Late PP goal earns sweep vs. Predators

Guentzel scores with a minute left

There have been a bunch of statistical anomalies in this mystifying yet satisfying season for the Penguins, who beat the Nashville Predators, 6-4, Saturday at PPG Paints Arena.

Bryan Rust has 16 goals, two shy of his career high. Matt Murray’s goals-against average is more than a goal higher than Tristan Jarry’s. An NHL-high 25 players have scored for the Penguins. And they are 13-5-3 without Sidney Crosby.

Here’s another one: Entering Saturday, they had scored a very un-Penguins-like 18

goals on the power play, putting them among the league’s bottom 10 teams.

Injuries have been a factor, sure. So has been their relatively low number of opportunities. Still, it had been, well, weird seeing the still-stacked Penguins go on their recent roll without having their power play carry them to a victory.

That changed Saturday, after the Penguins blew a threegoal lead and needed a powerplay goal, their third of the game, from Jake Guentzel with 1:03 left in the game to fight off the pesky Predators and survive with two points intact.

“I think we’ve got some confidence now,” a grinning Guentzel said. “We needed the power play to win us a game here … and it was nice to get that one.”

Before the game, coach Mike Sullivan said he wanted his top power-play unit to have more of a shooting mentality, an approach that has helped the second unit pick up steam recently. He specifically mentioned that the Penguins needed more shots from the top of the zone. Hmmm. Who lines up there again?

Kris Letang must have heard Sullivan loud and clear. On their first power play of the game, he unleashed a slap shot that blew by Nashville goalie Juuse Saros in part because Patric Hornqvist, back after a four-week absence, had posted up in front.

The Penguins scored another power-play goal in the second period. Rookie defenseman John Marino charged down the right wing and made a slick pass to Alex Galchenyuk. He finished it off for his second goal in as many games.

Guentzel made it 3 for 4 for the power play late in the game, after Predators forward Austin Watson went to the box for plowing over Matt Murray. Malkin slid him a pass behind the net and Guentzel barely got the puck over the goal line with just over a minute left. An official review confirmed the goal.

“I just tried to wrap it as fast as I can,” said Guentzel, who has a five-game home point streak and nine goals in his past 12 at home.

The power play had been showing signs of a breakout the past three weeks. They were 5 for 20 in their previous eight games and they scored a couple of goals just after a penalty expired, including one Friday in a 5-2 victory in Nashville, Tenn.

Sullivan said the surging power play was the difference in Saturday’s rematch.

For the second night in a row, they chased a Predators goalie before the end of the first period. This time, it was Saros who lasted just nine minutes, four seconds before tugging a baseball cap over his eyes at the end of their bench. The Penguins scored three goals on eight shots with the 24-year-old in net.

Bryan Rust and Dominik Kahun scored to make it 2-0 just 1:05 into the game. When Letang ripped that shot from the point past Saros with the Penguins on the power play, Peter Laviolette had seen enough, turning to Pekka Rinne.

Rinne, who has often struggled against the Penguins over the years, stopped just three of the six shots he faced Friday before making way for Saros. He was better in relief Saturday, keeping the Predators in the game late in the first.

The Penguins were up, 2-0, before Murray had to reach for his Gatorade bottle. He was steady throughout the first period, turning aside 10 harmless shots. But the Predators put three past Murray, who with Jarry playing at an incredible level was making just his third start in the month, in the second period.

The Predators got on the board 4:07 into that period after a penalty by Sam Lafferty and a giveaway by Teddy Blueger. Murray couldn’t control a blast by Calle Jarnkrok and Viktor Arvidsson, left alone in front, whacked in the rebound.

After Galchenyuk restored a three-goal lead, Craig Smith scored from a slim angle, sneaking a shot under Murray’s left elbow. Three minutes later, Mikael Granlund added another in a wild scramble to pull the Predators within a goal.

Murray stood tall early in the third. He twice kicked out his right pad to deny the Predators. He then snatched a Ryan Ellis shot with the Penguins killing a penalty, earning him his first “Murray! Murray!” chant in a while. The Predators kept pushing but Murray, who faced 48 shots, kept the Penguins in it.