PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Once again the Pens give up an early goal and like a few other times, came back to win. Pens beat the Rangers 3-2 in the first meeting since the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last year.
After Rickard Rakell had an opportunity on the first shift, the Rangers turned it back quickly the other way as Pittsburgh-native Vince Trocheck found Chris Kreider with a snipe to make it 1-0, 22 seconds into the game.
Rangers had most of the better opportunities in the first, hitting a pair of posts.
"It was a tale of two games within 60 minutes," said Pens Head Coach Mike Sullivan. "The first half of the game we weren't at our best. We didn't have a lot of emotion. We were flatlined a bit. It was a lackluster performance the first half of the game."
"We didn't come out of the gates sharp," said Pens defenseman Kris Letang. "Maybe it was the fact we lost to them last year in the playoffs. We regrouped and started playing the right way."
Brian Dumoulin dove to stop a two-on-none chance for New York, but even that positive seemed wiped away midway through the second, Igor Shesterkin robbed Bryan Rust. There was feeling it could be one of those games for the Pens.
Like it has over the last couple of weeks, the once-struggling power play got the Pens the lead. Evgeni Malkin went high glove side as Rickard Rakell moved in front of Shesterkin to tie the game with assists to Sidney Crosby and Letang.
Tristan Jarry would make a huge stop on Krieder on a short-handed two-on-one with 1:30 left in the second, just before the period ended, Rust parked in front of the net, tips in the PO Joseph shot with Jason Zucker getting the other helper, 2-1 Pens leading heading to the third.
Rust had to be held back for retaliation after he was cross-checked following the goal.
Crosby would get the first goal of the third on a pretty feed in front from Jake Guenztel off a breakout pass from Rakell to make it 3-1 at the 8:40 mark of the game.
"That was a highlight reel goal," Sullivan said. "It was a real good play all around by everyone. It was a terrific finish by Sid, but it was a great play all around."
"We weren't as good as we would like to be in the first half of the game," Rust said. "We weren't on our toes. We weren't playing that hard. For some odd reason we weren't in a game we should have been. Getting those power play goals gave us a shot in the arm."
Krieder again for New York, again on a two-on-one with Trocheck to cut it to 3-2 with 10 minutes to play. Jarry held the lead, finishing with 26 saves.
"He played unbelievable tonight," Letang said of Jarry. "It's one of those games where he could steal one, that's what he did tonight."
"He has a calming influence," Sullivan said. "He made some tough saves look routine. He just reads plays so well. He gets to his spots. They hit him in the logo, but they are real good saves.
It's Shesterkin's first regulation road loss of the season.
Quote of the night
"In the absence of emotion, it's hard to be at your best in this game," Sullivan said. "We have to be invested emotionally first. When we are, we are a good hockey team. It just wasn't that way in the first half. Then you saw the semblance of the Penguins team we've seen for a long time here."
Notes
· Malkin the ninth consecutive game with a least a point.
· Malkin's 1,179th point, tying him with Sergei Fedorov for second place among Russian-born players in NHL history.
· Crosby's 100th career point against New York, most by any active player
· Jarry's 13th straight game with at least a point, tying him with Ken Wregget for fourth place on the Pens all-time list
Up Next
Another battle against a playoff team, Carolina at PPG Paints Arena at 7p on Thursday.
