. He is the second defenceman in team history to score on a penalty shot. "To step up on a penalty shot like that, and put it in was huge," Crosby said. "Its nice to see him capitalize. Hes been playing well for us all year." Maatta and Niskanen, his defence partner, have also shouldered the load while five of the teams top six defenceman missed a third straight game. The bigger role for the young rookie includes increased minutes -- he played almost a career-best 30 Wednesday night -- and matchups against the oppositions top line. "Thats a tall order, but the confidence and steadiness and consistency in which he played has been maybe the best in the last three or four games," Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma said of Maatta. The Penguins, playing for the fifth time in nine nights, were also without star forward Evgeni Malkin for the third straight game. Malkin, third in the league in scoring, injured his left leg last Saturday at Detroit. Penguins forward James Neal returned to the lineup following a five-game suspension for kneeing Bostons Brad Marchand in the head during a 3-2 loss to the Bruins. Neal was involved in a fight and had an assist. The Wild are in the midst of a stretch where they play seven of eight on the road. They played their first game without starting goalie Josh Harding, who was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. Its a move that allows Harding time to make adjustments to medication for his multiple sclerosis. Harding, expected to return Dec. 27 at Winnipeg, led the league in goals-against average and ranked second in save percentage entering Thursday. It was a homecoming for Wild forward Matt Cooke, playing his first game in Pittsburgh where he spent five seasons before leaving this past summer by free agency. Cooke, an instrumental piece of the Penguins 2009 Stanley Cup run, has just 20 penalty minutes in 36 games this season, but he was a polarizing figure in Pittsburgh, serving multiple suspensions for several hits. He was recognized in the first period with a scoreboard video tribute. Dupuis opened the scoring 49 seconds into the game, slamming home a rebound from the top of the crease. Niklas Backstrom had trouble handling the initial shot, giving up a rebound -- tipped in the air by Crosby -- that fell into the paint, allowing Dupuis to give the Penguins the early lead. The Penguins struck less than two minutes into the second period as Sutter scored his eighth of the season, a turning shot from the left faceoff dot. Niskanen, who also logged nearly 30 minutes of ice time Wednesday at New York, netted a power-play goal less than two minutes later with a slap shot from the point that got past a screened Backstrom. Kunitz gave the Penguins a 4-0 lead seconds after a fight between Neal and Wild defenceman Keith Ballard, the third fight in two periods. Crosby set up the goal with a no-look backhand pass from the corner to Kunitz, who buried a one-timer past Backstrom. Pominville got the Wild on the board 37 seconds later, re-directing Nino Niederreiters shot behind Jeff Zatkoff, who won his sixth straight game. NOTES: The Penguins are 21-2 when scoring the first goal. .... Penguins forward Jayson Megna will miss the next six weeks with a lower body injury. . Justin Fontaine, former Penguin Mike Rupp and Nate Prosser were healthy scratches for Minnesota, while Brian Gibbons sat out for Pittsburgh. The Penguins host Calgary Saturday, while Minnesota visits the New York Rangers on Sunday. Air Max 90 Italia . Schaub will start for an injured Case Keenum and try to help the Texans end a 12-game skid. Schaubs last action in Houston came when he took over late in a game against Oakland on Nov. 17 as Keenum was struggling. Air Max 90 Outlet Italia . Head of clinic Josef Obrist tells the Austria Press Agency on Thursday that Morgenstern "is doing surprisingly well. ... He still has a memory gap but thats nothing unusual." Morgenstern has moved to a rehabilitation clinic in Klagenfurt for further recovery. http://www.airmax90scontate.it/ .J. -- Having Ondrej Pavelec earn his 100th NHL win and seeing Mark Scheifele and Evander Kane break goal droughts were nice highlights for the Winnipeg Jets. Air Max 90 Uomo Saldi . -- Canadas Milos Raonic defeated Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France on Saturday to advance to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. Scarpe Air Max 90 Outlet . With the players association in the midst of meetings in Las Vegas, a vote will be held on Friday to decide the CFLPAs presidency and other executive positions.SAN DIEGO -- Odrisamer Despaigne pitched five-hit ball for seven innings, leading the San Diego Padres to a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win. Despaigne (3-3) struck out eight and walked two for San Diego, which has won 10 of 13. Chris Nelson drove in two runs in the eighth inning for the Padres. Alexi Amarista and Abraham Almonte also drove in runs. Yasmani Grandal had two of the Padres six hits. Yohan Flande (0-5) went six innings and gave up four hits and two runs as Colorado lost for the fifth time in six games. It was Despaignes first win since June 29 against Arizona, when he won in the second of his first two major league starts. Despaigne allowed 10 runs in his last two outings before rebounding against Colorado, the majors worst road team at 18-43. Colorados run came on Corey Dickersons ninth-inning homer, his third in three games. Almonte put the Padres up 2-0 in the fourth when his sacrifice fly scored Rymer Liriano. Liriano reached on his first major league hit -- an infield single. The Padres opened the scoring in the second when Yonder Alonso scored on Amaristas fielders choice. Some sloppy base running cost the Rockies in the third when Justin Morneau went to third from second on Dickersons base hit. When Allmontes throw home wasnt cut, Dickerson broke for second with Grandal running toward Dickerson.dddddddddddd Morneau thought the plate was left uncovered and ran home. But Despaigne was backing up and rushed over for Grandals relay. Morneau was retired in a run-down. Alonso left in the fourth with a right forearm strain. TRAINERS ROOM Padres: SS Everth Cabrera was placed on the disabled list, retroactive to Sunday, with a strained left hamstring. . RHP Andrew Cashner, whos been on the DL since June 21 with a sore right shoulder, is scheduled to make two rehab starts for Triple-A El Paso. Manager Bud Black said Cashner will be limited to four innings/60 pitches in the Wednesdays outing. On Monday, Cashner will be extended to five innings/75-80 pitches. Rockies: LHP Brett Anderson, whos been on the disabled list since Aug. 6, will undergo surgery on Thursday to repair a disk in his lower back. Manager Walt Weiss said he expected Anderson to be ready for spring training. UP NEXT Rockies: LHP Tyler Matzek (2-7, 3.52 ERA) will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak in making his first appearance at Petco Park. Padres: RHP Ian Kennedy (8-10, 3.51), who lost his last time out, at Pittsburgh, has gone at least six innings in 18 of his 24 starts this season. 01:14ET 13-08-14 Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '