A week ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins led the NHL’s toughest division. Now, things have changed.
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins continued their slide with a 6-1 home loss to the last-place New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. The Devils jumped to a three-goal lead within the first seven minutes and never looked back.
“We’ve just got to be better,” Crosby said after the Penguins dropped their third straight game, falling to third place in the Metropolitan Division behind Carolina and the New York Rangers. “We’re not playing the way we’re capable right now.”
During this skid, the Penguins have been outscored 14-5 and have not held a lead. They’ve also conceded five goals in their last five home games, a worrying trend for a team with playoff ambitions.
“We’ve got to play the game smarter,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We can’t beat ourselves in certain instances, and that’s been the case the last few games.”
While the Penguins are still in a good position to make the playoffs for a 16th straight season, the Devils, who have been plagued by injuries, showcased what could have been. Jesper Bratt scored twice in the first six minutes, and rookie goaltender Nico Daws made 37 saves.
“Anytime a team scores as much as we did, it makes it a little easier on the goalie,” Daws said. “I thought we all did a great job tonight.”
The Devils quickly provided their 21-year-old goaltender with some cushion. Bratt tapped in a loose puck just 1:16 into the game for his 15th goal of the season and followed up with his 16th less than five minutes later. Yegor Sharangovich made it 3-0 just 57 seconds after Bratt’s second goal, putting the Devils in control.
Dawson Mercer, Damon Severson, and Nico Hischier also scored for New Jersey, who won for the third time in their last 12 games. Daws, who withstood a second-period surge by the Penguins, earned his first win since his NHL debut in October.
“It should give (Daws) a lot of confidence,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “His reads were good. He got there. He was quick. I thought his east-west movement was as good as we’ve seen this year out of any goaltender. So he has to be pretty happy with himself.”
Evgeni Malkin scored his seventh goal of the season for the Penguins, but Tristan Jarry was pulled for the first time in 41 starts this season after Severson’s point shot made it 5-1 midway through the game. Jarry stopped 14 of 19 shots, struggling with the poor defensive support that left the Devils with open chances.
“We gave up some pretty good opportunities,” Crosby said. “We’ve got to be better defensively and limit those chances.”
New Jersey capitalized on two defensive-zone turnovers for their first three goals. Sullivan called a timeout and addressed his team sternly. While the Penguins responded with pressure, Daws, who came in with a modest .862 save percentage in four appearances, held firm.
Daws’ best work came in the first half of the second period when Pittsburgh dominated possession and fired 10 consecutive shots. Daws turned aside each one, and Mercer made it 4-0 after Jack Hughes forced a turnover behind the Penguins’ net and fed Mercer in front.
Malkin’s power-play goal briefly sparked the Penguins, but Severson’s long-range blast chased Jarry, sealing New Jersey’s win.
“There’s definitely frustration,” Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson said. “Our job is to win hockey games, but it’s frustrating when you’re not doing it.”
Game notes
Devils star defenseman Dougie Hamilton played 19:12 in his first game since Jan. 2. Penguins forward Jeff Carter received a double-minor for a high stick on Mercer. New Jersey scored 2 for 5 on the power play, while the Penguins scored 1 for 4. Marcus Pettersson appeared to be benched for the second half of the game, finishing with just 8:54 of ice time.
UP NEXT
- Devils: Visit Chicago on Friday.
- Penguins: Host the New York Rangers on Saturday.
