Penguins’ stars ground Lightning for home win
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The Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning might not be what they once were. That said, they each own some highly coveted real estate in a pretty exclusive neighborhood within the NHL as the only teams to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships since the institution of the salary cap almost 20 years ago.
But after winning the title in 2016 and 2017, the Penguins have lost five consecutive playoff series dating back to 2018. As for the Lightning, that franchise is trying to shake off the indignity of merely advancing to the Stanley Cup Final and losing last season after claiming the crown in 2020 and 2021.
Regardless, when the two teams meet, it’s a confrontation to take note of.
“There is a stark comparison between the two of us,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “They’re a good opponent. Actually, they’re a great opponent.
“It’s a barometer game to see where you’re at.”
The Penguins’ barometer registered an optimal climate on Saturday as they defeated the Lightning, 6-2, at PPG Paints Arena and remained perfect through the second game of the campaign.
While the Penguins recorded the equivalent of a touchdown for the second consecutive contest – they defeated the Arizona Coyotes by the same score on Thursday – it was their defense that was arguably the biggest factor in this contest as it grounded a powerful attack possessed by the Lightning.
On the surface, the 36 shots they permitted do appear to be a bit bloated, but the bulk of that figure was recorded in the third period (17) when each team exchanged chances. The Lightning, blessed with some of the NHL’s most dynamic offensive skill, offered little in the way of sustained pressure through the first 40 minutes of play.
The Penguins indicated they had as much pride in their offensive attack as their defensive acumen.
“It’s good to see one doesn’t hurt the other,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “We can still be pretty steady defensively and generate some good chances, especially against a team like that. They really don’t need a lot of room.
“We played the right way. And obviously (goaltender Tristan Jarry), when we did have some breakdowns, he made some big saves too.
“That’s how you have to win games.”
In the first period, offense was supplied by the top stars of each squad.
A power-play score by forward Steven Stamkos put his team up, 1-0, 4:10 into regulation. From center point, Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman fed a simple pass to the top of the left circle where Stamkos swiped a signature one-timer that resembles a trident missile past Jarry’s left shoulder on the far side for his fourth goal of the season. Hedman and forward Nikita Kucherov had assists.
The tried-and-true duo of linemates Crosby and Jake Guentzel tied the game at 17:00 of the first period. Claiming a loose puck in his own zone, Guentzel lugged it up the right wing into the offensive zone, generating a two-on-one rush with Crosby against Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak. As Cernak slid to his belly, Guentzel saucered a pass to the left circle for Crosby who darted to the net then deked to his backhand, depositing the puck past the grasp of sprawling backup goaltender Brian Elliott – who was in net in place of All-Star Andrei Vasilevkiy following a road game on Friday – for his second goal. Guentzel and defenseman Brian Dumoulin netted assists.
Forward Danton Heinen supplied the Penguins with their first lead of the contest at 4:11 of the second period with his first goal on a power-play opportunity. After Heinen offered a heightened effort to keep the puck in the offensive zone and poke-checked it away from Hedman in the high slot, Zucker wound up with possession. From low in the circle, Zucker chipped the puck through the crease only to have it glance off the right skate of Penguins forward Jeff Carter. Heinen corralled it at the bottom of the right circle then lifted a bad-angle wrister that beat Elliott’s glove on the near side. Assists went to Carter and Zucker.
“(Zucker) tried to fire it to me,” Carter said. “It went off my skate and it landed on (Heinen’s) stick. It’s a skilled play to settle it down and take the time to find your hole and hit it.”
The floodgates opened a bit in the third period and each talented squad exchanged offensive chances, with the Lightning firing 17 shots on net to the Penguins’ 15.
Guentzel made it a 3-1 game with his second goal 2:28 into the final frame. After Guentzel beat Lightning forward Brayden Point on a draw in Tampa Bay’s left circle, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang settled a puck at the left point. Surveying the zone for a moment, Letang swiped a slap-pass towards the cage where Guentzel was able to re-direct it through Elliott’s five hole. Letang and Crosby claimed assists.
Carter got into the act only 1:28 later with his first goal. After Carter won a defensive zone draw in his own left circle against Lightning forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph rimmed the puck around the end boards to the right point where Heinen was able to lift the stick of Lightning defenseman Philippe Myers, allowing the puck to exit the zone. Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen claimed possession at the far blue line, raced up ice and pulled up low in the left circle. Drawing in Hedman, Kapanen centered a pass to the slot for an onrushing Carter who then veered into the right circle and slipped a tricky forehand shot to the far side past Elliott’s right leg. Kapanen and Joseph claimed assists.
“That’s the wall play,” Carter said with a prideful – but incisor-deficient – smile. “Danton makes a play at the wall. (Kapanen has got) speed. Kind of an old school goal. You don’t see many of those on the ice, far side anymore. I’ll take it.”
Penguins forward Bryan Rust took advantage of another power-play opportunity and scored his second goal at 13:31 of the third period. Corralling his own rebound in the right corner of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin offloaded it to Crosby above the right circle. After backpedaling to the blue line then maneuvering to above the left circle, Crosby lifted a wrister that Rust, positioned above the crease, deflected over Elliott’s blocker on the near side. Crosby and Malkin had assists.
Point accounted for his team’s final goal with his first score at 14:03 of the third. After gaining the offensive zone on the right wing, Kucherov fed a cross-ice pass to the right circle for Point who lifted a wrister that clunked off Jarry’s blocker and found twine on the near side. Kucherov and Stamkos recorded assists.
An empty net goal by Penguins forward Rickard Rakell, his first, capped the scoring at the 15:56 mark. There were no assists.
Jarry made 34 saves on 36 shots to record the victory.
One save that stood out to Sullivan was a denial of Stamkos during a power-play opportunity at 10:56 of the third period as the Penguins protected a 4-1 lead.
Circling off the right half wall of the offensive zone, Kucherov fed a backdoor pass to the left of the crease where Stamkos chopped a forehand shot. Jarry read the sequence like a novella, slid to his right and coolly rejected the puck.
“That backdoor chance that Stamkos got, that’s a 10-bell save in my mind,” Sullivan said. “That was a terrific save by (Jarry).
“In order to win in this league, you need that save once in a while.”
Sturdy defense leading to potent offense is also a vital component of any victory in the NHL, particularly for championship-caliber teams.
“We’re creating, we’re putting pucks on net,” Carter said. “Getting some dirty goals, some pretty goals, kind of a little bit of everything. That’s a high-powered offense (for the Lightning). For the most part tonight, I thought we did a pretty good job. Forwards coming back for the (defensemen), (defenseman) getting it up (to forwards). When we’re exiting our end fairly clean like we did tonight, we create off of that.
“It worked well for us.”
Notes:
• Rust (273 points) surpassed forwards John Cullen and Bob Errey (272 each) for 29th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.
• Dumoulin (115 points) surpassed forwards Pete Mahovlich and Terry Ruskowski (114 each) for 76th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.
• Crosby (1,415 points) surpassed Doug Gilmour (1,414) for 19th place on the NHL’s career scoring list.
• Malkin is a faceoff specialist all of a sudden:
Malkin is 21-9 (70.0%) on draws through 2 GP. His best NHL season was 2019-20 (50.3%).
— Bob Grove (@bobgrove91) October 16, 2022
• The Penguins’ scratches were Teddy Blueger (undisclosed injury) and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel.
• Blueger participated in an optional morning skate on Saturday wearing and engaged in some light contact for the first time since suffering an undisclosed injury in practice on Sept. 28.
• Prior to the game, the Penguins recognized former head equipment manager Dana Heinze who retired this past summer after 33 years in the profession.
Congrats on working 2,306 NHL games, Dana Heinze!
Thank you for all your hard work over 16 years with the Penguins. pic.twitter.com/RmFqcvWpGR
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 15, 2022
“He was awesome,” Jarry said. “Anything you needed, he was always there. He always had a solution for everything. … We’re very grateful that we had him for as many years as we did. It was a great honor to him (Saturday night).”