ANAHEIM, Calif. — Logic and reason dictate that these Penguins were the same ones that played two nights ago.
It was just tough to tell.
Only 48 hours after looking listless in a loss to Colorado, the Penguins beat the NHL’s best team on its home ice with a 5-2 win against the Ducks Friday night.
The difference in the Penguins’ play was evident from the opening faceoff. They swarmed Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen’s net and appeared more energized and focused than they did in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to Colorado, an effort that captain Sidney Crosby described as “flat.”
“You always like the way your team rebounds,” Penguins coach Mike Johnston said. “If you’re in a situation where you haven’t played your best game, to come out and play a better game — especially against a top team — that’s a good sign for our group.”
The Penguins scored three goals in the second period Friday — the first from Blake Comeau and two more from Patric Hornqvist — to jump ahead.
“It was nice to get the first goal and just go from there,” Comeau said.
The Ducks, who lead the NHL with 91 points on the season, scored twice in the third period, but couldn’t complete the comeback.
“Everybody knows how good that team is and we were able to handle them pretty handily tonight,” said Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy, playing in his first game against his former team since being traded from the Ducks back to the Penguins Monday.
Comeau put the Penguins up 1-0 at 9:51 of the second period with his 15th goal of the season. On a feed from Derrick Pouliot, Comeau rifled a slap shot over Andersen’s left shoulder that ricocheted off the back post and out of the net.
Hornqvist added to the lead with his 20th goal of the season a few minutes later when he banked a puck off Andersen and in from behind the net to put the Penguins up 2-0 at 11:53 of the second period.
“I know the goalie’s going to move a little bit because he can’t see what’s behind him, so he probably thinks I’m going to pass,” Hornqvist said. “That usually opens up a little spot. I got lucky on that one.”
Hornqvist’s second goal of the night came on a deflection at 18:57 off a shot from Ian Cole, who registered his first point as a Penguin and tied for the team lead with three shots on the night.
That goal came just four seconds after former Penguin Simon Despres exited the penalty box for slashing. Despres played 16:32 Friday, but was on the ice for three of the Penguins’ five goals.
Evgeni Malkin extended the Penguins lead to 4-0 2:03 into the final period when his writ shot from the right side just got past Andersen and bounced over the line. The goal, plus Malkin’s assist on Comeau’s score, extended his point streak to seven games. He has seven goals and seven assists in his last seven games.
“When he’s got the puck, he does some pretty special things,” Comeau, Malkin’s lineman said. “You just try to get open, get around the net, try to get some shots.”
Tomas Fleischmann got a goal back for the Ducks at 9:03 of the third period on a shot from the right circle that deflected off the glove of Penguins goalie Thomas Greiss and into the net.
Corey Perry further cut the lead to 4-2 at 13:08 of the final period, and the Ducks looked threatening to score after that, but the Penguins’ lead held.
Crosby added an empty-netter with 10 seconds left for the final score.
Greiss, who was starting in place of Marc-Andre Fleury on the first night of back-to-back games, didn’t always look perfect, but finished with 27 saves and did enough to keep the Ducks at bay for most of the night.
“I thought [Greiss] was good,” Johnston said. “At times, for both goaltenders, they weren’t tested for a while and didn’t get a lot of chances and then all of a sudden you get a really good chance, either on the power play or five-on-five.”
The win moves the Penguins up to two points behind the Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division. They’re still four points back of the first-place Islanders.
The Pe
Sam Werner: swerner@post-gazette.com and Twitter @SWernerPG
First Published: March 7, 2015, 5:52 a.m.