Penguins drop another Metropolitan Division game, fall to Devils
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There are no disclaimers or qualifiers as to the gravity each and every game will command for the Pittsburgh Penguins from here on out until the conclusion of the regular season.
They haven’t been good enough in their first 55 games of the 2022-23 campaign to harbor the luxury of distinguishing road games, nonconference meetings or contests on back-to-back nights.
Their final 27 games of the season are almost of equal weight.
Especially because their past eight efforts against Metropolitan Division foes have been losses.
The most recent edition of that sequence of futility was a humbling 5-2 home loss to the New Jersey Devils at PPG Paints Arena.
It followed a familiar script. An early lead gave way to a deficit and then a defeat.
Less than 24 hours earlier, the Penguins penned a 5-4 road loss to their Metropolitan Division neighbor New York Islanders despite holding two separate two-goal leads.
On Saturday, they could muster only a one-goal advantage before being done in by the Devils’ deeds.
“We start well (in) the game,” Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. “We have momentum, and it looks like sometimes when it doesn’t go our way, we get discouraged. It’s tough to lose when you start well, and you’re playing well.”
Reserve goaltender Dustin Tokarski played well for the most part as he made 38 saves on 42 shots in a valiant performance that dropped his record to 1-2-0.
His presence was required as starter Tristan Jarry continues to rehabilitate from an undisclosed ailment that has sidelined him since Jan. 22. Additionally, backup goaltender Casey DeSmith needed a breather after starting eight consecutive games.
Before Saturday’s contest, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan offered an optimistic but hardly precise forecast for a potential return by Jarry, a two-time All-Star.
“He had a strong on-ice (workout) session (Saturday),” Sullivan said. “He had one (Friday) as well. He’s making progress.”
The Penguins looked as though they were ready to progress from Friday’s ugly loss when forward Evgeni Malkin reached the 20-goal mark 3 minutes, 33 seconds into regulation on a power-play opportunity Saturday.
Off a cross-ice pass by Malkin, Penguins forward Rickard Rakell gained the offensive zone on the right wing then dished a pass back to Malkin who was streaking toward the cage. From the left of the crease, Malkin tapped in a forehand shot under goaltender Vitek Vanecek’s right leg. Rakell and Letang had assists.
Rakell registered a point for the third consecutive game after collecting three goals and two assists in his previous two contests.
It took the Devils all of 80 seconds to respond and tie the game, albeit with a bit of luck.
Chasing a puck sliding into his own zone, Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel tried to shield it from forechecking Devils forward Tomas Tatar but ran into referee Chris Schlenker in the right corner. The contact with Schlenker knocked the puck free and allowed Tatar to claim possession then direct a pass attempt toward the crease. Linemate Dawson Mercer re-directed the puck on net but was denied by Tokarski. On the ensuing rebound, Dawson was rejected on another backhander by Tokarski before finally burying a third backhander over the stick of a prone Tokarski. Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph and forward Jeff Carter were late in providing resistance on the sequence. Forward Nico Hischier and Tatar tallied assists.
At 8:08 of the opening period, Penguins forward Teddy Blueger appeared to get his first goal since Dec. 6 but it was immediately waved off after referee Kelly Sutherland determined Blueger kicked the puck into the cage.
Blueger didn’t dispute the ruling.
“Honestly, I was hoping it might count still,” Blueger said. “It looked like Kelly kind of hesitated for a second.”
Special teams failed the Penguins in the second period and ultimately determined the outcome.
First, defenseman Dougie Hamilton struck on a power-play opportunity at the 3:47 mark with his 16th goal. Following a faceoff win by Hischier against Blueger in the Penguins’ left circle, Hischier controlled the puck behind the cage and then fed a pass to the right circle for Hamilton who swiped a one-timer past Tokarski’s blocker on the far side. Hischier and forward Jack Hughes had assists.
That was followed by a short-handed goal by Hischier at the 8:25 mark.
After Letang failed to keep a puck in the offensive zone at the right point, Hischier overwhelmed him with pressure and generated a two-on-one rush with forward Yegor Sharangovich against Malkin. Gaining the Penguins’ blue line on the left wing, Hischier dished a pass to Sharangovich in the slot. After a curl-and-drag maneuver around Malkin, Sharangovich offloaded the puck back to Hischier who buried an easy forehand shot over the left leg of a scrambling Tokarski for his 22nd goal. Sharangovich had the sole assist.
“Obviously, it’s not great when you don’t convert (on a power-play opportunity), but to give up one is tough,” Penguins forward Sidney Crosby said. “That’s a big turning point in the game.”
The coup de grace was delivered by Devils forward Jesper Bratt who scored his 22nd goal at 8:39 of the final frame.
Off some precision passing by his line in the offensive zone, Bratt leaned down and swiped a one-timer from the right circle on the near side past the glove of a beleaguered Tokarski. Hughes and Sharangovich netted assists.
Another goal by Malkin pulled the Penguins within two scores at 14:43 of the final frame. Surging up the Devils’ slot, Malkin wired a wrister that slipped under Vanecek’s blocker. The lone assist went to defenseman Jeff Petry.
An empty net goal by Hischier at the 17:56 mark capped the scoring. Mercer tallied the only assist.
In total, the Penguins are 0-5-3 against Metropolitan opponents since they claimed a resilient 3-2 home win against the New York Rangers on Dec. 20.
Why have these games, so vital in any context, been a struggle?
“I don’t know,” a glum Sullivan said.
What is definitely certain is the Penguins need each win they can muster, regardless of division affiliation, in order to qualify for the playoffs.
They haven’t left themselves enough room for error.
“At this time, every game is as important, whether you’re playing on the West Coast or you’re playing against your division,” Letang said. “Every point you need to grab, you need to get them because, down the road, they’re all going to count.”
Notes:
• In addition to Jarry, injured Penguins defensemen Mark Friedman, Jan Rutta and Ryan Poehling skated on Saturday morning.
• Forward Danton Heinen was the Penguins’ lone healthy scratch.
• Malkin (1,202 points) surpassed Dino Ciccarelli (1,200) for sole possession of 50th place on the NHL’s career scoring list.
• Hischier’s first goal was the 100th of his career.