PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was a hit on Noel Acciari that changed the game on Tuesday as the Pens start the post-All-Star Break with a 3-0 win over Winnipeg.
It was a mostly plodding one-goal Pens lead as Acciari was skating up the wall near the blue line and Jets Brenden Dillon laid a hit on Acciari knocked him onto all-fours at 4:15 of the second period. As Acciari was stumbling to get to his feet and eventually stayed down to be helped off the ice and didn’t return, the refs assessed a match penalty on Dillon. The Jets are now without their enforcer and second-pair defenseman and a struggling Pens power play got five minutes to do whatever it could.
Wouldn’t call it a great start to the man advantage, about a minute in a few fans at PPG Paints Arena chanted ‘Fire Reirden’ (the Pens coach in charge of the power play). Jeff Carter takes a rebound from a Lars Eller shot and wraps in around goalie Connor Hellebuyck for a 2-0 lead. Bryan Rust would score about a minute and a half later on a loose puck, again in front of the net, for a commanding 3-0 lead.
“You never want to see a guy go down like that,” said forward Jake Guentzel. “It’s not a great hit. For us to get two goals, that’s the best way to get back at them.”
“It‘s big to get a little confidence there,” Rust said. “It’s also a was a huge reason we won this game.”
The power play that was hitting at 13% coming into the game, 31st in the NHL, broke through. They did so with a return to the basics, having a net-front presence and burying rebounds.
“It’s essential to score goals,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of the net-front work. “You look at the goals we got, a lot of them it just stems from simple plays and putting pucks at the net and having a presence there. I thought both units did a good job.”
The first unit was Sidney Crosby, Guentzel, Rust, Letang and Reilly Smith (back after a six-game absence due to an upper-body injury) with the second group-Carter, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell and Eller.
It was the first time since December 18 against the Wild that the Pens scored more than one power play goal in a game.
Jarry’s Jets
Goalie Tristan Jarry made several key saves, especially early in the third period, to remain unbeaten in his career against Winnipeg. Jarry stopped all 24 shots improving to 5-0 against the Jets and improving his 1.22 goals against average and .959 save percentage.
“They played awesome,” Jarry said deflecting the credit to his teammates. “They were blocking shots, guys were getting back. When we are conscious with the puck, we play a really good game. We are hard to get some offense against. I think the guys did a great job defending in front of our net.”
It was his sixth shutout of the season, leading the NHL.
“We are not in the position we want to be, that’s the goal,” Jarry said also pivoting on a question about his shutouts. “We want to be in a playoff position. That is the goal. We need point. Every point we get helps us.”
Milestones
· 800th game for Pens head coach Mike Sullivan between the Pens and Bruins. He’s in 44th place on the NHL’s all-time list, two behind legendary Art Ross and 14 behind Michel Therrien.
· Jake Guentzel played in his 500th game. He joins teammates Jeff Carter, Lars Eller, Evgeni Malkin, Matt Nieto, Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, Reilly Smith, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby at that milestone
· With his goal, Letang ties Dustin Byfuglien for 35th all-time in NHL history for goals by a defenseman with 160
· Carter’s goal was his 437th, ties him with Pavel Bure and Rick Nash for 75th place in all-time NHL goals. One behind former Penguin Gary Roberts and 2 from Rick Tocchet.
Line Combinations
Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Reilly Smith-Evgeni Malkin-Drew O’Connor
Rickard Rakell-Lars Eller-Jesse Puljujarvi
Jansen Harkins-Noel Acciari-Jeff Carter
Marcus Pettersson-Kris Letang
Ryan Graves-Erik Karlsson
Up Next
A two-game road trip starting in Minnesota at 8p on Friday and then to Winnipeg Saturday at 7p.