Penguins even series with 3-1 win over Devils.
Special teams, plus bottom six step up
NEWARK, N.J. — Brandon Tanev burst onto ice at Prudential Center Saturday for warm-ups, not literally with his hair on fire but certainly with the new-look locks flowing off his helmetless head and the ever-present jolt in his step.
He was supposed to be one of the players counted upon to step up and fill one of the numerous holes in the Penguins’ top six… well, until he too got sucked into the void.
The Penguins already were prepared to reshuffle lines and call in reserves with three of the top-nine forwards out in Evgeni Malkin, Teddy Blueger and Jason Zucker. Then, they were dealt another lastminute curveball — or maybe knuckle puck — to test their forward depth when Tanev was scratched late due to an upper-body
injury that’s still being evaluated.
In a 3-1 win, a day that started with more bad injury news ended with jokes about mustaches and a bounce-back win.
Special teams, which have been shaky at times this season, were a difference-maker in a good way. The defense limited both the quality and quantity of scoring chances. Backup goalie Casey DeSmith again proved more than reliable. And captain Sidney Crosby, playing without the other star center in the lineup, looked possessed against the Devils.
“From the goalie on out, we played hard today,” Bryan Rust said, summing up a complete performance succinctly.
While coach Mike Sullivan noted the Penguins came out with “great energy” to start the first period, outshooting and out-chancing the home team, they entered the second period trailing, 1-0.
At that point, the Penguins had been held scoreless at 5on-5 play for six consecutive periods, all without Malkin. They finally found some offense from critical areas during the frame — the bottom sixand special teams.
Zach Aston-Reese tried to work a little give-and-go with center Mark Jankowski, who has been playing a third-line role in Blueger’s absence. The puck was fumbled and somehow ended up back on Aston-Reese’s stick in the slot — and thenin the back of the net.
The goal was Aston-Reese’s sixth of the season since returning from offseason shoulder surgery. In 20 games, he’s now matched his goal-scoring total in 57 games last season.
Moments later, the Penguins extended the lead to 2-0 on a beauty of a goal. After the Penguins won a puck battle along the boards, Rust emerged with the puck. Using his speed, he curled toward the net. As defenseman Damon Severson attempted to reach in, Rust made a cheeky move to lift the defender’s stick and then beat goalie Scott Wedgewood top shelf with a backhand. The goal marked Rust’s third power play goal of the season and his 11th overall.
“Obviously when you go down 1-0, you kind of tighten up the boot straps a little bit,” Rust said. “Just go out there, work harder, try to get some goals.”
In addition to missing some offensive firepower, playing without Tanev and Blueger meant Pittsburgh also was missing two of its best penaltykillers. That became critical midway through the third period when the Penguins committed back-to-back penalties.
Forwards Aston-Reese and Jankowski stepped up to shoulder the bulk of the penalty-killing responsibilities. They limited the chances so successfully, the very nice people of New Jersey, known for their welcoming nature and hospitality, booed their own team at the end of the second power play. Of course, playing the NHL’s fourth worst power play also helps.
On the day, the Penguins held the Devils to 0 for 4 on the powerplay.
The Penguins’ new-look penalty kill went through its growing pains to start the year as it implemented a system that was more high-pressure at the blue line and also within the zone. This time, it paid off to maintain a one-goal lead, with these specific elements that were changed providing the backbone for successful kills.
“I thought specifically we did a pretty good job limiting their success on their entries,” Sullivan said. “We made
entries difficult. We made possession difficult. When we do that, we can limit their zone time. That’s such an important part of killing penalties.”
Since Malkin went down, Crosby has looked like a man on a mission. The captain finally got rewarded for the effort late in the third period to seal the game with one of the more ridiculous goals of the season.
From the blue line, Crosby shot a puck intended for Guentzel’s stick. Guentzel, from all the way on the left faceoff dot, redirected it into the net, in a dazzling display of coordination and chemistry.
“[Crosby] was a threat from the drop of the puck,” Sullivan said. “When he is, I think he gives us a chance to win each and every night. He’s always
been inclined to do that. It’s part of his leadership. It’s part of his character. It’s part of his DNA.”
DeSmith survived one last scramble. He stopped 23 of 24 shots for another solid performance. He also got some help in front, as the Penguins focused on forcing New Jersey to the perimeter. Of those 24 shots, only eight were from the slot.
The victory improves the Penguins’ record to 19-11-1 (39 points), maintaining their position in third place in the hyper-competitive East Division and avoiding what could have been their first three-game losing streak of the season.
The Penguins will be back in action Sunday at PPG Paints Arena in the final game of a three-game series againstthe Devils.