Penguins hold on to beat Lightning, continue implausible late-season run
Approximately one month ago — in the late hours of March 7, to be precise — the Pittsburgh Penguins swung a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Hurricanes and jettisoned popular All-Star forward Jake Guentzel.
With his team spinning out of orbit of a playoff position, coach Mike Sullivan acknowledged the Penguins’ emotions were dragged down by speculation leading up to the highly anticipated transaction.
“Obviously, we didn’t do a good enough job handling a lot of that noise that’s going on around the team,” a glum Sullivan said that night. “We have to be better moving forward.”
Today, the Penguins are in a better place, mentally and literally.
Thanks to a 5-4 triumph against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, the Penguins (36-30-11, 83 points) now inhabit second place in the Eastern Conference’s wild-card standings.
Elsewhere, the New York Islanders (35-27-15, 85 points) claimed a 2-0 home win against the Nashville Predators on Saturday to remain in third place of the Metropolitan Division while Philadelphia Flyers (36-31-11, 83 points) were routed on the road by the Columbus Blue Jackets, 6-2.
The latter result kept the Penguins in a playoff-worthy position by the end of the business day.
Such a conception was seemingly implausible upon Guentzel’s departure, at least externally.
And maybe internally, as well.
“It’s human nature,” Sullivan said before Saturday’s contest. “Obviously, that was an emotional time for our team for all the reasons that we’ve talked about the last month. Over the course of time, everyone comes to grips with where we’re at and tries to make the most of the circumstance that we’re in. We’re trying to control what we can. The team has played well as of late.
“I couldn’t be happier for the players. I give them a lot of credit for just digging in and trying to win the game right in front of us. We’ve kind of dragged ourselves back into this thing. The guys are excited about it, and they’re embracing every opportunity that we get.”
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic got another opportunity — his eighth consecutive start — Saturday and made 34 saves on 38 shots to improve his record to 16-6-6.
The Penguins have earned points in every single game (6-0-2) since Nedeljkovic took over as the team’s undeclared starter in lieu of All-Star Tristan Jarry on March 24.
A major component for that surge in the standings as well in spirit over the past month is the primary return the Penguins received in exchange for Guentzel.
It certainly was Saturday.
Forward Michael Bunting tallied the winning goal and recorded two assists against the Lightning.
“With each game, I’m getting more confident, I’m getting more comfortable and I’m excited to be a Penguin,” Bunting said. “It’s been a lot of fun. The guys have been great in welcoming me in. It’s starting to feel like it’s my team, and I’m part of the squad.”
That squad’s captain, Sidney Crosby, opened the scoring 4 minutes, 20 seconds into regulation with his team-leading 40th goal of the season.
After Lightning forward Steven Stamkos lost a puck on the left wall of the Penguins’ zone, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson chipped it up ice, allowing Penguins forward Bryan Rust to generate a two-on-one rush with Crosby against Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh. Gaining the offensive blue line on the right wing, Rust patiently waited for Raddysh to slide to the ice and slipped a forehand pass to the left of the crease. With goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy slow to react, Crosby was able to stop the puck with his forehand then tap a backhanded shot into a mostly vacant cage. Rust and Karlsson had assists.
Sidney Crosby now has the third-highest single-season goal total of his career with five games remaining. Aging like a fine wine. pic.twitter.com/mo9np6PreI
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 6, 2024
“It’s pretty crazy to watch,” said Penguins forward Drew O’Connor, the primary replacement for Guentzel on Crosby’s line as of late. “He’s so good every night. It’s been such a privilege playing with him the last little while, learning from him, seeing the work ethic he brings every night and how he’s just dragged us back into it. He’s definitely our heartbeat.”
Another major portion of the team’s circulatory system, forward Evgeni Malkin, doubled the lead with his 24th goal at 6:06 of the second period.
Digging a puck out of a battle on the right-wing wall of the offensive zone, Bunting fed it to the right point for Karlsson. Backpedaling a bit toward the center point, Karlsson chucked a wrister toward the cage. From below the lower-right hashmark, Malkin deflected the puck with the shaft of his stick by Vasilevskiy’s glove on the near side. Karlsson and Bunting claimed assists.
GENO MACHINO KEEPS THE GOALS COMING! ????
With this assist, Karlsson ties Letang for third place in NHL history for points by a defenseman against the Lightning. pic.twitter.com/6kjuj3bm7Z
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 6, 2024
Stamkos scored his 35th goal during a power-play sequence at 12:15 of the second frame.
Deking past Penguins forward Lars Eller, Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov fed a pass from the Penguins’ right circle to the high slot, where Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman one-touched a forehand pass to the left circle. From there, Stamkos blasted a comet of a one-timer that found an avenue between Nedeljkovic’s blocker and his right leg on the near side. Assists went to Hedman and Kucherov.
Power play goal for Tampa Bay!
Scored by Steven Stamkos with 07:45 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov.
Pittsburgh: 2
Tampa Bay: 1#TBLvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/ln3sodcmqG— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 6, 2024
Good fortune led to Penguins defenseman Kris Letang’s ninth goal at 14:39 of the second.
Chasing down a puck dumped into his end boards, Lightning defenseman Haydn Fleury tried to clear it to the right wing boards but missed the mark, allowing Letang to claim possession at the right point. Surveying the zone for a moment, Letang chucked a wrister through a forest of bodies. Vasilevskiy appeared to make the initial save, but the puck leaked through his legs and slid into the cage. O’Connor appeared to get a stick on the puck, but it was ultimately awarded to Letang. There were no assists.
Pittsburgh goal!
Scored by Kris Letang with 05:21 remaining in the 2nd period.
Pittsburgh: 3
Tampa Bay: 1#TBLvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/qTQhd1DRYD— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 6, 2024
Malkin collected his second goal of the afternoon by cleaning up his own rebound only 2:28 later.
In Tampa Bay’s left circle, Bunting stripped Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix of a puck and took it behind the cage, only to dish a clever backhand pass to the lower rim of the left circle, where Malkin swatted a forehand shot. Vasilevskiy denied the first shot with his right leg but allowed a rebound that Malkin buried by the goaltender’s blocker. Bunting had the only assist, the 100th of his career.
Pittsburgh goal!
Scored by Evgeni Malkin with 03:03 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Michael Bunting.
Pittsburgh: 4
Tampa Bay: 1#TBLvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/duzg75zRqr— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 6, 2024
For the second consecutive home contest, Malkin was able to play in front of his parents, Natalia and Vladimir, both of whom were shown on the video board following each of his goals Saturday. They were also present for a 3-2 home win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 28.
They had not been able to attend games in Pittsburgh for several years due to various factors, including the pandemic.
“(Malkin’s) family means a lot to him,” Sullivan said. “When his parents come into town, he clearly wants to be at his best. I don’t think there’s any doubt, in my mind, that when his parents are here, when his family is here and when he’s around the people that he cares deeply about, I think he’s at his very best. I don’t think there’s any question that his parents are a big part of it.”
Lightning forward Nicholas Paul found his 22nd goal only 25 seconds into the third period.
Gaining the offensive zone on the right wing, Lightning forward Michael Eyssimont chopped the puck across the ice, banking it off the far boards. Paul read the carom perfectly and pounded a one-timer from the left circle past Nedeljkovic’s glove on the far side. Eyssimont and rookie forward Mitchell Chaffee claimed assists.
Tampa Bay goal!
Scored by Nicholas Paul with 19:35 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Michael Eyssimont and Mitchell Chaffee.
Pittsburgh: 4
Tampa Bay: 2#TBLvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/iwNb4LOATi— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 6, 2024
A frightening scene unfolded at 6:11 of the third period after referee Steve Kozari and Fleury violently — but accidentally — collided at center ice.
Referee Steve Kozari was injured in a collision during Saturday's game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kozari was taken off the ice by medical personnel; no word on his condition. The game continued with three officials: https://t.co/vlIG6zVpED pic.twitter.com/beWTHDgpV0
— Scouting The Refs (@ScoutingTheRefs) April 6, 2024
Kozari bore the worst of the mishap as he was removed via a stretcher after being on the ice for several moments. Staffers from both teams and Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Services attended to Kozari, who offered a thumbs up upon his departure while on the stretcher.
Per the NHL, Kozari was transported to UPMC Mercy for precautionary reasons. According to a statement from the league, Kozari is “conscious and alert, has the use of all his extremities and is expected to make a full recovery.”
Fleury eventually was able to recover to his skates and headed to the visiting dressing room with assistance from teammates. He did not return to the game. Lightning coach Jon Cooper did not provide a substantive update on Fleury’s status.
Things got tight at 7:23 of the third period when forward Anthony Duclair scored his 22nd goal.
After Hedman gained the offensive zone at the center point, he backhanded a pass to Kucherov, stationed at the right point. Hesitating for a moment, Kucherov fed the puck to an advancing Duclair. Maneuvering into the high slot, Duclair used Rust as a screen and wired a wrister by Nedeljkovic’s blocker. Assists went to Kucherov and Hedman.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) April 6, 2024
Another power-play goal by Stamkos at 10:45 of the third tied the score 4-4.
Accepting a pass in the Penguins’ high slot, Hedman offloaded it to the lower-left circle, where Stamkos smoked another one-timer by Penguins forward Jeff Carter and Nedeljkovic’s blocker on the near side.
Power play goal for Tampa Bay!
Scored by Steven Stamkos with 09:15 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov.
Pittsburgh: 4
Tampa Bay: 4#TBLvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/sluAoq5tVi— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 6, 2024
Bunting restored a lead with his 18th goal of the season — and his fifth in 16 games since joining the Penguins — at 14:32 of the third period.
Settling a puck at the right point of the offensive zone, Karlsson sashayed his way to the center point and snapped a wrister to the right of the cage, where Malkin leaned down and deflected the puck on net. Vasilevskiy made the initial save with his mask but allowed a rebound. Manning the front of the crease, Bunting stopped the puck with his right skate then swept in a backhander by Vasilevskiy’s left leg. Malkin and Karlsson had assists.
BUNTING ANSWERS WITH HIS THIRD POINT OF THE GAME! ???? pic.twitter.com/j3ork3gKYM
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 6, 2024
“We made it exciting, eh?” Bunting quipped. “Obviously, we want to hold those leads when we’re in them. But that’s a good hockey team over there. They know how to score. We regrouped well. We had confidence going in. We just wanted to get back to our game (from) the first and second (periods).”
The Lightning weren’t quite grounded and attacked the Penguins with vigor in the final stages of regulation. After Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson took his third penalty of the game — a delay of game minor for putting the puck out of play — at 18:24 of the third period, the Lightning pulled Vasilevskiy for an extra attacker.
All four shots the Lightning put on net in that final 96 seconds were rejected by Nedeljkovic, the final of which he shuffled away to the left corner to kill the remainder of the clock.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) April 6, 2024
“(Nedeljkovic) made some huge saves against their power play all (day) but in particular, on that six-on-four (sequence) at the end of the game,” Sullivan said. “He made a couple of big saves that, for me, is the difference between winning and losing. That’s what he does. That’s what we love about him. He’s a fierce competitor, and he just battles. He battles to the very end. That’s what he did for us (Saturday). That was on display.
“That’s, I think, an example of why we think the way that we think about (Nedeljkovic), in just his character and his makeup and his overall game. He’s a fierce competitor.”
The same could be said about the entire squad as of late.
“A month ago, it was just kind of a strange and different feeling,” O’Connor said. “Maybe it took a bit for all of that to settle down and settle in with where we’re at. We just kind of never gave up. We were never out of it. It looked not great for a while, but we just found a way to keep winning games the last few weeks.
“It feels great, the position we’re in right now, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
Notes:
• Eller drew a tripping penalty against Lightning forward Luke Glendening at 10:10 of the first period. It was the 13th penalty Eller has drawn during five-on-five play this season.
According to Natural Stat Trick, only Malkin (26), Crosby (23), Guentzel (17) and O’Connor (14) have drawn more penalties during five-on-five scenarios for the Penguins this season.
• The Penguins’ power play was 0 for 2 while the Lightning was 2 for 4.
• Nedeljkovic (16-6-6) surpassed Pat Riggin (15-14-7) for 28th place on the franchise’s career goaltending wins list.
• The Penguins scratched defensemen Ryan Graves (concussion), John Ludvig (illness) and forward Sam Poulin (healthy).
• The Lightning dressed an irregular lineup of 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
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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