DeSmith shines with 48 saves as Penguins slip by Bruins 5-3

Jake Guentzel tipped in Kris Letang's shot midway through the third period to fend off a Boston rally, and Pittsburgh goaltender Casey DeSmith made it stand up as the Penguins beat the Bruins 5-3 on Friday night.

Boston's Chris Wagner and David Krejci scored in a 54-second span of the third to erase a two-goal deficit but Guentzel responded by redirecting Letang's drive from the point by Jaroslav Halak with 9:13 left to put Pittsburgh ahead to stay.

DeSmth did the rest, finishing with a career-high 48 saves as the Penguins ended Boston's three-game winning streak. Zach Aston-Reese had a short-handed goal and an empty-netter. Derek Grant and Phil Kessel also scored for Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Penguins' Derek Grant (38) celebrates after putting a shot behind Boston Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak (41) for a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. (AP PhotoGene J. Puskar)

Brandon Carlo scored for the first time in 115 games for Boston and Halak stopped 24 shots but the Bruins had trouble with DeSmith, who has served as Pittsburgh's No. 1 goalie while two-time Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray recovers from a lower-body injury that's sidelined him for the better part of a month.

The team activated Murray on Wednesday, but DeSmith started against Boston anyway. He responded with a spectacular effort, keeping the Penguins in it despite some occasionally shoddy play in front of him. His flashiest save came in the first. DeSmith was sliding to his left when Brad Marchand picked up a bouncing puck and moved to DeSmith's right. The goaltender reached back with his glove and plucked it out of midair to keep the game scoreless.

Grant gave the Penguins the lead a short time later. Matt Cullen worked the puck out of the corner and sent it to Grant, who walked in on Halak and slipped the puck by Halak's stick for his second goal of the season 17:48 into the first.

Boston Bruins' Brandon Carlo (25) celebrates as he returns to the bench after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. (AP PhotoGene J. Puskar)

Kessel, playing in his 277th consecutive game with the Penguins — the fourth-longest streak in franchise history — and 723rd straight overall, doubled Pittsburgh's advantage 1:56 into the second period. Kessel ran a perfect give-and-go with linemate Evgeni Malkin, flicking a pass to Malkin at the top of the Boston zone and then darting to the net. Malkin faked a slap shot and instead fed a streaking Kessel, who buried it past Halak.

The Bruins responded by pressing Smith, who eventually relented when Carlo fired a laser from the top of the right circle 11:53 into the second for just the seventh goal of his career and first since March 4, 2017, against New Jersey. Boston, helped by two power plays, continued to keep the heat on before Aston-Reese restored Pittsburgh's two-goal lead with a short-handed marker with 58 seconds left in the second, the first goal by the Penguins while down a man since Feb. 9 against Dallas, a span of 57 games.

Boston made Pittsburgh's comfortable lead vanish quickly in the third. Wagner ripped a shot over DeSmith's glove from the left circle 7:08 in to get the Bruins within a goal and Krejci swooped in after David Pastrnak's breakaway shot smacked off the crossbar to tie it.

Pittsburgh Penguins' Zach Aston-Reese, right, collides with Boston Bruins' Charlie McAvoy (73) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. (AP PhotoGene J. Puskar)

No matter, Guentzel stuck his stick out on Letang's drive from the point and puck squirted through Halak's legs.

NOTES: Letang left late in the third period favoring his left leg and did not return. ... If Kessel stays healthy, he could break Craig Adams' club record of 319 straight games played near the end of the regular season. ... The Bruins scratched forwards Gemel Smith and Jake Debrusk and D Jeremy Lauzon. Pittsburgh scratched Ds Chad Ruhwedel and Juuso Riikola and forward Jean-Sebastien Dea. ... The Bruins were 0 for 2 on the power play. The Penguins were 0 for 1.

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Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin (71) gets off a shot with Boston Bruins' Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (23) defending during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak made the save on the shot. (AP PhotoGene J. Puskar)

Boston: Welcomes the Sabres on Sunday. The Bruins took the first meeting 4-0 in Buffalo on Oct. 4.

Penguins: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Boston Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak reacts after allowing a second-period goal to Pittsburgh Penguins' Zach Aston-Reese during an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. (AP PhotoGene J. Puskar)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Harden has passed Shaquille O'Neal for ninth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

The Los Angeles Clippers guard made a 3-pointer early in the third quarter on Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets, pushing his career total to 28,598 points in his 1,187th regular season game. O'Neal had 28,596 points in 1,207 games over 19 years.

“Shaquille O'Neal, somebody that I literally grew up watching here in L.A.," Harden said. "Him and Kobe (Bryant) doing their thing, winning multiple championships, the most dominant big man in the history of the game. It's a true honor, it's a testament to the work that I put in.”

Harden, who began the night 14 points behind O'Neal, finished with 32 points and 10 assists in the Clippers' 117-109 win against the Hornets. He had 13 points in the first half — including 11 in the first quarter — and scored 11 in the third and eight in the fourth to increase his scoring total to 28, 614.

Harden entered the night averaging 25.6 points per game, his highest average since the 2019-20 season (34.3 points per game) when he won the last of three straight league scoring titles.

Harden, who began the game with 28,582 career points in his 17th season, faces a steep climb to the next spot. Wilt Chamberlain is eighth with 31,419 points, in just 1,045 games over 14 years. LeBron James is the all-time leader with 42,601 points entering his game with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Following him are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant.

Harden recently moved up to 12th on the all-time assists list. The 11-time All-Star also ranks second all-time in 3-pointers made, behind Stephen Curry.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) shoots over Charlotte Hornets guard Sion James (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) celebrates his three-point basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) celebrates his three-point basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) dribbles during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)