Penguins beat Coyotes to snap 6-game losing streak

Entering Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins were in the midst of an ugly six-game losing streak.

But it’s nothing they haven’t been through before.

After all, they lost seven consecutive games back in late October and early November.

“Obviously, a lot of disappointment,” Penguins forward Teddy Blueger said on Saturday to media that traveled to the Arizona Coyotes’ practice rink in Scottsdale, Ariz. “Especially after the last game. But that’s how it is. Sometimes, you go through stretches like that. It’s all about how you bounce back. The focus is kind of shifting more towards that and responding the right way and trying to build something positive here to get things rolling in the right direction.”

On Sunday, the Penguins underwent a course correction and claimed a 4-1 victory against the Coyotes at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Ariz. The triumph was the Penguins’ first since Dec. 20, a 3-2 home win against the New York Rangers.

The Coyotes took a lead 5:18 into regulation. After Penguins forward Drew O’Connor lost control of a puck on his own end boards, Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz claimed possession in the right circle and offloaded it to linemate Clayton Keller who directed a pass to the left of the crease. Planted above the blue paint, linemate Barrett Hayton one-touched a forehand shot past goaltender Casey DeSmith’s right skate for his third goal. Keller and Schmaltz had assists.

Penguins forward Jake Guentzel snapped an eight-game goalless skid with a pair of goals in the second period to supply his team with its first lead of the contest.

His first goal of the game and 16th of the season came at the 5:56 mark. Corralling a loose puck above the left circle, Penguins defenseman Jan Rutta ripped a heavy wrister on net that was blocked by Coyotes forward Christian Fischer. Rutta claimed his own rebound on the left wing boards and fired another wrister that was once again blocked, this time by Coyotes forward Jack McBain. Penguins forward Sidney Crosby identified the rebound just below the left circle and one-touched it to the right of the crease where Guentzel slammed home a forehand shot over goaltender Karel Vejmelka’s left leg. Crosby and Rutta registered assists.

Guentzel’s next score came at the 9:11 mark. Gaining the offensive zone on the left wing, Guentzel left a drop pass for a trailing Crosby who went deep into the left circle and dished the puck to linemate Bryan Rust in the high slot. Hesitating for a moment, Rust then moved the puck to the right of the cage for Guentzel. With Vejmelka stumbling a bit in his crease, Guentzel took advantage and snapped a wrister through the goaltender’s five hole. Assists went to Rust and Crosby.

Penguins forward Jason Zucker delivered the coup de grace at 10:58 of the third period with his ninth goal of the season. From above the left circle of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin fed a pass to Zucker low on the left wing. Sashaying his way across the front of the crease, Zucker was able to lift a backhand shot through a keyhole-narrow space between Vejmelka’s left shoulder and the near post to put the Penguins up by two. Malkin and rookie defenseman P.O Joseph claimed assists.

The scoring was capped by Penguins forward Jeff Carter who collected his seventh goal on an empty net at 18:55 of the final frame. There were no assists.

DeSmith made 23 saves on 24 shots as his record improved to 5-8-2.

Notes:

• The Penguins’ last loss to the Coyotes was a 4-3 overtime setback on the road at the then-Gila River Arena on Feb. 11, 2017.

Defenseman Connor Murphy scored the winning goal on goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

• Sunday’s contest was the Penguins’ first in Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State University. The facility, which is named after university benefactors Donald and Barbara Mullett, is serving as a temporary home to the Coyotes after they were evicted from their previous venue, Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz. The Coyotes are currently slated to play at Mullett Arena through the 2024-25 season.

• Ever since the first Winnipeg Jets franchise moved to Arizona and became the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996, the Penguins have a 9-8-3 record in the three venues that have hosted the Coyotes in the Copper State.

At the first building, America West Arena in Phoenix (which is now called Footprint Arena), the Penguins never recorded a win, going 0-5-2.

After the Coyotes moved to the current Desert Diamond Arena (which was originally called Glendale Arena), the Penguins posted an 8-3-1 record at that venue.

• Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry and Ryan Poehling were each scratched due to undisclosed injuries. Defenseman Mark Friedman was a healthy scratch.

• Coyotes backup goaltender Conor Ingram was scratched due to an undisclosed illness. His absence prompted the Coyotes to recall goaltender Ivan Prosvetov from Tucson of the American Hockey League on Sunday.