NHL

• Pens, Malkin shoot for seventh straight win in clash with Wild

  
  

  (Sports Network) - Evgeni Malkin and the sizzling Pittsburgh Penguins will aim for a seventh straight victory when they welcome the Minnesota Wild for tonight's interconference battle at Mellon Arena.

  The Penguins have posted a perfect 6-0 record in November and haven't lost since a 4-1 setback in Phoenix on October 30. The winning streak comes on the heels of a three-game slide and is the longest tear for Pittsburgh since it won eight in a row from December 23 to January 10 of last season.

  Malkin has been especially hot for the Pens, as he comes into tonight riding a 13-game point streak -- the longest current stretch in the NHL. Malkin has scored in 16 of 17 games this season and was last held without a point on October 14 against Philadelphia.

  The 22-year-old Russian forward is coming off a four-point performance (1 goal, 3 assist) in Saturday's 5-2 victory over visiting Buffalo. Malkin has six goals and 21 helpers during the run and is leading the NHL this season with 30 points (7g, 23a).

  Jordan Staal also scored twice, as the Pens ripped off four unanswered goals in the latter half of the third period to come away with Saturday's triumph over the Sabres. It marked the fourth straight game that Pittsburgh won when trailing after two periods and the sixth time they've pulled off that feat this year.

  Alex Goligoski and Ruslan Fedotenko each had a goal and an assist for the Penguins.

  Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 21-of-23 shots in the come-from-behind win. Fleury will miss tonight's game with an unspecified injury and backup Dany Sabourin will get the start between the pipes.

  Tonight marks the end of a three-game homestand for Pittsburgh, which is 6-2-1 at the Igloo this year.

  Meanwhile, the Wild have won two straight and three of their last four games and are coming off Saturday's close win over visiting Columbus. Marek Zidlicky scored the game-winner in the shootout to help Minnesota earn the 3-2 decision at Xcel Energy Center.

  Minnesota's second shooter, Zidlicky skated in on net and fired a wrister over the glove of Steve Mason. After Derick Brassard lost the puck while stickhandling on his shot attempt, Antti Miettinen sealed the win with a wrister between the pads of Mason.

  Erik Reitz and Benoit Pouliot each scored in regulation for the Wild, while Niklas Backstrom made 24 saves in the win.

  The Wild are 5-3-0 as the visiting team this year and are on the road for just one game before kicking off a five-game homestand Thursday against Vancouver. The Canucks are currently leading the Northwest Division by one point over Minnesota.

  Minnesota is 5-2 with a tie in its eight all-time meetings with the Penguins and Pittsburgh ended a five-game losing streak against the Wild with a victory last October 30 in St. Paul.

  11/18 10:58:28 ET