PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Ryan Malone filled the hole after Rico Fata got the Pittsburgh Penguins out of one.
Malone scored 2:10 into overtime after Fata single-handedly erased a two-goal deficit in the third period as the Penguins overcame the loss of Mario Lemieux and defeated the Boston Bruins, 3-2.
A 23-year-old rookie, Malone had his point shot blocked, but the puck went off the right skate of Bruins defenseman Dan McGillis. Malone picked it up in the high slot and ripped a slap shot off the right arm of rookie goaltender Andrew Raycroft and into the net.
"I missed the net on the first time pretty badly," Malone said. "I just went back to the net and got a nice little bounce across the goal line. We got a couple of nice bounces, and we'll take it."
It was the second career goal for Malone, who was born in Pittsburgh. The son of Penguins scout Greg Malone was a fourth-round draft pick out of St. Cloud State in 1999.
The Penguins extended their unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1) without Lemieux, their oft-injured superstar center and owner who suffered a strained hip flexor in the first period and did not return.
"I never asked him how it happened," said Penguins coach Ed Olczyk, whose team played its third game in 3 1/2 days. "We'll see how he is after we have a day off tomorrow."
Fata picked up the slack, recording his first career two-goal game to rally Pittsburgh from a 2-0 third-period deficit. He also provided a screen on Malone's game-winner.
"It's different without Mario," Fata said. "Everybody's got to bring it up another notch. With him out, the guys in the room said we have to pick it up. It's good that we showed what we could do."
"We came back, regrouped, knew we had to play hard," Malone added. "You have to go out and play the full 60 minutes. Even if you find yourself in a hole, you can fill the hole and get out of it."
Marc-Andre Fleury, the top overall pick in the 2003 draft, made 30 saves for the Penguins. The 18-year-old has played each game during the modest unbeaten run.
Mike Knuble and P.J. Axelsson scored for the Bruins, who had their road winning streak snapped at six games. They were unbeaten in seven straight away from home and entered the day with an Eastern Conference-best 15 points.
Things looked good for Boston through two periods. Knuble opened the scoring 2:53 into the first period with his team-best sixth goal and Axelsson added his second of the season 9:34 into the second to make it 2-0.
It began to fall apart 7:15 into the third period, when Fata took a pass in front of the net from Mike Eastwood and put his first goal of the day inside the left goalpost.
The tally came 30 seconds after a roughing penalty on Bruins captain Joe Thornton expired. He was called for another 11:40 into the third period, leading to the tying goal.
After the game, Thornton complained about the calls. One of the most physical players in the league, he said they were a result of him being abused by opponents.
"What can you do?" asked Thornton, who began the day with only 10 penalty minutes, "There is no question that they were at most calling some things. It's unfortunate that hockey's going this way. I've been taking it for 12 games.
"How can you say stop? You would think that somebody in the league office would say something. I've seen enough. As far as I'm concerned, I don't think all year I should be called for a penalty. I should be Lady Bing winner every year."
Bruins coach Mike Sullivan defended his star center but Thornton he needs to stay out of the penalty box. Thornton topped 100 penalty minutes each of the previous three seasons.
"He cannot take them, that is the bottom line," Sullivan said. "I know he gets mauled, hooked, clutched, grabbed. But we have to find ways to fight through it. That's what discipline is."
Fata scored the equalizer on a partial breakaway, taking a pass from Brian Holzinger before beating Raycroft for his team-high fifth goal. A 1998 first-round pick, Fata had five goals in 100 games with three teams entering the season.
"Rico grabbed the opportunity," Olczyk said. "I'll continue to say it - you give him a chance and he's done what we wanted."
During their unbeaten run, the Penguins have posted a 1-0 blanking of Chicago and settled for a 4-4 tie with the New York Islanders. They rallied from a two-goal deficit before squandering a two-goal lead in that one.
"It's not part of the game plan," Olczyk said. "It's not part of the manual I read before I got this job."
