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Penguins beat Blues for 3rd consecutive win | TribLIVE.com
Penguins/NHL

Penguins beat Blues for 3rd consecutive win

Seth Rorabaugh
Seth Rorabaugh
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The Penguins’ Tristan Jarry makes a save against the Blues’ Jordan Kyrou on Thursday.
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The Penguins’ Kris Letang battles against the Blues’ Alexey Toropchenko on Thursday.

In the aftermath of deconstructing his flawed roster, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas laid out Saturday the base level of expectations of what he demands over the remainder of the regular season from a team that will miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

“There’s a certain standard here with the team, and we expect that to be upheld throughout the last number of weeks of the season,” Dubas said in Cranberry. “We expect them to come in, play hard, train, play at their best level each and every day.”

Thursday was one of those days.

Buoyed by a handful of newcomers, the Penguins claimed a 5-3 victory against the St. Louis Blues at PPG Paints Arena. The result boosted a modest winning streak to three games.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry, enjoying something of a micro-renaissance since being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on March 3, stopped 33 of 36 shots to improve his record to 11-8-4.

The late days of winter have been sunny for the Penguins, even if the forecast of playing postseason games in the spring is gloomy.

With the NHL’s trade deadline come and gone, the Penguins have been relieved from the cloud of uncertainty that loomed over this team until Friday.

That has led to three consecutive wins and, perhaps more importantly, a certain freedom to just go play hockey, even if the reward of the playoffs is almost impossible to achieve.

“It kind of helps when something like that passes,” Jarry said. “Obviously, we had a lot of change and a lot of turnover, just with guys from the start of the season until now. So, I think it was just something that kind of helps our group settle in.

“We’re playing some good hockey now. Just keep trying to climb.”

A highly unlikely source opened the scoring on the first shot of regulation as Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves scored his first goal of the season at 2:17 of the opening period.

Off some determined work on St. Louis’ end boards by Penguins linemates Blake Lizotte, Connor Dewar and Noel Acciari, Lizotte moved the puck to the left half-wall and fed a forehand pass to the near point for Graves. Backtracking a bit toward the center point, Graves released a wrister that found an avenue through a handful of arms, legs and sticks as well as goaltender Jordan Binnington’s glove. Lizotte had the only assist.

“I just kind of put it on net,” said Graves, who matched backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic for 19th place on the team in goals this season. “It’s obviously a nice shot. Finds its way through. It’s nice. They didn’t sign me to score goals. But it’s nice when it happens.”

A slightly less unlikely source generated the second goal of the contest 2:20 into the second period when defenseman Conor Timmins scored his third goal of the season and first since he joined the Penguins via trade on Friday.

Claiming a loose puck on St. Louis’ left half-wall, Penguins forward Danton Heinen rimmed it along the end boards to the opposite side of the zone. Pinching in a bit, Timmins settled the puck on the right-wing wall, advanced to the near circle and lifted a wrister to the far side through a keyhole-narrow opening between Binnington’s right arm and the post. Heinen and linemate Philip Tomasino tallied assists.

“I just saw (Heinen) was looking,” Timmins said. “Went out to the weak side, tried to jump down on (the puck). They gave me some space to take it to the net and I just tried to fire it.”

The Blues got on the scoreboard at 11:35 of the second period when rookie forward Zack Bolduc claimed his 12th goal during a power-play sequence.

Accepting a pass on the Penguins’ end boards, Blues forward Robert Thomas backhanded a pass to the left hashmarks where an open Bolduc leaned down on his left knee and whipped a one-timer between Jarry’s glove and Graves’ left hip. Assists went to Thomas and forward Pavel Buchnevich.

Another fresh face to the Penguins, Dewar, scored his first goal of the season at 17:42 of the second frame.

Off a stretch pass out of the defensive zone by Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, Lizotte gained the offensive blue line on the right wing and set up shop on the near half-wall. Surveying things for a moment, he zipped a pass through traffic to the far side of the crease where Dewar, also acquired via trade Friday, tapped in a forehand shot by the right leg of a helpless Binnington. Lizotte and Karlsson collected assists.

The Blues struck again on the power play when forward Dylan Holloway scored his 21st goal 1:26 into the third period.

Corralling a puck in the high slot, Blues defenseman Justin Faulk offloaded it to the right circle where Holloway dropped the hammer on a one-timer that beat Jarry’s glove on the near side. Assists were given to Faulk and forward Jake Neighbours.

(Blues television announcer John Kelly made a point to honor his colleague, the late Mike Lange, with a distinct goal call.)

Penguins forward Bryan Rust wound up scoring the eventual game-winner when he registered his 22nd goal at 7:15 of the third.

Off a faceoff win by Sidney Crosby in St. Louis’ right circle, Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk settled the puck at the near point then dished it back to Crosby on the right half-wall. Almost immediately, Crosby dished it to the top of the near circle where linemate Rickard Rakell, fending off Holloway, ripped a wrister. Rust, battling for position above the crease with Blues defenseman Philip Broberg, reached out with his stick and deflected it by Binnington’s glove on the near side. Rakell and Crosby conjured assists.

Binnington was pulled after finishing with 15 saves on 19 shots. He was replaced by Joel Hofer, who stopped the only two shots he faced.

The Blues persisted as forward Alexey Toropchenko tallied his third goal with a dazzling dash through a porous Penguins defense at 8:56 of the third.

Claiming a puck on the left half wall of his own zone, Toropchenko surged past Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin and into the neutral zone. Approaching the offensive blue line, he burst between Graves and Karlsson to attack the net. Arriving at the cage, he elevated a nifty forehand shot by Jarry’s glove. The only assist went to defenseman Ryan Suter.

Rakell secured victory with his 30th goal on an empty net at 19:52 of the final frame. Crosby and Rust had assists.

It was hardly a perfect victory. The Penguins were outshot 16-5 in the first period and their penalty kill was diced up on the only two occasions it hit the ice.

But it was an honest win achieved by a team finding motivation, even when the prize of postseason play isn’t a likely outcome.

“Our leaders in this room lead the way,” Rakell said. “It doesn’t work here to just not go all the way and just play hard until the finish line.”

Notes:

• The Penguins’ longest winning streak of the season was a four-game stretch between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3.

• Timmins and Dewar became the 579th and 580th players to score a regular season goal for the Penguins.

• Dewar’s most recent goal before Thursday came a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 5-1 home win against the Washington Capitals on March 28, 2024. He scored against goaltender Charlie Lindgren.

• Graves’ most recent goal before Thursday came in a 3-2 road loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 20, 2024. He scored against goaltender Logan Thompson.

• Rakell (168 points) surpassed defenseman Doug Bodger (167) for 53rd place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• Karlsson (104 points) surpassed forward Andy Bathgate and defenseman Dick Tarnstrom (103 each) for 91st place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• Penguins forward Tommy Novak and defenseman Ryan Shea were scratched due to undisclosed injuries while defenseman Sebastian Aho and forward Matt Nieto were healthy scratches.

Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.

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