Jake Guentzel found himself in a tricky situation as he raced toward New Jersey goalie Mackenzie Blackwood in the middle of the second period on Friday night. The puck wasn’t cooperating, so Guentzel kept his stick on the ice and hoped for the best.
“It’s just kind of chaotic when you lose control of the puck on a breakaway,” Guentzel said. “I just tried to get him to bite, and it worked.”
As usual, Guentzel’s instincts paid off, especially at home. He managed to regain enough control to deke from his forehand to his backhand, fooling Blackwood and sliding the puck into the open net for his team-leading 11th goal of the season and seventh at PPG Paints Arena. The goal gave the Pittsburgh Penguins the momentum they needed in a 4-1 victory over the Devils.
“We’re playing well,” Guentzel said. “Our record might not fully reflect it, but we’re playing solid hockey, and different guys are stepping up, which is great.”
Guentzel now has three goals and three assists during a four-game point streak, which started soon after the Penguins lost captain Sidney Crosby for at least six weeks following surgery for a sports hernia. Despite Crosby’s absence, Pittsburgh’s top line, featuring Guentzel, Bryan Rust, and Evgeni Malkin, has continued to thrive, combining for eight goals and 12 assists in the five games since Crosby’s injury.
“I think they feed off each other,” said Penguins defenseman John Marino. “They always know where each other is on the ice.”
Pittsburgh got additional contributions from Marino and Jared McCann, who scored 25 seconds apart in the third period, effectively sealing the win. Dominik Kahun added his sixth goal in 11 games as the Penguins ended a four-game home losing streak against New Jersey. Tristan Jarry stopped 36 shots, withstanding an early second-period surge from the Devils and cruising after Guentzel’s highlight-reel goal.
Taylor Hall scored his third goal of the season for the Devils, while Blackwood made 30 saves before being replaced by Louis Domingue early in the third period after conceding goals on consecutive shots.
“That wasn’t on Mackenzie,” said Devils coach John Hynes. “He kept us in the game in the first period. The decision to pull him wasn’t a reflection of his performance.”
The Penguins showed no signs of fatigue after back-to-back overtime losses to the streaking New York Islanders. They controlled the play early, with Kahun giving them a 1-0 lead 7:51 into the first period after linemate Dominik Simon forced a turnover in the Devils zone. Kahun then maneuvered past Devils defenseman Mirco Mueller and slipped the puck past Blackwood’s stick.
Hall tied the game just 31 seconds into the second period with a power-play goal; the third Pittsburgh had allowed in two games after a 10-game streak without conceding on the penalty kill. New Jersey continued to press, firing 12 shots at Jarry in the first eight minutes of the period, but Jarry held firm.
The Penguins, who had been inconsistent in closing out games this season, didn’t let up against a New Jersey team struggling to score goals. Early in the third period, Alex Galchenyuk forced a turnover on the forecheck, and McCann capitalized with a shot from the slot to make it 3-1. Just moments later, Marino extended the lead with a slapshot from above the right circle, beating Blackwood through traffic and ending the goalie’s night.
“We had some good moments, but our game still has inconsistencies,” said Devils center Travis Zajac. “We need more from guys like me and others to turn this around.”
Game Notes:
- The Devils, ranked 29th in the league in scoring, have scored two or fewer goals in 12 of their 21 games.
- New Jersey scratched defenseman Matt Tennyson and center John Hayden.
- The Penguins scratched defenseman Juuso Riikola, center Joseph Blandisi, and Justin Schultz.
- Pittsburgh improved to 3-2 in the second game of back-to-backs.
- Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist skated 13:16 in his second game back after missing nearly three weeks with a lower-body injury. He also engaged in a second-period fight with New Jersey’s Damon Severson.
Up Next:
- Devils: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. New Jersey has lost four straight to Detroit.
- Penguins: Host the Calgary Flames on Monday. The teams split their two meetings last season.
