When Penguins coach Dan Bylsma shuffled the lines in search of a spark for his slumping offense, putting Evgeni Malkin and rookie Brian Gibbons on the ice together wasn’t what he had in mind.
Still, he’ll take it.
Gibbons, the former Boston College standout from Braintree, converted a slick backhand pass from Malkin for his first NHL goal at 3:52 of the third period, starting a late burst as the Penguins beat the weary Anaheim Ducks, 3-1, on Monday night in Pittsburgh.
Called up from the minors 12 hours before the opening faceoff, the 25-year-old Gibbons was thrown immediately onto Pittsburgh’s third line.
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He ended up on the ice with Malkin after the Penguins were caught in the middle of a shift change.
‘‘I was just trying to get to the net and bang home a rebound or something,’’ Gibbons said. ‘‘Somehow it ended up right on my stick.’’
Gibbons earned his first NHL assist 62 seconds later when Brandon Sutter deflected Olli Maatta’s shot from the point past Viktor Fasth.
Flames 5, Jets 4 — Sean Monahan scored in the eighth round of the shootout and Reto Berra made 43 saves, lifting visiting Calgary past Winnipeg.