The Pittsburgh Penguins (28-31-10) and New Jersey Devils (36-26-6) met for the third of a four-game season series on Saturday afternoon. The Penguins were in the midst of a five-game homestand – winning the previous two at home. The Penguins dismantled the Devils by a 7-3 final to win their fourth straight.
Tristan Jarry had another big game since returning to Pittsburgh as he made 25 saves for his fourth-straight win. Jacob Markstrom allowed six goals on 22 shots in the loss.
Game Recap
It was a fast and entertaining first period as the play was back and forth at the start. The Devils were able to get on the board first as Cody Glass put one by his former team at 10:08 of the first period. Just over seven minutes later, the Penguins tied the game at one as Connor Dewar tallied his second goal in two games. Just like that, the Penguins took a 2-1 lead 25 seconds later, thanks to Danton Heinen’s eighth goal of the season, to take a lead into intermission.
The second period saw outstanding penalty kills from both teams. The Penguins’ kill ultimately led to a big momentum boost that they capitalized on. Rickard Rakell scored his 31st of the season at 4:24 to give the Penguins a 3-1 lead. Sidney Crosby tallied his 50th assist and 72nd point on the goal, bringing him to within eight points of taking sole possession of most point-per-game seasons in NHL history. The Devils thought they scored on their four-minute kill, but the goal was called back for offside, and the Penguins went into the third period with their two-goal lead intact.
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Early in the third period, a forced turnover in the offensive zone saw Philip Tomasino put the Penguins up 4-1 with just under 18 minutes to go in the game. In the second half of a four-minute power play, the Devils found themselves down by just two. Timo Meier tallied his 19th of the season as he rifled a shot past the glove of Jarry. On their second-straight power play that saw the game’s third four-minute high-sticking call, Nico Hischier brought the Devils to within one with a tip in front. With 5:43 to go in the third, the Penguins tallied a power play goal of their own thanks to Erik Karlsson’s 10th goal of the season. The Penguins added on pair of goals in the final minute of the game. Dewar tallied the first on an empty net, and Kevin Hayes added a seventh to take a 7-3 win over the Devils.
The Devils will look to turn things around on Monday night (March 17) when they continue their road trip with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Penguins play their fourth of five home games on Tuesday night (March 18) when they host the New York Islanders.
