Kyle Dubas traded away two key players Friday in another future-focused move for the Penguins, the second straight year they were sellers before the trade deadline.
Dubas said proud players in their dressing room can learn from what happened in 2023-24, when the Penguins fell into a malaise, snapped out of it with three weeks left in the season and came just a few points shy of making it back to the playoffs.
It is Dubas’ job to worry about the future of the franchise. But in the present, there is still a chance for this team to get back in the race. They just can’t wait this year.
“This year is a little bit different. Some teams over the last number of weeks have separated, very frankly,” Dubas said. “We don’t have the time if we want to make a run for it like we did last year. We don’t have the time to see these points slip away.”
Sure, it was just one game and it came against one of the few NHL teams that actually have a worse record than them. But the Penguins responded the right way to Friday’s trade by beating the Nashville Predators, 3-0, at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday.
The Penguins played with good pace and kept their mistakes to a minimum. Philip Tomasino and Sidney Crosby gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead, with the captain getting his goal midway through the second period thanks to a sweet Rickard Rakell pass.
That was enough goal support for Alex Nedeljkovic, who stopped 25 shots in the win. It took 54 games, but Pittsburgh finally secured its first shutout of the season. The Chicago Blackhawks are now the lone NHL team that has not blanked somebody.
It was just the Penguins’ fifth win in their 15 games dating back to New Year’s Eve.
In case you just now got internet reception under that rock, Pittsburgh sent Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor to Vancouver for a pick and three players on Friday.
Mike Sullivan acknowledged that it’s human nature for players to be affected when friends and longtime teammates get dealt. What he left unsaid was that there can also be an emotional letdown when team management pulls the plug on a season. The coach also encouraged his veteran-laded squad to heed last year’s lesson.
“Well, I’d like to think we have that experience to draw on,” Sullivan stated before Saturday’s game. “We’re going to control what we can and we’re going to compete hard. We have good leadership and we have an understanding of where we are at.”
Kudos to the Penguins players for following through on that and earning this win.
Trade additions suit up
They were operating on little sleep and had to hustle to Pittsburgh on Saturday, but the two players the Penguins acquired from the Canucks suited up. Danton Heinen skated on the second line and Vincent Desharnais played on the third pair. Sullivan was complimentary of both guys, saying they got acclimated as well as they could.
Desharnais, who logged just over 16 minutes, said veteran partner Ryan Graves was very helpful, barking directions at him and trying to play a simple game. But there were some hiccups, which was to be expected. The Penguins had a 36.9 expected goals percentage with Desharnais out on the ice at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick.
It was an easier adjustment for Heinen, who played for Pittsburgh from 2021-23. In just under 13 minutes of ice time, the winger fired three shots and threw two hits.
“[It was] just a whirlwind,” Heinen said. “Found out at about 11 o’clock [on Friday] night and then was on the road [Saturday] morning at like 5:45. It happened quick. Quick turnaround, but it’s kind of better that way to get in and you don’t have much time to think about it. You just get in and get your feet wet. It’s good to be back.”
Nedeljkovic stays hot
Nedeljkovic continued to play well in this one. His positioning and rebound control stood out as he earned his first shutout since a victory over Vegas on Nov. 19, 2023.
The Penguins were solid defensively, too, giving up just seven shots from the slot.
“Ned was huge all night. He made saves when we needed him to. He made a couple of big ones,” Bryan Rust said. “That’s how we wanted to play. We didn’t give them too much space out there. They have a lot of guys that can make a lot of plays, and I think for us, we were just playing on top of them and within a stick’s length all night.”
Nedeljkovic is now 4-2 with a .940 save percentage since Tristan Jarry got waived.
“Ned’s one of the hardest-working goalies I’ve ever played with,” Kevin Hayes said. “With the situation he’s in now, I think he’s embracing it. So far, he’s been great. These last couple games, he’s been really good. He’s been making it easier on us.”
Tomasino gets revenge
This was a sweet win for Tomasino, who got back in the lineup Saturday after being a healthy scratch at Utah and then scored against the team that traded him here.
His goal was a simple one-timer from the left circle on All-Star goalie Juuse Saros.
“Definitely extra hyped to score that one. It ended up being a big goal for our team and for myself, as well,” he said. “It’s definitely nice to score against your former team.”
Will it be enough to keep him in the lineup Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils?
Ice chips
• Crosby has scored in four straight games, the NHL’s longest current goal streak.
• With an empty-netter, Bryan Rust hit the 20-goal mark for the sixth straight year.
• Matt Nieto, Jesse Puljujarvi and Ryan Shea were the healthy scratches Saturday.
• Evgeni Malkin participated in the morning skate, doing so in a non-contact jersey. Sullivan said there is no change with Malkin’s status. He is still out week to week.
• Penguins prospect Owen Pickering was added to the American Hockey League’s All-Star Classic. He will join teammate Emil Bemstrom at the festivities this week.
• Saturday was Patric Hornqvist bobblehead night, and the former Penguins winger and current Florida Panthers consultant was in the building. He got a loud ovation.
Coming up
The Penguins have a scheduled day off Sunday. They will return to practice Monday morning ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the rival Devils at PPG Paints Arena.
First Published: February 2, 2025, 2:36 a.m.
