PITTSBURGH — Much has been made all season of the murderer’s-row trip that begins for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday in Raleigh.
Before that trip can begin, though, the Penguins put together a performance that people will be talking about for a while.
Down three against the stingy Boston Bruins, and playing without the injured Sidney Crosby and the suspended Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins willed their way to overtime where Tommy Novak finished it in a dramatic 5-4 victory on Sunday at PPG Paints Arena.
The Penguins roared back to tie the game on goals from Egor Chinakhov, Conor Dewar and Anthony Mantha, but Boston’s Pavel Zacha’s third goal of the game put the visiting Bruins back ahead. With 8:42 remaining in the third period, however, Mantha — who has enjoyed a career resurgence this season in Pittsburgh — evened the score once again.
Arturs Silovs, who didn’t have a particularly strong first two periods, stood on his head in the final minutes of the third to send the game to overtime. Novak put away the Bruins and gave the Penguins three out of four points this weekend.
The Penguins now lead the New York Islanders by one point for second place in the Metropolitan Division, with a game in hand. They’re also five points clear of Columbus (though the hard-charging Blue Jackets do have their own game in hand) and are brimming with confidence all of a sudden.
“We came in here between the second and third, and we just knew it was going to feel good,” Mantha said. “We said it in here. The guys had a big kill to start the third period. Had a big kill late, too. Everyone played really good in the third, and we got those two points.”
10 postgame observations
• From the standpoint of theater, this was the most entertaining game the Penguins have played in many years. Everything about it was striking.
One never would have expected this game to produce this kind of back-and-forth action. The Bruins typically stifle the Penguins and, in fact, have beaten them this season in a 1-0 game and in a 2-1 game in Boston earlier in the week. When the Bruins took a 3-0 lead, fans had every reason to assume the game was long over even under normal circumstances. Without Crosby, Malkin or Justin Brazeau, the Penguins seemed undeniably doomed.
But this team has displayed uncommon heart numerous times this season, and it was on display again. Despite the fact that they played 24 hours earlier and are in the midst of the busiest schedule any team has faced, the Penguins’ energy level multiplied in the third period.
I can’t say they took over the game, because they gave up their share of good looks. Offensively speaking, though, they overwhelmed the Bruins. It easily marks their most impressive and most important win of the season.
• The Penguins were pretty putrid in front of their net most of the day. While Silovs gave up a couple of goals he’d like to have back earlier in the contest, he was forced to play some acrobatic, clutch goal late in the game. Even in the game’s final minute, neither team was playing to get to overtime, and the Penguins had their issues with Boston’s big forwards all game.
Silovs can be streaky, yes. But he also came to Pittsburgh with a reputation for being pretty clutch, and that gene was very much on display in the closing minutes of this game. Outstanding performance from him, all things considered.
“We got his back like he’s got ours,” Mantha said.
• But that defensive work in front of the net … yeah, not good.
It was a weekend to forget for Ben Kindel, who has been exceptional defensively all season. He got lost on a number of occasions in terms of blown assignments against the Flyers and the Bruins. I wouldn’t worry about him, but it’s something to keep an eye on moving forward. I didn’t think Avery Hayes nor Ville Koivunen were very good in their own territory, either.
The Penguins got away with it in this game, but especially with the firepower they have out of the lineup, it would be very much in the Penguins’ best interest to play a tight, defensive game. They certainly didn’t do that against the Bruins.
• Erik Karlsson is playing incredible hockey right now. I felt like his game in Tuesday against the Bruins may have been his best with the Penguins — well, we now have another candidate.
Karlsson’s skating was even better than usual all game, as he consistently triggered offensive opportunities with his legs. He also used his skating to thwart a number of Boston opportunities.
Karlsson has very clearly taken it upon himself to augment his game with Crosby out of the lineup. And he’s doing it. Just awesome stuff from him.
• Speaking of the blue line, we have a positive development to announce. Sam Girard and Ilya Solovyov were placed on a pairing today following the disaster that was the Kris Letang-Girard pairing.
And guess what? Girard and Solovyov were exceptional. This was the first game where we saw Girard play with confidence, and the difference he made with his skating in the offensive zone was clear to see. It was easily his best game with the Penguins.
While I like Connor Clifton, I would suggest that Solovyov remain in the lineup. He and Girard, both of whom were traded to the Penguins from Colorado this season, seem to understand each other’s respective games. Solovyov made a handful of high-level plays with the puck. Both of these players stood out.
Sam Girard had his best game as a Penguin against the Bruins. (Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
• The fourth line has been great all season and was top-notch in this game. It could be argued that Dewar’s goal, the one that made it 3-2, was the game’s biggest moment. The Bruins still felt very much in control at that point, but his gorgeous backhand shot set off an avalanche at PPG Paints Arena.
Noel Acciari also nearly scored on the game’s opening shift. That line was simply excellent. It doesn’t come as a surprise at this point, but it’s still worth mentioning.
• Mantha is a funny player. Sometimes you just don’t notice him. And sometimes, when you notice him, he’s a little perplexing to watch. Just because he’s big doesn’t mean he’s a power forward. But I’m not knocking him. Far from it. He’s been one of the Penguins’ most valuable players all season and time and time again, he’s come through when they needed him.
Those two goals in the third period were his two biggest with the Penguins. His price tag this summer keeps rising.
• Kris Letang was marginally better with Ryan Shea than he’s been with Girard. But I can’t say he’s been good. He played with a ton of fire in this game, which I love to see from him. He’s such a competitor. But his carelessness with the puck and his poor positioning in the defensive zone is a problem that isn’t going away.
• Karlsson got away with a massive pick against David Pastrnak on the game-winning goal. It should have been an interference penalty, in my view. But the Penguins have come up on the short end of the stick on so many calls lately, they were probably owed one.
“It was just a lot of chaos, honestly,” Novak said. “Good little pick from Karl there, and the puck popped to me. Right place, right time, kind of an open net. Being able to come back there is really big.”
• Buckle up: Here comes one of the most frightening and anticipated trips in recent Penguins history. Raleigh. Vegas. Salt Lake City. Denver. Raleigh again.
The Penguins enter this trip with some momentum, I have to think, because of this win. It was the most memorable win in PPG Paints Arena since the Penguins last participated in the postseason, in 2022.
And some more good news: I don’t think Crosby will be out much longer. I wouldn’t be shocked if he plays Tuesday night against Carolina. He’s been skating for five days and has already had one practice with the team.
He doesn’t need to ride into Raleigh on a white horse, though. This team is showing that it’s pretty competent without him A rated and healthy Crosby, however, will make them substantially better. Given the trip that’s upcoming, they’ll need to be.
And so it begins.