PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Big win for the Pens on Sunday, finally solving Carolina this season for a 4-2 win and kept within reach of the Hurricanes for first in the Metropolitan Division.
Tristan Jarry came up big again, allowing only two goals on 43 shots. The 26-year-old has 81 saves in the last two games. Brian Boyle noted the toe save in the second period which kept momentum with the Pens and prevented a Sebastian Aho goal was huge. Jarry also able to keep two attempted rebounds out of the net.
"We had two really close games with them before," Jarry said. "We wanted to make this one count. It was our last crack at them and we didn't want to lose a third one to them. It meant a lot because we might play them in the playoffs."
"A game like today is a great test," Boyle said. "It's a great way to prepare for when the real fun starts. You want to play the right way when you get there to give yourself the best chance to advance."
"They are one of the best teams in the league," said forward Danton Heinen, who scored his 13th goal of the season. "I don't think we had our best the first two games against them. I don't know if we had our best tonight either. It's definitely good to get over that hump and get a win against them."
"I don't think we had a significant amount of opportunities, but we had enough to find the back of the net," said Pens head coach Mike Sullivan. "I thought Tristan was terrific in net. I thought we defended hard."
Could be the best part of this game is that they were able to win without their best against a team that had beaten them five of the last six meetings. There were areas-allowing too much zone time, especially in the third period. The breakouts weren't always crisp, allowed 43 shots.
"They're tough," Boyle said. "They are in your face and they try to take away what we do well. We capitalized on our chances and hung on and had a great game from Tristan. Still a lot of room for improvement."
It should be a help for the confidence with more challenges coming up including a 70-point Nashville and 75-point St. Louis team on the road.
"I think we can beat any team really," Boyle said. "Look what we've done this year, I think there is a confidence in our group. When we are playing the way we are capable of, we're a tough team to beat. We want to continue to do that and get better as the season progresses because it gets harder."
Secondary again
A second straight game with strong secondary scoring with Boyle, Heinen and Zach Aston-Reese supporting Sidney Crosby as the goal scorers.
"It's important, you don't want to rely on them all the time," Heinen said. "You want to have guys throughout your lineup with confidence and feeling good about themselves."
20 for Sid
Crosby's empty-net goal secured a 14th, 20-goal season. Only 36 have ever done that in NHL history and no one else had ever done it in Penguins history (Evgeni Malkin and Mario Lemieux 12 times).
It's also a nine-game point streak for Crosby, second longest current streak in the NHL.
Defense change
For a couple of months, the constant with the Pens was their defensive pairings. Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang playing off each other on the top group. Marcus Pettersson with John Marino and Mike Matheson with Chad Ruhwedel.
Sullivan said after the game on Friday, when Mark Friedman scored his first goal of the season, the game-winner, he could see a scenario where he could play more. Friedman had been subbing in while Matheson was hurt and then for Dumoulin as he was sick on Friday.
"We have seven defenseman and we can only put six in the lineup," Sullivan said. "I thought Friedman played a couple of really solid games and deserving of staying in the lineup. There is a healthy competition among our group. These are difficult decisions, Marcus has played a lot of good hockey for us as well. We will make decisions game-to-game."
Friedman took Pettersson's spot Sunday and he was paired with Ruhwedel. Dumoulin moved with Marino and for a second straight game, Matheson and Letang were the top group. Matheson did score Friday night and had an assist on Sunday.
"I know he's going to be in the rush, so sometimes I will stay back," Letang said of the differences with Matheson as his partner. "That is probably the only thing that is going to change because he's such a great skater, he can join the rush at any moment. With Dumo, I'm mostly in the rush most of the time. Nothing changes, whether it's Dumoulin or Matheson, it's the same system. We always try to play as a unit of five out there, not only two guys together."
Forward change
Rookie Valtteri Puustinen did not return for a second game of his NHL career. Puustinen started on the third line on Friday, but due to the injury to Brock McGinn, Sullivan changed up the group. Jeff Carter remained the centerman, but 6'6" Radim Zohorna recalled to replace Puustinen against Carolina with Kasperi Kapanen returning from a one-game benching.
Up Next
Pens start a three-game road trip against Western Conference teams Tuesday at Nashville.
