RALEIGH, N.C. _ The Carolina Hurricanes learned before game time Friday that center Jordan Staal would not be in the lineup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Hurricanes said Staal would miss the game for personal and family reasons. Defenseman Brett Pesce later went a step further in an interview with Fox Sports Carolinas, saying Staal and wife Heather were expecting the birth of a child.
Without Staal, the Canes couldn't slow down the streaking Penguins, losing 6-1 at PNC Arena to extend their winless streak to four games.
In truth, with or without Staal, the Canes might have struggled against the Pens (36-23-4), who have won six straight and are 7-0-1 in their last eight games. With each passing week, the Pens are looking very much like a team that could win a third straight Stanley Cup, with scoring balance throughout the lines, an active defense and goalie Matt Murray looking sharp in net.
Phil Kessel had two goals and an assist, and Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin a goal and two assists apiece for the Pens while Murray earned his 23rd win of the season. Sidney Crosby scored, as did defenseman Olli Maatta.
Despite the loss, the Canes (27-24-10) remained one point out of playoff position in the Eastern Conference with the NHL trade deadline coming up Monday. Carolina plays at Detroit on Saturday.
The game, played before a lively crowd of 18,182 at PNC Arena, was all but decided after the first 30 minutes. The Pens led 4-1 as the Riley Sheahan line, with Kessel and Guentzel on the wings, dominated most of their shifts.
When the score reached 6-1 in the third, Canes goalie Cam Ward gave his paddle a fling in disgust, earning a 10-minute misconduct penalty and bringing in Scott Darling.
Guentzel scored his 20th of the season in the first, going backdoor to beat goalie Cam Ward with an easy tap-in. Matt then made it 2-0 after a face-off win by the Pens in the Carolina zone, spurring the Canes' best moments of the night.
With Staal out, Elias Lindholm centered the line with Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho and the line produced a goal as Teravainen scored his 15th in the second.
The Canes followed up the score by keeping the Pens pinned down in the Pittsburgh zone, making a change as Malkin and wingers Carl Hagelin and Patric Hornqvist were on the ice for almost three minutes.
The Canes' Brock McGinn and Lee Stempniak each had quality scoring chances in the offensive flurry but couldn't finish.
The Pens have finishers and few better than Kessel. The veteran forward scored on a shot from the left circle off a Guentzel pass, then crashed the net to beat Ward and has 26 goals this season.
During the game, the Pens wrapped up a three-team trade with Ottawa and Vegas, with Pittsburgh's key acquisition center Derick Brassard from the Senators. Brassard could fill the Pens' need for a third-line center although the Sheahan line was impressive Friday.
Staal often has been matched against Malkin's line this season as the Canes won twice.
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