Three takeaways from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4-3 win over Washington Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena:

Unlikely offensive contributors

Evgeni Malkin undoubtedly saved the Penguins’ bacon with his breakaway goal late in the third period that handed the team a 4-3 win and two much-needed points.

But earlier in the game, the Penguins received an offensive boost from unexpected sources.

Winger Ryan Poehling opened up the scoring midway through the second period, speeding ahead of Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin on a tight breakaway and burying the puck past netminder Darcy Kuemper on a feed from Danton Heinen.

It was Poehling’s sixth goal of the season and his first since Jan. 28.

Just over two minutes later, an even more unlikely player found the back of the net: defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, who had been scoreless through 41 games played this season.

On the rush with Jason Zucker, Ruhwedel ripped a heat-seeker of a wrister over the glove hand of Kuemper with 7:43 left in the second period, giving the Penguins a 2-0 lead.

“The goal was a great goal,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “It was a goal-scorer’s goal. I don’t know if Chad’s considered a goal scorer but it was a goal-scorer’s goal. It was a (heck) of a shot. Obviously, that had to make him feel good and it certainly was huge for the team.”

Love thy enemy

The rivalry between the Penguins and Washington Capitals, personified by the teams’ captains, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, has produced no shortage of entertaining hockey for close to 20 years now.

Whether it’s the regular season or playoffs, when Crosby and Ovechkin go head to head, attention-grabbing television usually ensues.

The higher-ups at ABC sure seem to think so, evidenced in part by Saturday’s affair between the Penguins and Capitals at PPG Paints Arena having a prime-time slot on their network.

With the win Saturday, in 65 career matchups, Crosby and the Penguins are 38-23-4 against Ovechkin and the Capitals.

During their long, successful careers, Crosby and Ovechkin have led their respective clubs to a Stanley Cup championship (three for Crosby and one for Ovechkin), while suffice to say, both players’ trophy rooms are overflowing with hardware honoring their individual achievements over the years.

Given that, perhaps it’s fair to label the Penguins-Capitals rivalry as one defined by mutual grudging respect, with two regular Stanley Cup-contending teams led by generational talents having experienced a blend of successes and disappointments at each other’s hands.

Malkin, who has played frequently with Ovechkin on the international stage, even hosted Ovechkin (along with the Capitals’ Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Alexseyov) for dinner Friday night.

Several Capitals, including Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, broke bread with Evgeni Malkin on Friday - the night before the Capitals-Penguins game https://t.co/U5KrVRxI90

— RMNB (@rmnb) March 25, 2023

The Penguins organization showed its admiration of Ovechkin during the first period of Saturday’s game, taking time to honor the 37-year-old on the jumbo screen for eclipsing Gordie Howe in career goals earlier this season.

Ovechkin, who entered Saturday with 821 goals, trails only Wayne Gretzky (984) on the NHL all-time goals scored list.

Ovechkin received a predictable chorus of boos from the PPG Paints Arena crowd upon being honored at a stoppage of play, but the Penguins faithful did ultimately salute him with a round of applause.

Ovechkin, ever the good sport, offered a smile, a wave and peace sign in response.

Appreciate the #Gr802 love, @penguins pic.twitter.com/cmnGKQmPQq

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 26, 2023

Ovechkin had a big reason to smile in the third period, as he launched a one-timer from the left faceoff circle — in about as classic Ovechkin style as it gets — that beat Casey DeSmith with 6:42 remaining in regulation.

The power-play goal, No. 42 for Ovechkin this season and No. 822 in total, set the stage for Washington’s eventual game-tying score with 2 minutes, 44 seconds left in the third period.

Fight thy enemy

Any appreciation felt by Kuznetsov to Malkin for Friday’s dinner feast clearly did not extend to the latter’s teammate, Josh Archibald, during Saturday’s game.

Late in the second period, with the Penguins up, 2-0, Kuznetsov and Archibald got tangled up in the Capitals’ zone, exchanging some words and shoves.

Sandin took exception and approached Archibald, leading to an outbreak of fisticuffs, which Archibald proceeded to win in quick succession.

Josh Archibald and Rasmus Sandin get together to chuck some knucks#LetsGoPens | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/bGgHGcYaiF

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) March 26, 2023

Similar in frame, Archibald (5-foot-10, 176 pounds) and Sandin (5-foot-11, 182 pounds) matched up nicely.

“There was a little scrum in the corner with Kuznetsov, then I skated up the ice. (Sandin and I) were talking back and forth and next thing you know, we were fighting,” Archibald explained after the game.

Per hockeyfights.com, it was Archibald’s fifth fight of his NHL career. It was Sandin’s second.

Archibald most recently fought in March of 2022 as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, throwing off the gloves with Tampa Bay’s Mikhail Sergachev.

Recalled Archibald of that engagement: “Didn’t go my way.”

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