Penguins beat Red Wings behind Sidney Crosby's 3 points but remain out of playoff spot

Having lost their first two games of the regular season against the Detroit Red Wings, the Pittsburgh Penguins were in need of a course correction for the final meeting of 2022-23 between the two squads on Saturday.

“I don’t think (the Red Wings have) seen our best and so that’s what we need to bring,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said Thursday. “We need to bring our best each and every night.”

On Saturday, the Penguins’ best led them to a 5-1 victory at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit that kept the team’s postseason hopes alive.

Captain Sidney Crosby had two goals and an assist (including his 1,500th career point) for the Penguins who, despite the triumph, remain outsiders for the two wild-card seeds in the Eastern Conference.

The Penguins (40-30-10, 90 points) still trail the Florida Panthers (42-31-7, 91 points) and New York Islanders (41-30-9, 91 points) by a single point.

On Saturday night, the Panthers claimed a 4-2 road win against the Washington Capitals, and the Islanders shut out the visiting Philadelphia Flyers, 4-0.

Penguins forward Alex Nylander – recalled under emergency conditions on Friday - opened the scoring 9:25 into regulation with his first goal of the season and his first at the NHL level since March 12, 2020.

Settling a rebound above the left circle of the Red Wings’ zone, Nylander banked the puck off the near boards to the left corner for linemate Mikael Granlund. From there, Granlund dished the puck back to Nylander who maneuvered his way to the slot and released a wrister against the grain that beat goaltender Ville Husso’s blocker. Granlund and forward Jeff Carter had assists.

Crosby’s 32nd goal of the season came at the last second – almost – of the first period at the 19:57 mark.

At the tail end of a power-play opportunity for the Red Wings, former Penguins forward David Perron blasted an off-target one-timer from the Penguins’ left circle that hit off the end boards and deflected well back into the Red Wings’ zone. After Husso left his crease to stop the puck near the left corner, Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman took possession. After briefly retreating behind the cage, Walman was flushed out by a forechecking Crosby and tried to skate the puck up the crease, only to encounter a poke check attempt by Penguins forward Jake Guentzel. As Walman recoiled a bit to avoid Guentzel, Crosby swiped the puck with a stick lift then lifted a dagger of a backhander over an unsuspecting Husso’s glove. There were no assists.

Crosby helped set up forward Danton Heinen’s seventh goal of the season at 11:16 of the second period.

From the left wing of the neutral zone, Heinen centered a bouncing puck to the offensive blue line where Red Wings rookie defenseman Simon Edvinsson was unable to corral it. Crosby overwhelmed Edvinsson, claimed the puck and lifted another backhander on net that was denied by Husso. Crosby chopped at the ensuing rebound with a forehand shot and was rejected by Husso once again, causing another rebound to hop to the left of the crease. Heinen followed up on the sequence and tapped the puck out of the air into a mostly vacant cage. Crosby was credited with the lone assist.

The Red Wings got on the scoreboard at 11:58 of the middle frame via forward Pius Suter’s 14th goal.

After Penguins defenseman Kris Letang fumbled a puck at the right point of the offensive zone, Red Wings forward Andrew Copp blitzed him to take possession and initiated an offensive rush. Gaining the Penguins’ zone on the left wing, Copp fed a seam pass to Suter above the right circle. From there, Suter distributed the puck to the high slot for trailing linemate Lucas Raymond who one-touched it to the left circle where Copp redirected a shot on net. After goaltender Tristan Jarry made the initial save, the rebound slid to the right side of the crease where Suter surged past Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin and pushed in an easy forehand shot. Copp and Raymond registered assists.

Crosby’s second goal of the contest – and 1,500th career point – snuffed out any notion of a comeback at 3:01 of the third period.

Working on a power-play opportunity, Crosby fed a pass from near the left corner of the offensive zone to Letang at the blue line. Maneuvering to the center point, Letang dished it back to Crosby above the left circle. Turning to his left, Crosby surveyed for a shot and wired a wrister past a block attempt by Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider and Husso’s glove on the far side. Letang and Guentzel tallied assists.

Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin capped the scoring at 13:00 of the final frame with his 26th goal of the season.

After stealing the puck from Red Wings forward Joe Veleno on the left wing boards of the Detroit zone, Malkin curled around toward the net and slipped a pass to the right circle where linemate Jason Zucker blasted a one-timer. After Husso made the initial save, a scramble ensued and was completed by Malkin jabbing in a backhander. Zucker had the only assist.

Jarry made 19 saves on 20 shots as his record improved to 24-12-6.

Notes:

• Penguins forward Drew O’Connor was scratched for an undisclosed ailment and replaced by Nylander.

• Nylander’s last NHL goal came as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks in a 6-2 home win against the San Jose Sharks on March 11, 2020.

Saturday’s score snapped an 1,123-day skid without a goal at the NHL level.

• Jarry remains perfect in his career against the Red Wings with a 3-0-0 mark.

• Heinen snapped a 14-game streak without a goal dating back to a 5-4 home win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 7.

• Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel was a healthy scratch.