Penguins double up woeful Sharks for much-needed points
Seven months into his tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins, defenseman Erik Karlsson acknowledges he and his teammates have fallen short of expectations as they are on the outside looking at the playoff picture with barely a month remaining in the regular season.
“We’ve just got to find a way to enjoy the game again,” Karlsson said Thursday morning. “Not worry too much about what’s going to happen, what’s not going to happen, and just play and try and create confidence for ourselves again. If we enjoy this game – which we should, we’re very privileged to be here – if we just get that back, the rest is going to go.”
A good way to restore confidence? Play the worst team in the NHL.
Such was the case Thursday as the Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks, 6-3, at PPG Paints Arena.
It marked the first time the Penguins have scored more than a single goal in four games and provided a slight bit of oxygen to their drowning playoff hopes.
Thursday’s result boosted the Penguins’ record to 29-27-9 and gave them 67 points.
Externally, they got some help in the form of the Philadelphia Flyers (34-25-8, 76 points), New York Islanders (29-22-14, 72 points) and Detroit Red Wings (33-27-6, 72 points) all losing Thursday. Philadelphia controls third place in the Metropolitan Division while the Islanders hold a tiebreaker over the Red Wings for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Penguins were not ignorant of those teams’ defeats.
“You never know,” Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson said. “It’s the position we’re in. We put ourselves in this position. We’re on the outside looking in. At the same time, we’ve got nothing to lose right now. We’ve got to play that way and show that desperation that we need.”
Also needed? Goals.
The Penguins erupted for a half dozen goals, their largest output since a 7-6 home win against the Flyers on Feb. 25, by emphasizing a stronger net-front presence.
“Our focus today was to try to get some more bodies to the net,” Penguins forward Rickard Rakell said. “And create rebounds and give guys close to the net a chance to score.”
That mission was accomplished, albeit against a terrible Sharks team (a league-worst 16-42-7 with 39 points) that was forced to dress an irregular lineup of 13 forwards and five defensemen due to several illnesses that pockmarked that lineup.
But the Penguins aren’t overly picky over who they beat or how they get goals or wins at the moment.
“You saw some of the goals, it’s not the prettiest,” Pettersson said. “That’s what gets you out of a slump like that. It hit some skates, their shin pads. … For sure, you need those goals to go in and build off of that, give guys some confidence.”
Penguins forward Noel Acciari opened the scoring 10:28 into regulation with his fourth goal of the season.
After Acciari won a draw in the Sharks’ right circle against forward William Eklund, Penguins forward Drew O’Connor backhanded the puck to the near point for Karlsson, who sashayed his way to the center point. Surveying the scene for a moment, Karlsson pumped a wrister towards a collection of bodies amassed in the slot. Stationed just below the right hashmark, Acciari deflected the puck with his stick by rookie goaltender Magnus Chrona’s right shoulder on the far side. Karlsson and O’Connor had assists.
Cookie with a monster tally ????
The Penguins have a 1-0 lead over the Sharks. pic.twitter.com/gN4yG1ctSl
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 14, 2024
The Penguins appeared to double their lead at 12:24 of the first period when Bryan Rust swept in a leaky rebound allowed by Chrona, but referee Brandon Blandina had blown play dead when he presumably lost sight of the puck on the sequence.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) March 15, 2024
The Sharks tied the game at 14:31 of the opening frame when forward Fabian Zetterlund recorded his 17th goal.
Pushing the puck up the left wing of the offensive zone, Sharks rookie defenseman Henry Thrun snapped a cross-ice pass from the half-wall to the lower rim of the opposite circle for former Penguins defensive prospect Calen Addison. From there, Addison one-touched a forehand on net. Goaltender Tristan Jarry made the initial save with his right leg but couldn’t prevent Zetterlund from cleaning up the rebound with a forehand shot just above the crease. Addison and Thrun tallied assists.
San Jose goal!
Scored by Fabian Zetterlund with 05:29 remaining in the 1st period.
Assisted by Calen Addison and Henry Thrun.
Pittsburgh: 1
San Jose: 1#SJSvsPIT #LetsGoPens #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/iINP70Omq3— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 14, 2024
Some incredible luck led to the Sharks taking their first lead late in the first period at the 19:01 mark via defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s sixth goal.
Corralling a rebound on the left wall of the Penguins’ zone, Vlasic carried it deep into the near corner and chucked the puck to the crease. The “shot” pinballed off of Jarry’s blocker and then Pettersson’s right leg before winding up in the net. Assists went to forwards Klim Kostin and Mikael Granlund.
San Jose goal!
Scored by Marc-Edouard Vlasic with 00:59 remaining in the 1st period.
Assisted by Klim Kostin and Mikael Granlund.
Pittsburgh: 1
San Jose: 2#SJSvsPIT #LetsGoPens #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/75d88zn30Y— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 14, 2024
The Penguins tied the game 4:11 into the second period with forward Jeff Carter’s ninth goal.
Beating Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro to a puck on San Jose’s end boards, Penguins forward Emil Bemstrom swooped around to the right of the cage and swept a backhand pass across the front of the crease where Carter jabbed in a forehand shot by the stick of a diving Chrona. The lone assist went to Bemstrom.
Pittsburgh goal!
Scored by Jeff Carter with 15:49 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Emil Bemstrom.
Pittsburgh: 2
San Jose: 2#SJSvsPIT #LetsGoPens #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/QlscvRJsY4— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 15, 2024
Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin restored a lead for the hosts with his 19th goal at 11:34 of the second period.
Gaining entry into the offensive zone on the right wing, Malkin flicked a backhand pass for a trailing O’Connor, who whipped a wrister on net from above the near circle. Chrona made the initial save but coughed up a rebound. Malkin collected it to the right of the cage and pushed a backhander into the inside of Chrona’s right leg, and the puck bounce took a wild adventure into the cage. O’Connor and forward Lars Eller recorded assists.
GENO MACHINO GIVES PITTSBURGH THE 3-2 LEAD! ???? pic.twitter.com/E0uYdzh2GI
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2024
Sharks forward Alexander Barabanov appeared to tie the game at 17:10 of the second frame but officials ruled he used a high stick to deflect a puck into the net.
Granlund shoots, Barabanov tips it in, BUT it was tipped with a high stick. No goal. #LetsGoPens 3, #SJSharks 2 pic.twitter.com/Z6SZPZD0Ts
— TEAL TOWN USA - A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) March 15, 2024
The Sharks were undeterred and scored a legal goal 92 seconds later when Kostin collected his fourth.
Settling a bouncing puck on the left half-wall of the offensive zone, Vlasic fired a wrister that struck Granlund, stationed above the crease. Claiming the rebound, Granlund dealt a nifty pass to the lower right hashmark for Kostin, who ripped a wrister by an out-of-position Jarry. Granlund and Vlasic had assists.
San Jose goal!
Scored by Klim Kostin with 01:18 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Mikael Granlund and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
Pittsburgh: 3
San Jose: 3#SJSvsPIT #LetsGoPens #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/Gbrr9hRFP1— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 15, 2024
Rookie defenseman John Ludvig’s second goal — of the season and his career — restored a lead for the Penguins 2:38 into the third period.
After emerging with the puck off a battle on the Sharks’ end boards, Penguins forward Reilly Smith dished it to the right point for defenseman P.O Joseph, who offloaded the puck to the left point for Ludvig. Identifying a shooting lane, Ludvig floated a wrister through traffic and by Chrona’s glove on the far side. Assists went to Joseph and Smith.
THE LUDDY LASER! pic.twitter.com/LYMOWyorMw
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2024
The pairing of Ludvig and Joseph — created in the wake of defenseman Chad Ruhwedel’s departure via trade last week — helped generate Rakell’s 10th goal of the season exactly two minutes later.
From the left point of the Sharks’ zone, Ludvig slid a pass to the center point where Joseph whacked a one-timer. Positioned below the left hashmark and battling with Sharks defenseman Kyle Burroughs, Rakell stuck out his left skate and deflected the puck by Chrona’s charred glove. Joseph and Ludvig logged assists.
TRICKY RICKY EXTENDS PITTSBURGH'S LEAD ???? pic.twitter.com/KBobUXHsXH
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2024
Rakell was worried officials might call that score back as well.
“I was happy they didn’t,” Rakell said. “I don’t know what the rule is regarding kicking. It has to be kicked towards the net or something? But I don’t know.”
Rust realized victory by capping the scoring with his 19th goal on an empty net at 18:04 of the final period. Assists went to defenseman Kris Letang and forward Sidney Crosby.
THE RUSTY RAZOR (scores an empty net goal). pic.twitter.com/V4GcuWmJxy
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 15, 2024
Stopping 29 of 32 shots, Jarry boosted his record to 19-21-5 and enjoyed a valuable win going into a key set of home contests on consecutive days against the New York Rangers (Saturday) and Red Wings (Sunday).
“Obviously, we have some tough games coming up and those are the ones that we need,” Jarry said. “To stay competitive and to stay in this thing, we have to win those games. They’re all against good teams, so it will be a good challenge for us, and I think we’ll be up for it.”
If nothing else, the Penguins’ self-esteem was up for one night at least, even with a somewhat sloppy win against a bad team.
“It’s just a confidence booster,” Joseph said. “Things haven’t been really good lately. We know it. We’re going to battle through it. This victory definitely feels good.”
Notes:
• Carter (96 points) surpassed forward Jason Zucker (95) for sole possession of 100th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.
• Karlsson has 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 15 career games against the Sharks.
• Rust has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 12 career games against the Sharks.
• Penguins forward Jesse Puljujarvi and defenseman Ryan Shea were healthy scratches.
• Former Penguins defenseman Jan Rutta, who went to San Jose in August in a trade that brought Karlsson to Pittsburgh, missed his third consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury.
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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