{"id":153997,"date":"2026-04-01T04:51:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T04:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/153997\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T04:51:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T04:51:06","slug":"penguins-pound-detroit-march-toward-playoff-berth-perfect-scoreboard-scenario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/153997\/","title":{"rendered":"Penguins Pound Detroit, March Toward Playoff Berth; Perfect Scoreboard Scenario"},"content":{"rendered":"

PITTSBURGH \u2014 The Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> (38-21-16) moved one step closer to solidifying a playoff spot on Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena, defeating the Detroit Red Wings<\/a> (39-27-8), 5-1. Anthony Mantha, Rickard Rakell, and Noel Acciari each scored for a second-consecutive game and Stuart Skinner stopped 22 of 23 Detroit shots. All four lines scored a goal for the Penguins, who have exploded for 13 goals in their past two games. Further, with Tuesday\u2019s five goals, it also marked the 40th game this season in which the Penguins have scored at least four goals in a game. The Penguins\u2019 40 games with four or more goals are tied with Tampa Bay for the most such games this season. The Penguins\u2019 record when they score at least four goals in a game is now 33-1-6.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Penguins opened the scoring with a hard-working shift by the team\u2019s top line. Egor Chinakhov carried the puck into the zone, but the puck ended up along the left wing boards. That is where Sidney Crosby<\/a> dug the puck out of the scrum, tapped the puck to Rickard Rakell in the slot who then wristed a laser of a shot past Detroit goalie John Gibson\u2019s stick side. The goal came at 4:10 of the first and was the 43rd time in 74 games that Pittsburgh scored the first goal in a game, which ranks fourth-best in the NHL<\/a>, tied with Minnesota and Winnipeg.<\/p>\n

The Penguins went up by a pair by simply outworking Detroit in front of its own net. Connor Dewar incessantly whacked away at a rebound caught up in the left pad of Gibson, then Evgeni Malkin<\/a> came crashing towards the net and began poking at the puck as well. Amongst all the chaos, Mantha<\/a> swooped in, picked the puck out of the scrum on his backhand, moved the puck to his forehand and then wristed it up and over Gibson to put the Penguins ahead 2-0. The goal was Mantha\u2019s 30th of the season and third in the past two games. Despite the Penguins ranking fourth in the NHL in goals scored, Mantha became the Penguins\u2019 first 30-goal scorer on the season. To say Mantha has exceeded expectations in his first season with the Penguins would be an understatement. Only Crosby (39 in 2005-06) and Malkin (33 in 2006-07) have scored more goals in their first season with the Penguins since 2005-06. <\/p>\n

The Penguins got one power play opportunity in the first frame and peppered Gibson, but could not score with the man-advantage, however, they took some of the momentum gained from the power play and scored just 25 seconds after the penalty had ended when Chinakhov (18) took a wrist shot from the slot that got deflected and fluttered past Gibson\u2019s stick side to put the Penguins up by a trio of goals and prompting Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan to make a goaltending change at the first intermission from Gibson to Cam Talbot.<\/p>\n

The Red Wings got their first power play opportunity of the game and scored just five seconds into it. Patrick Kane<\/a> threw a hard wrist shot from the right circle that deflected off the right pad of Skinner and right to the stick of Dylan Larkin<\/a> for the easy tap-in past Skinner, who was still down and out from the save he made on Kane\u2019s shot. The Penguins\u2019 penalty kill unit is clearly missing the injured Blake Lizotte who has been out of the Penguins\u2019 lineup since the game at Colorado on March 16. The unit has allowed at least one power play goal in six-consecutive games and seven of the nine games that Lizotte has missed.<\/p>\n

Connor Clifton<\/a> was one of only three Penguins skaters that did not register a point on Monday night on Long Island, but he got a big assist for the Penguins on Tuesday when he gathered a failed Detroit clearing attempt at the right point and unleashed a wrist shot from the blue line that was tipped in front by Justin Brazeau<\/a> (17) and to the upper left corner of the net over Talbot to give the Penguins their second, three-goal lead of the game, 4-1. <\/p>\n

Although the Penguins had the better of the play in the second period, Skinner still had to be sharp, especially in the last 1:06 of the period when he faced four quality shots, including two from Alex Debrincat and one each from Moritz Seider, and David Perron. <\/p>\n

The Penguins got the only goal of the third period. Just as they had done on their second goal, the Penguins once again outworked the Detroit defensemen in front. This time it was Acciari muscling the puck off two Red Wings and then flipping it over Talbot to push the Penguins to a commanding 5-1 lead and close out the scoring. <\/p>\n

The win put the Penguins at 92 points and kept them in second place in the Metropolitan Division. Elsewhere, the Penguins got the perfect scenario of help on Tuesday night, with Carolina defeating Columbus, Buffalo defeating the Islanders, Florida defeating Ottawa, and Washington defeating Philadelphia, all in regulation. With these outcomes, the Penguins are now three points ahead of the Islanders, four points ahead of the Blue Jackets, and six points ahead of Philadelphia, Ottawa, and Detroit. The Blue Jackets currently hold the final wildcard spot with 88 points. <\/p>\n

Notes<\/p>\n

With Evgeni Malkin getting back into the lineup, the Penguins\u2019 lines took on yet another new look:<\/p>\n

Forwards<\/p>\n

Egor Chinakhov \u2013 Sidney Crosby \u2013 Rickard Rakell<\/p>\n

Evgeni Malkin \u2013 Tommy Novak \u2013 Anthony Mantha<\/p>\n

Justin Brazeau \u2013 Ben Kindel \u2013 Avery Hayes <\/p>\n

Elmer Soderblom \u2013 Connor Dewar \u2013 Noel Acciari<\/p>\n

Defensemen<\/p>\n

Parker Wotherspoon \u2013 Erik Karlsson<\/p>\n

Sam Girard \u2013 Kris Letang<\/p>\n

Ryan Shea \u2013 Connor Clifton<\/p>\n

Additional Notes<\/p>\n

Bryan Rust was expected to play in Tuesday\u2019s game, but he was a late scratch due to a lower-body injury. The injury did not occur in warm-ups and head coach Dan Muse seemed to downplay the severity of his injury in his post-game press conference. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTags: anthony mantha<\/a> Detroit Red Wings<\/a> Egor Chinakhov<\/a> Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> stuart skinner<\/a> <\/p>\n

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