With history serving as a precedent, the odds were surprisingly in the Penguins’ favor without either Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby.
Entering Friday night, the Penguins were a robust 36-18-10 in 64 regular season games without both Crosby and Malkin in their lineup. Add another improbable tally to the win column following an impressive showing in the Big Apple.
Operating without Crosby, who was out with an upper-body injury, in a regular season game for the first time since April 7, 2022, coach Mike Sullivan’s Penguins secured a 3-2 win against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
"I think it just speaks volumes to the type of people that we have in our dressing room,” Sullivan told reporters in New York. “You can thank that group right over there because they're a reflection of those guys. They're great kids. They compete hard.
“They don't look for excuses. And, this was a game that we potentially could have, but we didn't.”
It was an outstanding all-around effort from the visitors, especially considering they quickly trailed.
As was the case during Tuesday night’s overtime defeat to the Devils, Erik Karlsson was guilty of an ugly turnover that led to a goal. Pittsburgh native Vincent Trocheck picked off a prospective Karlsson pass up the ice and easily beat Alex Nedeljkovic for the game’s first goal.
“Karl's was just a bad bounce,” Nedeljkovic told reporters in New York, “he goes to high flip it and he just kind of fans on it.”
Though the Penguins trailed after the opening 20 minutes of play, they dominated the ensuing frame. Blake Lizotte drew the Penguins back even with his first goal in six weeks, though defenseman Adam Fox quickly put the Rangers back in front after a wicked wrister.
But in the second period, the Penguins potted the final two goals of the contest. Rickard Rakell scored his team-leading 25th goal of the year on a pretty move off the rush, and then Philip Tomasino netted what would ultimately be the game-winning goal on the power play.
“I think that gave us a big boost,” Sullivan said of Tomasino’s goal.
There wasn’t much by way of offense in the third period, but not for the Rangers’ lack of trying. The Penguins didn’t register any shots on goal in the final frame as they parked the bus on defense, and instead had to withstand a flurry of Rangers opportunities.
Twice within the game’s final six minutes, the Rangers found themselves on the power play thanks to penalties on Pierre-Olivier Joseph, and then Michael Bunting. No matter. The Penguins withstood each of those shorthanded situations thanks to a multitude of blocked shots.
“Guys were sacrificing their bodies there at the end, it was awesome to see,” Nedeljkovic said. “I think one shot got through, and that was after maybe three or four attempts by them and us getting in front of it.”
Ultimately, the Rangers couldn’t put a third puck past Nedeljkovic. In the process, the Penguins earned as valiant a victory as any this season, this time without either their captain or another franchise icon.
“We battled. We found a way,” Sullivan said. “Some guys stepped up. We got good goaltending. But, I thought our competitive spirit was as good as it's been."
Rakell mans the middle
With Crosby sidelined, Rakell turned back the clock and stepped up as the Penguins’ top line center. Rakell hadn’t centered a line on a regular basis since his playing days with the Anaheim Ducks, and by all indications didn’t look out of place.
Not only did Rakell score a goal, but he won 9 of 16 face-offs across his roughly 21 minutes of ice time.
“We put him in the circle at the end on that right side 'cause he was having success,” Sullivan said. “He was winning against pretty good face-off men. So, I thought he played well.”
Rakell told reporters in New York that his preparation wasn’t terribly extensive other than asking coaches a few questions pregame to figure out where he should be on the ice when without the puck. Otherwise, he accepted the challenge and ran with it when going against some of the Rangers’ top centermen.
“I didn't feel like I had a lot of expectations on me because it's a new position,” Rakell said. “So, I could just go out and try to play, do as best as I can. But obviously, I want to do it as [well] as I can."
While Rakell certainly slots in better as a winger when the Penguins are operating at full capacity, they aren’t in the interim with Crosby sidelined day-to-day by an upper-body injury, and Malkin out on a week-to-week basis. The timing of the 4 Nations Face-Off couldn’t be much better for the banged-up Penguins.
Even so, Rakell proved that in a pinch, he can keep a top Penguins line afloat.
3rd-period shutdown
It was a clinic in selfless defense by the Penguins down the stretch, even if undesired in part by the coaching staff. The Penguins didn’t register a single shot during the final 20 minutes of regulation, nor were they particularly interested in doing so.
“We would have liked to have played a little bit more on top of them,” Sullivan said. “We were trying to encourage them on the bench to get on top of them in the offensive zone like we were doing for two periods. It's battling human nature there a little bit.”
What Sullivan was impressed by was how the Penguins suffocated the Rangers any time they brought the puck through the neutral zone and into their end. Even when goalie Igor Shesterkin went to the bench in favor of an extra skater for the final two minutes and change, the Rangers’ 6-on-4 advantage proved irrelevant.
For a squad that has squandered so many multi-goal leads in the third period this season, the Penguins looked the part of a team that knew what it took to earn a hard-fought victory.
“We were limiting the quality of the looks they were getting,” Sullivan said. “I thought our guys were digging in, and they were willing to block shots and defend the good ice and things of that nature. So, it's exciting to watch. It's fun to watch those guys when they compete hard like that."
Bemstrom’s back
Forward Emil Bemstrom was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Friday morning and made his season debut at the NHL level. Bemstrom led the Baby Pens in goals and points at the time of his call-up, and slotted in on the third line.
The 25-year-old winger only registered one shot on goal during his 12:40 of ice time, but impressed Sullivan with both his speed and work on the forecheck. Last season, Bemstrom appeared in 24 games for the Penguins and registered three goals while assisting on two others.
Sullivan elaborated on the nature of Bemstrom’s promotion postgame.
“We thought we needed a guy in the lineup, especially with Sid went out, that has some offensive instincts that could help us [with] scoring goals,” Sullivan said. “He’s certainly done that at the American League level. He can really shoot the puck.”
It remains to be seen whether Bemstrom’s NHL stint will be a brief one, considering Crosby doesn’t appear to be too far off from returning to the lineup. Still, Bemstrom by no means buried himself with a forgettable showing in his season debut.
Ice chips
• Forward Boko Imama was injured during the second period of the game and did not return. The Penguins listed it as an upper-body injury for Imama.
• As the Penguins’ top line center, Rakell was flanked by Anthony Beauvillier to his left and Bryan Rust to his right
• Nedeljkovic made his fifth straight start, the longest run of consecutive starts for any Penguins goalie this season
• Tomasino’s goal ended a season-long, five-game scoreless streak for the Penguins’ power play.
• The Penguins’ penalty kill was a perfect 2 for 2, and has successfully killed five straight opportunities.
First Published: February 8, 2025, 2:41 a.m.
Updated: February 8, 2025, 3:17 p.m.
