PENGUINS OUTDO DEVILS
Secondary scoring finally shows up
NEWARK, N.J. — Of all the issues that dogged the Penguins in their recent skid, secondary scoring ranked somewhere near the top of the list.
Dating to Feb. 18, just two goals came from someone not playing in the top six. Not surprisingly, the Penguins lost eight of those 10 games.
Tuesday night against the New Jersey Devils, the Penguins finally exorcised that demon during a muchneeded 5-2 win at Prudential Center.
Recent acquisition Evan Rodrigues scored his first goal as a Penguin. Defenseman Justin Schultz snapped a personal scoring drought that dated to mid-November. And Evgeni Malkin slammed the door shut with a pair of third-period goals.
“That’s one of the better, more complete games we’ve played in a while,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I thought all four lines were going. The defensemen all
competed out there. I thought we were playing the game the right way. Our leaders set the example.”
During the Penguins’ recent slump, defenseman John Marino’s goal against Ottawa and Patrick Hornqvist’s in Buffalo were the only two not scored by a member of the top six. Rodrigues changed that in the first period.
He carried the puck into the offensive zone and dangled at the top of the left circle. Finally, Rodrigues sniped a shot top shelf that beat MacKenzie Blackwood.
“[Hornqvist] did a great job of going to the net and taking two, three guys with him. Kind of left me alone,” Rodrigues said. “I saw a lot of traffic. I just tried to put it there.”
Rodrigues, acquired on deadline day, reportedly requested a trade from Buffalo in part because he was unhappy he was often a healthy scratch. Saturday, Sullivan scratched Rodrigues in favor of Sam Lafferty. Sullivan said he had a conversation with Rodrigues and explained the decision. The newcomer has responded well. Sunday, he drew three penalties himself. Tuesday, he had an impact on the stat sheet.
“He just told me to keep my confidence and that I was playing well,” Rodrigues said. “When I got back in there, continue to play my game. I think I’ve done that.”
Goalie Matt Murray, who earned his fourth start in the past five games, was sharp early, stopping a flurry of chances during a New Jersey 3-on-2 and standing tall during a crucial late 5-on-3 penalty kill. In the first period, during a Devils’ power play, Nikita Gusev’s harmless-looking shot hit Murray’s glove and fluttered into the net for a 1-1 tie. But with more secondary scoring, the Penguins reclaimed the lead, 2-1, nearly five minutes into the second period. Schultz scored his third goal of the season when he beat Blackwood top shelf. It was Schultz’s first goal since Nov. 12, snapping a 27-game drought.
“Anytime you can score, it gives you a little bit of confidence,” Schultz said.
Throughout the game, the discipline and attention to detail that had been lacking lately shone through. After committing 16 turnovers against the Carolina Hurricanes Sunday, the Penguins were charged for just three Tuesday. One costly mistake nearly changed that narrative.
The Devils had a golden opportunity early in the third period. With Sidney Crosby already in the box, Kris Letang lost his composure. The defenseman committed an ill-advised and horribly timed retaliatory slashing penalty. It gave the Devils a 5-on-3 power play for 1:42.
Sullivan agreed that when a team has lost eight of its past 10 games and the captain already is in the penalty box, it’s not really the best time to take a penalty. Asked if he said something to Letang, Sullivan said, “Kris and I haven’t had a conversation. But we probably will.”
The coach’s smirk said more than his words.
But moments later, a game that started with secondary scoring was finished off by star power.
Malkin threw a puck on net that hit Blackwood’s right pad and trickled into the net. The Devils briefly pulled within a goal when Nico Hischier chipped a puck over Letang’s head to Miles Wood, who beat Murray off the rush. But once again Malkin provided the cushion, sealing the game with his second goal of the period. Letang tacked on an empty-netter.
“You saw it out there,” Bryan Rust said of Malkin. “He played great. He was controlling the puck. He as making smart plays. He was making his usual great plays.”
The Penguins (40-23-6, 86 points) remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division. They will continue their three-game road trip Thursday in Columbus before finishing it off in Carolina Saturday.