PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pens head coach Dan Muse promised his team would be focused for a back-to-back game with Florida after a 9-4 win Saturday. On Sunday, a determined Arturs Silovs and a pair of goals from Rickard Rakell led the Pens to a 5-2 win.
The five goals gave the Pens 280 on the season, as of immediately after the game, it’s the most in the Eastern Conference and second only to Colorado in the NHL.
“I think it’s been different things,” Sidney Crosby said of the scoring. “There have been nights when we’ve had to score ugly ones. Our power play has been good. We’ve had short-handed goals at different times. Definitely getting the lead I think goes a long way to that, teams have to open up and press and then being able to capitalize when that happens.”
How it happened
Elmer Soderblom started the scoring with his second of the weekend after Connor Dewar helped distract goalie Daniil Tarasov, Soderblom intercepted the pass and quickly fired it in from the corner.
Later Crosby flew down on the left side to make it 2-1 and clinch an NHL-record 21st season averaging at least a point per game.
https://www.audacy.com/937thefan/sports/pittsburgh-penguins/sidney-crosby-extends-nhl-record
“I hope nobody is taking this for granted, fans, media, everybody in the community to be able to see this first hand, it’s amazing,” said Pens head coach Dan Muse. “21 seasons, point-per-game, just think about how much has to go into it. I’m not just talking about hockey here, I’m talking all sports. It’s amazing.”
Crosby then fed a power-play pass to Rakell for the first of his scores, 3-1.
Late in the second period, Rakell raced down the slot and Evgeni Malkin found him from behind the net and it’s 4-1.
Bryan Rust moved into 10th place on the Pens all-time scoring list with an earlier assist and a his 28th goal early in the third as he put home his own rebound after his backhand was denied to make it 5-1.
https://www.audacy.com/937thefan/sports/pittsburgh-penguins/bryan-rust-reaches-500-points
Goalie Arturs Silovs was forced to play in back-to-back games due to the injury suffered by Stuart Skinner while on the bench of Saturday’s game. It’s being labeled as an upper body injury, reports he was hit by a puck.
There was no status given for how long Skinner will be out.
Silovs stopped 29 of 31 shots including a perfect second period stopping all 11 shots including a couple of really good stops, one where he kicked a puck sideways with his skate.
“He made some huge plays,” Muse said. “One of those goes in early in the third, it’s a different feel to the game. It maybe puts you back on your heels. It didn’t happen, he made those saves.”
“Anything can happen, you have to always be ready,” Silovs said. “An unfortunate moment, getting a stick or puck in the eye, not too often you see that. Taking the opportunity, it’s a huge game for us and a huge two points, I think that’s what matters.”
Up Next
A relative break as the Pens get three days in-between games for the first time since late January. Thursday night, Pens are at the Devils before coming home against Washington on Saturday.
Postgame reaction after Pens sweep defending champs
