Penguins defense struggles again as goaltender Tristan Jarry is pulled in loss to Rangers
The Pittsburgh Penguins game with the New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday was rather fitting of a St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
It was sloppy and full of bad judgment.
But a little bit of fun.
Though ultimately, it led to plenty of bad feelings in the aftermath, at least for the hosts.
Saturday’s entanglement saw each team take advantage of the other’s mistakes. Unfortunately for the Penguins, they had more errors and the Rangers had more goals as the visitors claimed a 7-4 victory.
The Penguins lost for the eighth time in their past 10 games (2-7-1) and yielded at least the equivalent of a touchdown’s worth of goals for the third time over that span.
“A team like that with so many highly skilled guys and you give them a chance to have the looks that they had, they’re probably going to score their goals,” Penguins forward Bryan Rust said. “Obviously, we would like to be a little bit tighter on defense.”
Presumably, some sturdier goaltending would be a preferable portion of that equation as well.
Starter Tristan Jarry was pulled early in the third period after allowing six goals on 23 shots. He absorbed the loss, dropping his record to 19-22-4.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan indicated his decision to pull Jarry in favor of backup Alex Nedeljkovic was rooted in getting Nedeljkovic prepared for Sunday’s home contest against the Detroit Red Wings.
“We had talked about it as a coaching staff in between (the second and third) periods,” Sullivan said. “If they had scored early in the period that was on the table for us. If they didn’t, we probably would have left him in. So that was probably the main reason.”
There was reason for the locals to celebrate early as rookie defenseman John Ludvig’s third goal of the season — and second in as many games — put the Penguins in the lead 2 minutes, 36 seconds into regulation.
Sprinting into the offensive zone, Penguins forward Noel Acciari whipped a wrister from the right circle wide to the far side. The rebound clunked off the left corner boards and was corralled by Penguins forward Jeff Carter, who offloaded a pass to the left point. From there, Ludvig chopped a half-speed one-timer toward the cage through an inadvertent screen by Rangers defenseman Zach Jones and by goaltender Jonathan Quick’s glove on the far side. Carter and Acciari had assists.
Fun fact: John Ludvig has notched four of his five points (3G-2A) over his last eight games. pic.twitter.com/WfZgHUxsnE
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 16, 2024
The Rangers needed all of 29 seconds to tie the score via forward Kaapo Kakko’s ninth goal.
Chasing down a dump-in behind his own cage, Acciari fumbled the puck thanks in part to pressure from forchecking Rangers forward Alex Wennberg. Approaching from the left wing, Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey claimed the loose puck and snapped a quick pass to the far side of the crease for Kakko, who swept in an immediate forehand shot by a kneeling Ludvig and Jarry’s five hole. The lone assist went to Vesey.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) March 16, 2024
That was quickly followed by Rangers defenseman Adam Fox supplying his team with its first lead at 3:33 of the first period.
After gaining the offensive zone on the right wing, Rangers forward Vince Trocheck veered to the high slot and left a soft forehand pass for linemate Artemi Panarin. Maneuvering toward the right wing, Panarin slid the puck below the near dot for an unimpeded Fox who danced to the lower rim of the circle and flipped a backhander by Jarry’s blocker on the far side for his 12th goal. Panarin and Trocheck, an Upper St. Clair native, tallied assists.
Adam Fox with the nifty move ????
(via @BR_OpenIce) pic.twitter.com/psFeVnsroV
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) March 16, 2024
Rust reached the 20-goal mark for the fifth consecutive season and tied the score at 12:27 of the opening frame.
Settling a rebound and setting up shop on the right wing boards of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Drew O’Connor dished it to linemate Sidney Crosby, who circled from the right of the cage to the near circle. Identifying a keyhole-narrow passing lane through the slot between Trocheck and Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider, Crosby made a clever feed to the lower left circle for Rust, who chucked a wrister into a mostly vacant cage behind a slipping-and-sliding Quick. Assists were credited to Crosby and O’Connor.
Pittsburgh goal!
Scored by Bryan Rust with 07:33 remaining in the 1st period.
Assisted by Sidney Crosby and Drew O'Connor.
Pittsburgh: 2
New York: 2#NYRvsPIT #LetsGoPens #NYR pic.twitter.com/dhnC3rfE1q— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 16, 2024
The Rangers regained the lead only 3:05 later thanks to Panarin’s 37th goal.
Off a neutral zone turnover by Rust, Trocheck gained entry into the Penguins’ zone on the left wing and generated a partial two-on-one with Panarin against Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves. While Graves slid down to impede the Rangers’ intentions, Trocheck lifted a nifty saucer pass over him to the far side of the crease for Panarin, who coolly re-directed a forehand shot by Jarry’s left skate on the near side. Trocheck and defenseman K’Andre Miller registered assists.
VINCENT TROCHECK ????
What an unreal saucer pass to set up Artemi Panarin! ????
????: ABC & @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/FmPv8M6v1l pic.twitter.com/Q2ak1wtn2A
— NHL (@NHL) March 16, 2024
Penguins forward Lars Eller tied the score again, 3-3, with his 13th goal off a power-play opportunity at 10:10 of the second period.
From the center point of the offensive zone, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang dished a pass to the left circle for Rust. He faked a one-timer, pulled his stick down and tapped a forehand pass between the upper hashmarks for Penguins forward Michael Bunting. Fending off Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad, Bunting deftly moved the puck below the right circle where Eller whipped in a wrister by a sprawling Quick. Bunting and Rust registered assists.
A game-tying PPG at PPG Paints Arena ???? pic.twitter.com/kAY4sqLGn1
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 16, 2024
Panarin scored again on a power-play opportunity to put his team back in the lead, 4-3, at 16:27 of the second frame.
Surveying his options at the left point of the offensive zone, Fox pumped a wrister through a cluster of bodies and on net where Jarry made an initial save. Planted in front of the crease, Rangers forward Chris Kreider managed to keep the puck free, allowing it to slide to the right of the blue paint where Panarin cleaned up with a wrister over the left arm of a sliding Jarry. Kreider and Fox had assists.
Artemi Panarin!
It's a power play goal!
(via @BR_OpenIce) pic.twitter.com/39203BmDOZ
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) March 16, 2024
Letang took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following Panarin’s second goal and that led to Mika Zibanejad scoring his 21st goal 63 seconds later during the ensuing power-play chance.
Gaining the offensive zone at the center point, Zibanejad fed the puck to the left wing for Panarin. Fending off a passive poke check from Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson, Panarin passed the puck through a seam to the right circle for Kreider. With Graves leaning down and overcommitting, Kreider took advantage of that charity and moved it back to Zibanejad, who swept in a forehand shot from below the left circle by Jarry’s charred blocker. Kreider and Panarin claimed assists.
THE PASSING.
(via @BR_OpenIce) pic.twitter.com/U0YVKzXi8z
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) March 16, 2024
Letang indicated he said something to an official following Panarin’s second goal, and that led to his penalty. He did not elaborate as to the substance of that conversation but acknowledged he had “emotion” on the sequence.
Sullivan was less than subtle in disputing the validity of the penalty.
“I’d like to believe, especially at this time of year, the officials understand that the players have a lot at stake and these guys are invested,” Sullivan said. “It’s an emotional game.”
Jarry’s feelings weren’t likely in a good place as his rough day came to a conclusion at 4:41 of the third period when he was pulled after Miller’s eighth goal.
Settling a puck above the left circle, Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere tapped a pass to the left point for Miller who blooped a single through a screen and to the far side by Jarry’s left arm. Trocheck supplied a screen on the sequence. Lafreniere and Panarin had assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) March 17, 2024
Penguins rookie forward Valtteri Puustinen’s third goal came at 7:23 of the third period.
Off a three-on-one rush against Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren, Penguins forward Reilly Smith gained the offensive zone on the right wing, maneuvered to the right circle and dealt a pass to the left circle where Puustinen swatted in a forehand shot over the blocker of an outstretched Quick. Smith and Eller tallied assists.
THE PUUST IS LOOSE! ???? pic.twitter.com/bdboxkeeGC
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 16, 2024
Kreider capped the scoring with his 33rd goal on an empty net at 19:42 of the third period. The only assist went to Miller.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) March 16, 2024
Nedeljkovic denied all four shots he faced.
The Penguins are facing a bleaker and bleaker future with regards to the playoffs.
But be it real resolve or delusional denial, they pledge to continue their pursuit of the postseason.
“(Saturday), I thought we worked hard, generated some good chances,” Crosby said. “Unfortunately, gave up a few too many but got to turn the page and go out there and try to grab some points (Sunday). That’s kind of the mentality. Can’t get it all at once. So each game try to work and grab points.”
Getting a firmer grasp on defense might help as well.
“We weren’t defending hard enough,” O’Connor said. “They had some goals around the net-front that I think we need to be harder in those areas. Playing hard in the (defensive) zone, I think, and not giving them those chances.”
Notes:
• Rust (355 points) surpassed forward Alexei Kovalev (354) for 19th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.
• Penguins forward Jesse Puljujarvi and rookie defenseman Jack St. Ivany were healthy scratches.
• The Rangers made former Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel a healthy scratch. He has yet to play for the Rangers since being traded by the Penguins on March 8.
• Despite not playing, Ruhwedel, a member of the Penguins’ 2017 Stanley Cup championship team, was welcomed back with a video tribute:
Chad Ruhwedel: a hard worker, a locker room guy, a consummate professional, and a Stanley Cup Champion.
Thank you for your dedication and all that you've contributed to the Pittsburgh Penguins. pic.twitter.com/SnaeYAZMLT
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 16, 2024
• With a ho-hum five-point effort (two goals, three assists) Saturday, Artemi Panarin has 38 points (17 goals, 21 assists) in 29 career games against the Penguins.
• Panarin, who has killed more penguins than global warming, set the single-game high for points against the Penguins this season. Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (two goals, two assists) previously held the mark from a 4-3 overtime road win on Jan. 11.
• Panarin’s third assist of the contest was his 500th career assist.
• Miller recorded his 100th career point with his assist.
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.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.