Penguins top Canadiens 4-1 with multi-goal second-period
By Alex Hanczar
PITTSBURGH (Feb. 22, 2024)—The Pittsburgh Penguins snapped a two-game losing skid Thursday with their victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
With crucial points on the line, the Penguins were able to pull out the victory despite a slow start.
Nearly midway through the first period, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang turned the puck over in the team’s own end to former d-mate Mike Matheson. Matheson collected the puck and slotted it past Tristan Jarry to put the Canadiens up 1-0.
However, this would be the only Canadiens’ tally of the evening as the Penguins took off from here.
It was Kris Letang bobblehead night in Pittsburgh and after his turnover, he knew he had to step up.
Just over two minutes later Letang found the puck at the blue line and fired it towards Canadiens netminder Cayden Primeau. The puck fluttered past Primeau as the Penguins had bodies in front to tie the game at one apiece.
That would conclude the scoring for the first period and send Pittsburgh to the locker room with momentum.
Slow starts to the second period headlined both sides as halfway through the score was still deadlocked at one.
This was until Penguins forward Jeff Carter drew a penalty off the puck as he and opponent Brendan Gallagher tied up at center ice.
Gallagher went to the box on a holding call and it did not take Pittsburgh long to capitalize.
With the faceoff won by Sidney Crosby, defenseman Erik Karlsson took Jaromir Jagr’s advice and put the puck toward the net. Here, Bryan Rust stood in front where he was not only screening the goaltender but also able to tip it past him.
All but 21 seconds later, the Penguins struck again. Winger Drew O’Connor rushed down the wing and sniped his eighth mark and second in two games past Primeau to put the home side up 3-1.
Contributing on the O’Connor goal was 24-year-old Valtteri Puustinen and once again Erik Karlsson.
The Puustinen-O’Connor connection appears to have clicked these past two games as the two combined for five points in the past two outings.
Centering the two and also registering an assist this evening was center Evgeni Malkin. Malkin has had linemates bounced on and off of his line all season but it appears he finally found two that gel perfectly.
The Penguins would carry their strong play into the third as they stifled a Canadiens flurry of chances in the form of Tristan Jarry.
Jarry stopped 30 of 31 shots on the night along with nine clutch saves in the third period.
The game was iced by Kris Letang as he continued to make up for his early mistake by slotting home a 200-footer on the vacant Canadiens net.
The game would end 4-1 giving the Penguins a necessary two-points.
With the Metropolitan Division playoff race tight as ever, Pittsburgh is happy to see the New Jersey Devils fall to the New York Rangers.
The Devils loss keeps the Penguins two games in hand still with just two points separating the sides now.
Yet another test is on the horizon for the Pens as they host longtime rival the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday at PPG Paints Arena.
With the Flyers holding 11 points over the Penguins in the standings, this will be another must-win.
