PITTSBURGH — On a night where New Jersey and Pittsburgh played musical chairs with the penalty box, the inability to score on the power play without Kris Letang and giving up a short-handed goal were what did the Penguins in for their fourth loss in a row.
Pittsburgh will have to continue searching for its first post-holiday break win after falling to the Devils, 4-2, at PPG Paints Arena Friday night in a game that featured 15 penalties, including nine against New Jersey.
Just before the second intermission with the score knotted up at two goals each, the Devils took their first and only lead of the night. On a 2-on-2 rush during a Penguins power play, Michael McLeod located Nico Hischier for a short-handed goal that put New Jersey in front for good.
In the latter half of the third period, the Penguins had a four-minute power play after a high-sticking call went against the Devils’ Erik Haula. But Pittsburgh failed to score during that stretch, which ultimately brought out the boo birds from the home crowd.
Malkin commenced the night’s scoring for the Penguins with a breakaway goal late in the first period. An errant pass between a pair of Devils at Pittsburgh’s blue line, which was caused in part by pressure from Jake Guentzel, presented Malkin with half a sheet of open ice.
With plenty of real estate to come up with a move to beat New Jersey goalie Vitek Vanecek, Malkin elected to go top shelf on the netminder’s glove side.
The Devils would even the tally in the second period, though they easily could’ve had another early in the frame. What at first appeared to be a goal by Dougie Hamilton was called off due to goaltender interference by Haula, which was later confirmed via video replay.
New Jersey got its equalizer a few minutes later though, capitalizing on a tripping penalty against Teddy Blueger. Thirty-four seconds into Blueger’s penalty, New Jersey’s Jack Hughes netted his 19th goal of the season to make it a 1-1 game.
But the Devils’ advantage wouldn’t hold for long. Just past the midway point in regulation, Pierre-Olivier Joseph sliced through New Jersey’s defense before dishing off to Jeff Carter, who tried to center a pass back to the defenseman. Before the dime could get back to Joseph, though, the puck trickled into the net for Carter’s sixth goal of the season.
Sticking with the back-and-forth nature of the night, the Penguins’ second lead only lasted for five minutes. Pittsburgh couldn’t get a clear on a deflected shot from the point, which allowed Hamilton to get a goal that would stick on the scoreboard.
Hischier then followed up with his short-handed goal, which proved to be the game-winner for the Devils. Hughes then finished off the night with an empty net goal with just over four seconds left in regulation to put the finishing touches on the New Jersey victory.
ICE CHIPS
— Ty Smith made his Penguins debut against the Devils, his former team. Pittsburgh acquired Smith in an offseason trade with New Jersey, but he had yet to play at the NHL level this season.
— Letang sat out Friday night’s game with a lower-body injury. Jan Rutta replaced him on the top defensive pairing, taking the ice alongside Marcus Pettersson. Smith filled in for Letang on the top power-play unit
— Ryan Poehling, who was activated from injured reserve earlier in the day Friday, was a member of the Penguins’ fourth line against the Devils. Poehling was injured during Pittsburgh’s 3-2 win against the New York Rangers on Dec. 20 and missed the Penguins’ last three games, all of which were losses
— A day after scoring his first goal of the season, Drew O’Connor was a healthy scratch for the Penguins
— Blueger’s move from the fourth line to the third bumped Carter to right wing
— Malkin’s goal gave him a point for the first time in four games. After a hot start to December in which Malkin had at least one point in the Penguins’ first nine games of the month, he was held in check the prior three contests
— Despite being presented with nine power play opportunities, the Penguins failed to get a goal past Vanecek on any of them. On Wednesday night in a 5-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh was a perfect 2 for 2 on the power play.
STAT N’AT
3 — The Devils’ short-handed goal was just the third the Penguins have allowed this season. Conversely, Pittsburgh has registered 28 goals on the power play in the 2022-23 campaign.
COMING UP
Pittsburgh has a travel day on Saturday in anticipation of the 2023 NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 2, which will pit the Penguins against the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park. The Penguins will also practice at the home of the Boston Red Sox on New Year’s Day.
