On Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, the Pittsburgh Penguins welcomed back members of the squad that won the franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup title in 2016 in recognition of the upcoming 10th anniversary of that accomplishment.
A ceremony celebrated the likes of superstars such as Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury, as well as contributors like Eric Fehr and Ben Lovejoy, as one of the brightest moments in the 58-year history of the franchise was relived.
As for the current edition of the Penguins, things are also a bit on the radiant side, particularly after they claimed their sixth consecutive win, a 6-5 victory against the New York Rangers that became uncomfortably close in the final stages of regulation.
Forwards Noel Acciari and Anthony Mantha each scored a pair of goals for the Penguins, and goaltender Stuart Skinner made 15 saves on 20 shots, improving his record to 19-12-4.
Victory wasn’t achieved without some anxiety, however.
The Rangers — who have essentially declared they are rebuilding once again — outscored the Penguins 4-3 in the third period to make it a one-goal game after the hosts had built up a seemingly comfortable lead.
That led to a recollection of more recent memories for the Penguins, namely the occasions in December when they blew multi-goal leads in the third period to lose several contests during a squalid eight-game losing streak.
“Maybe a month ago or so, we lose that game in overtime, or they come back and take us to overtime,” Acciari said. “But the fact that we were able to hold on to it was good. We’ll learn from it and move forward.”
This season, the Penguins have lavishly celebrated their captivating history — at least the segments that don’t involve the occasional bankruptcy or seasons when they won fewer than 20 games — with events such as Saturday’s ceremony, which included former coach Mike Sullivan, who now guides the Rangers, as well as former general manager Jim Rutherford, now the president of the Vancouver Canucks.
During the preseason, the recently retired Fleury played in a preseason game as a send-off to Pittsburgh fans, then in October, the organization reintroduced its hall of fame by inducting franchise pillars such as Ron Francis and Kevin Stevens.
For first-year coach Dan Muse, acknowledging that history is vital as he tries to craft a new course for the club as it seeks a return to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
“There’s huge benefits to it, for sure,” Muse said. “I’m excited for everybody in the organization that’s still here who gets to celebrate and everybody that was a part of that team coming back. So, obviously, a special day for all of them, and I think a special day for the entire organization.”
Mantha got the day off to a good start on the ice for the Penguins with his 18th goal 157 seconds into regulation.
Under dogged pressure from Penguins rookie forward Ben Kindel in New York’s left corner, Ranger rookie defenseman Scott Morrow forced a pass to the near circle to no one in particular. Penguins rookie forward Rutger McGroarty accepted the charity and leaned down to swat a one-timer at the cage. On a bit of drive-by in front of the crease, Mantha had the puck glance off his right leg and deflect behind goaltender Jonathan Quick. McGroarty had the only assist.
Mantha extends his point streak to 4 games and the Penguins strike first!
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 31, 2026
(Via @espn) pic.twitter.com/zy7NSJUgYp
The Penguins’ fourth line doubled the lead via Acciari’s fifth goal at 6:05 of the first period.
Corralling the puck at the right point of the offensive zone, Penguins defenseman Connor Clifton shuffled a shot attempt forward, which was blocked by the stick of Rangers forward Sam Carrick. Penguins forward Connor Dewar knocked the puck down in the near circle, allowing linemate Blake Lizotte to claim possession. Faking a wrister for a moment, Lizotte slid a clever pass to the opposite circle for Acciari, who gripped and ripped a wrister that clunked off of Quick’s blocker and bounded into the cage. Lizotte and Dewar were deemed worthy of assists.
This fourth line ???? ????
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 31, 2026
(Via @espn) pic.twitter.com/Yx5FgkMF0y
Mantha struck again at 12:59 of the second period, just after a power-play opportunity expired.
From New York’s right circle, Crosby fed a backhand pass to the near side of the cage for forward Evgeni Malkin, who then dished a backhand pass to the front of the crease intended for Mantha. The pass failed to connect and was collected below the lower left hashmark by forward Rickard Rakell, who was robbed by a scrambling Quick. Rakell gathered the rebound below the left circle and alertly whipped a backhand pass to the front of the crease, where Mantha deposited an easy forehand shot into a mostly vacant cage. Assists were registered by Rakell and Malkin.
MANTHA STRIKES AGAIN
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 31, 2026
???? : @espn on @abc pic.twitter.com/JweR5xOAJ9
In his past four games, Mantha has eight points (five goals, three assists).
“Things are finding me,” Mantha said. “I’m finding the puck, and good things are happening.”
The Rangers got on the scoreboard when forward Alexis Lafreniere found his 11th goal during a power-play sequence at 18:28 of the second frame.
Taking a pass in the high slot of the offensive zone, Rangers forward J.T. Miller, a native of Coraopolis (by way of East Palestine, Ohio), slipped a pass to the lower right circle where Lafreniere pumped a near-side wrister that hit off Skinner’s left elbow and bounced into the cage. Miller and forward Mika Zibanejad zeroed in on assists.
Alexis Lafrenière fait mouche sur le jeu de puissance. pic.twitter.com/dSrNt0okVf
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) January 31, 2026
Rakell got in on the act with his 10th goal 80 seconds into the third period during a power-play scenario.
Controlling the puck at the center point of New York’s zone, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson lobbed a shot/pass toward Crosby, who was stationed just to the right of the crease. Crosby managed to deflect the puck on net, but Quick made a save. On the ensuing rebound, Crosby adroitly shuffled a pass to the left of the blue paint, where Rakell crashed in and punched in a forehand shot. Crosby and Karlsson collected assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 1, 2026
Acciari followed that up with his second goal of the contest only 20 seconds later.
Racing up the right wing into the offensive zone, Penguins defenseman Brett Kulak made a daring rush on net and had a forehand shot rejected by Quick. Lizotte followed up on the ensuing rebound and fired a wrister, which Quick once again denied. Another rebound rolled to the left of the crease, where Acciari managed to direct in a wrister from a bad angle. Lizotte and Kulak claimed assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 1, 2026
The Rangers had no interest in going away quietly as forward Vince Trocheck, a native of Upper St. Clair, scored his 12th goal while short-handed at 9:12 of the third frame.
Stealing a pass attempt by Malkin in New York’s slot, Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov fed an outlet pass to Trocheck, springing him on a breakaway. Upon arrival at the crease, Trocheck lifted a wrister over Skinner’s glove. Gavrikov generated the only assist.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 1, 2026
The Rangers began to make it competitive at 15:13 with Gavrikov’s ninth goal.
Taking a pass in the Penguins’ right circle, Gavrikov boomed a one-timer to the far side past Skinner’s blocker. Defenseman Braden Schneider and forward Jonny Brodzinski had assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 1, 2026
Kindel seemed to stamp down the uprising by scoring his 12th goal at 17:26 of the third on an empty net, extending a goal-scoring streak to three games. Dewar and Skinner had assists.
Kindy with his FOURTH goal in THREE games ????
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 31, 2026
???? : @espn on @abc pic.twitter.com/LZ8JbNKi6u
But the Rangers made it a one-score game with a pair of goals late.
Lafreniere scored again at 18:53 of the final period.
Lugging the puck from his own right circle, Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson chipped it up ice to the Penguins’ right corner. Trocheck chased it down, beating Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea, and snapped a forehand pass to the lower rim of the far circle, where an open Lafreniere fired a wrister. The puck struck off the sticks of Penguins forward Egor Chinakhov and Kulak, then deflected past Skinner’s glove on the far side. Trocheck and Robertson registered assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 1, 2026
Rangers forward Will Cuylle capped the scoring with his 13th goal while Quick was pulled for an extra attacker.
Accepting a pass at the right point of the offensive zone, Lafreniere pumped a wrister toward the cage. Stationed just to the right of the crease, Trocheck redirected the puck to the front of the blue paint, where Cuylle swatted a forehand shot into a mostly empty net. Trocheck and Lafreniere had assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 1, 2026
Arguably, Acciari’s most consequential play on the day was a faceoff win in the left circle of the defensive zone to burn off the final 3.6 seconds of regulation without incident.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) February 1, 2026
“I really liked our response, the way that we were able to battle through that,” Skinner said. “Especially (Acciari) winning that last draw with (3.6) seconds left. That gets us the two points, and that’s what we were looking for tonight.”
The current Penguins want to have a lot of nights like the 2016 squad enjoyed a decade ago.
“It’s exciting having these guys back here, 10 years later, celebrating,” Acciari said. “We didn’t want to disappoint them with a loss here. We were able to get that, so they can keep their party going for the weekend. Fleury in the preseason just started us off.
“We want to get back to the playoffs. The past few years, it’s been tough. Two long summers. We have a team here now that we’re close, we’re having fun and we’re winning. We want to ride that out.”
Note:
• The Penguins’ six-game winning streak tied a season-best. They previously won six consecutive games between Dec. 28 and Jan. 8.
• The Penguins have scored the first goal in 32 games this season. They accomplished that in only 33 games last season.
• Rakell (204 points) surpassed forward Paul Gardner (203) for 43rd place on the franchise’s career scoring list.
• Karlsson recorded his 700th career assist on Rakell’s goal.
• Skinner moved into 39th place on the franchise’s career goaltending wins list. He surpassed Hank Bassen (7-10-3) and Nick Ricci (7-12-0).
• The Penguins have three assists from goaltenders this season (two from Arturs Silovs, one from Skinner). Only the Seattle Kraken have more recordable offense from goaltenders this season, with four assists (three from Joey Daccord, one from Philipp Grubauer).
• The Penguins have allowed seven short-handed goals this season. Only the the Colorado Avalanche (nine) and Rangers (eight) have permitted more.
• Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was placed on injured reserve due to a fracture in his left foot. He will require a minimum of four weeks for recovery.
• With Letang sidelined, Clifton returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for two games.
• Penguins forward Bryan Rust served the second contest of a three-game suspension.
• Forward Kevin Hayes was the Penguins’ lone healthy scratch.
