Of their limited accomplishments this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins can boast they are the last team to have defeated the St. Louis Blues.
That achievement remained in place Thursday as the Penguins fell to the Blues, 5-4, in overtime at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
Forward Robert Thomas’ 20th goal of the season during a power-play sequence at 2 minutes, 11 seconds of the extra period was the difference.
With the victory, the red-hot Blues extended a winning streak to 11 games, matching a franchise record. Their last loss came at the hands of the Penguins, who earned a 5-3 victory March 13 at PPG Paints Arena.
Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry’s record slipped to 13-11-6 after he unofficially stopped 14 of 19 shots Thursday.
Penguins forward Bryan Rust opened the scoring with his 27th goal 3:32 into regulation.
Chasing down a puck on the left-wing boards of the offensive zone, Penguins rookie forward Rutger McGroarty rimmed it up the boards to the near corner for Rust. Accepting the puck, Rust rolled toward the cage and attacked from a deep angle. Going forehand-backhand-forehand, Rust deked goaltender Joel Hofer out of orbit and tucked an easy wrister into a mostly vacant cage. McGroarty had the only assist and recorded his first career point.
The Blues tied the score only 39 seconds into the second period via forward Jake Neighbours’ 20th goal.
Off a give-and-go attack with Thomas, Neighbours roofed a wrister from the Penguins’ left circle over the glove of a sprawling Jarry.
The Penguins regained a lead at 4:22 of the second frame when forward Connor Dewar scored his fourth goal.
Collecting a loose puck in St. Louis’ left corner, Rust curled around into the near circle and fed it low to the right of the cage for Penguins forward Rickard Rakell, who tried to jam in a forehand shot. Hofer held Rakell’s offering out, but in the ensuing scramble, Dewar fended off Blues defenseman Cam Fowler and chopped in a forehand shot under Hofer’s left leg. Rakell and Rust registered assists.
Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich’s 16th goal at 6:48 of the second tied the score again. Off a neutral-zone turnover by Penguins defenseman Conor Timmins, Buchnevich attacked and scored on a backhander.
The hosts took their first lead of the contest only 77 seconds later with forward Jordan Kyrou’s 33rd goal off a breakaway.
Neighbours struck again at 5:56 of the third period off another give-and-go sequence with Blues rookie forward Jimmy Snuggerud.
The Penguins persisted as Rakell scored his team-leading 33rd goal during a power-play sequence at 11:15 of the third frame.
Taking a feed in St. Louis’ right circle, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby considered his options and deemed Rakell to be the best choice. Established in the slot, Rakell accepted a backhand pass from Crosby and ripped a wrister by Hofer’s glove. Crosby and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk generated assists.
McGroarty’s first career goal came at an opportune moment when he tied the score at 19:35 of the third.
With Jarry pulled for an extra attacker, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson zipped a wrister from St. Louis’ left point wide to the far side. Penguins rookie forward Ville Koivunen settled the rebound near the opposite corner and dished a pass to McGroarty low to the right of the cage. Turning to his right, McGroarty shuffled a forehand shot by Hofer’s right skate. Koivunen had his first career point as he was credited with an assist along with Karlsson.
Note: Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin was scratched for the fourth consecutive game because of an undisclosed injury.
Categories: Penguins/NHL | Sports
