Jesper Bratt scored a wraparound goal at 2:50 overtime, securing a 2-1 victory for the New Jersey Devils against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.
Bratt received a pass from Pavel Zacha, swiftly circled behind the net, and tucked the puck between the post and Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry’s skate for his first career overtime game-winner.
“(Jarry) covered most of the net, so I didn’t want to force a bad-angle shot,” Bratt explained. “I saw he got caught with one leg and couldn’t push to the other side, so I seized the opportunity to wrap it around quickly.”
In this stretch, the Devils secured their third win in four games and their second victory in three matchups against Pittsburgh. The win comes after the Devils had only three victories in their previous 13 games.
Bratt, who extended his point streak to four games, scored his second-season goal. Sami Vatanen also scored his second goal of the season for New Jersey. Mackenzie Blackwood made 35 saves in his first game back after aggravating an upper-body injury during warmups on Thursday.
“Mackenzie was huge for us with some key saves,” Bratt said. “As a group, we played harder, competed more, and were determined to win.”
Sidney Crosby scored his 12th goal of the season for Pittsburgh, but the Penguins dropped their third game in four, following a six-game winning streak. Jarry made 33 saves in the loss.
“We had some decent chances but couldn’t capitalize,” Crosby said. “It was a close game, and in overtime, anything can happen. We had our opportunities but didn’t convert.”
Crosby scored at 3:37 of the first period, sneaking a shot between Blackwood’s skate and the post off a cross-ice pass from Jake Guentzel.
“Giving up that first goal was disappointing, but I thought our response was strong,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “We stuck with it and were rewarded by the end.”
Vatanen tied the game at 4:48 of the second period, scoring with a slap shot after the Devils swarmed the Pittsburgh net following a power play. The goal brought Vatanen within one point of reaching 200 career points and extended his streak to three points in four games.
Devils Break the Back-to-Back Curse
The Devils played their sixth back-to-back set of 11 scheduled for the season, and despite being winless in the first games (0-6-0), they improved to 3-2-1 in the second games with Sunday’s victory.
“Overall, we had a solid game,” Bratt said. “It was a great bounce-back from Saturday, and finishing with an overtime win felt great.”
Missed Opportunities
The Devils hit the post three times in the first two periods. Yegor Sharangovich hit the post in the first 20 seconds of the game and again 30 seconds after the Devils’ first goal. Zacha also hit the crossbar during a short-handed attempt in the second period, with the score tied at 1-1.
“I was frustrated that we hit so many posts,” Ruff said. “Even when we scored, it looked like we wouldn’t, but we finally got it. It’s still an issue we need to resolve—putting the puck in the net when we get good chances.”
Crosby Steps Up
Crosby has been carrying the load out with Evgeni Malkin due to a lower-body injury. He has now accumulated 62 goals and 176 points in 145 games played without Malkin. Crosby has one goal and three points this season in three games without his linemate.
Pittsburgh is also missing winger Jason Zucker and recently lost center Teddy Blueger, while forward Brandon Tanev missed his second consecutive game on Sunday.
“We’re getting consistent offense from Crosby’s line, but we need more from the rest of the team,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “With several key players out, it’s an opportunity for others to step up.”
UP NEXT
- The Devils continue their six-game road trip on Tuesday in Philadelphia.
- Pittsburgh will close out March with four home games, starting Wednesday against Buffalo.
