The Penguins have much work to do over the next year or two to build their roster back up to the point where they can win consistently again. But Tuesday’s victory was the latest reminder that they still have starpower that can take over a game.
That should be the case as long as they still have that Crosby fella on their roster.
Sidney Crosby continued his late-season scoring spree on Tuesday. Their top line buzzed again. And Erik Karlsson got a milestone goal as the Penguins dominated Connor Bedard and a young Chicago Blackhawks squad, 5-0, at PPG Paints Arena.
It was a good effort for a veteran team that is eliminated from playoff contention.
And, once again, it was Crosby who got the group pointed in the right direction
“Obviously, we’re not in a position that we would like to be in and he’s leading the way, night and night out,” Kevin Hayes said. “He silently holds everyone accountable.”
Crosby helped the Penguins snap out of their early funk with a power-play goal.
Rickard Rakell set him up from the corner, and Crosby spun like a bubble hockey player to score on Spencer Knight. All in one motion, Crosby turned to face the play after he won the offensive zone faceoff then uncorked a one-timer from the slot.
That goal, scored late in the first period, was Crosby’s 12th in the last 14 games.
“When I got traded here, you hear stories about Sid, playing against him. … He’s all those stories and more,” Hayes said. “Arguably the best player to ever play. He’s showing it this year. People are talking about him, his age. He’s not slowing down.”
Karlsson’s 200th NHL goal pushed the Penguins’ lead to 2-0 in the second period.
Bryan Rust did the dirty work before and after that goal. His sneaky stick lift on Frank Nazar enabled the Penguins to keep possession inside Blackhawks territory. Then, after rookie Ville Koivunen made a nifty pass to set up Karlsson for the score, Rust made a beeline into the blue paint to retrieve the keepsake puck for Karlsson.
"It’s obviously a nice [milestone],” Karlsson said. “Been fortunate to play for a long time and score some goals over the years. Hopefully, I’ve got another 100 in me.”
Kris Letang got in on the scoring in the third period, sniping a slim-angle shot over Knight’s shoulder. That moved him to 23rd all-time in points among defensemen.
That was more than enough cushion for Tristan Jarry, who posted another shutout.
Power play a bright spot
Not a whole lot has gone right for the Penguins this season. But a clear bright spot has been the power play, which scored another goal against the Blackhawks. That Crosby tally made it five straight games with a power-play goal for the Penguins.
That goal, which was the result of a passing play that started at the point then went down low before Rakell hit Crosby in the slot, was precisely the sort of positioning and brisk puck movement that David Quinn had in mind heading into this season.
“We’ve just moved pucks quickly,” Quinn said. “We’ve had a low-ice mentality.”
Quinn, in his first year as an assistant coach for Pittsburgh, did well to implement a simple but effective approach to the man advantage. He also deserves praise for getting his veterans, some of whom can be a tad bit stubborn, to buy in right away.
Last year, the Penguins converted on just 15.3% of their opportunities and allowed a dozen shorthanded goals. This season, they rank seventh in the NHL at 24.9%.
“When you’ve got this type of talent, you’ve got a great chance to have a good power play,” Quinn said. “These guys have certainly done a great job working together. Obviously, you have some peaks and valleys during the course of the season. It was a little bit of a rut here the second half of the season. But lately, we’ve [rebounded].”
McGroarty injured in win
There was a potentially concerning piece of news coming out of the victory. Rookie forward Rutger McGroarty blocked a shot with his left skate on the penalty kill late in the second period. He went to the dressing room and didn’t return to the game.
McGroarty was spotted in a walking boot after the game. The only info Quinn could share was that McGroarty had a lower-body injury that was still being evaluated.
The NHL club can play out the string without McGroarty, who has three points in his first eight games. But if he suffered a longer-term injury, that would be a blow to the Calder Cup hopes of their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Their plan has been to send McGroarty and Koivunen back to the AHL for a postseason run.
Another shutout for Jarry
Jarry stopped 26 shots Tuesday to secure his second shutout in his last four starts.
He needed to be sharp in the first period to give the Penguins a chance to build a lead. He made a point-blank pad stop on Philipp Kurashev two minutes in. Later in the period, he got a piece of Teuvo Teravainen’s shot on a 2-on-1 rush for Chicago.
With the win, he improved to 7-3-2 since the Penguins recalled him in early March.
“I think I’m just playing more of my game. I think in the beginning [of the season] I was worried a little too much about the technical aspect of it. It was a lot on my mind,” Jarry said. “I think just these last 20 games or so that I’ve been here for, it’s just been playing my version of myself and just making sure I’m stopping the puck.”
Around the boards
• Hayes got two goals in garbage time. That snapped his four-game scoreless skid.
• Karlsson became the 24th defenseman in NHL history to score 200 career goals. Only Brent Burns, his former teammate, has tallied more among active blue-liners.
• After the first period, Mike Sullivan swapped the two rookie forwards, Koivunen and McGroarty, within his top six. Koivunen was bumped up to the Crosby line and McGroarty was moved down to play with Evgeni Malkin and Rakell on the second.
• Following the victory, the Penguins said that Sullivan was in a meeting, which is why Quinn took his place at the post-game press conference. That was peculiar.
• Philip Tomasino missed his second straight game. He has been diagnosed with a concussion. Fellow forward Blake Lizotte was also sidelined Tuesday. He suffered a lower-body injury Sunday, when the Penguins lost to the Blackhawks in Chicago.
• With those two unavailable, the Penguins recalled winger Matt Nieto from their American Hockey League club. Nieto suited up Tuesday, skating on the fourth line.
Coming up next
The Penguins have a scheduled off day on Wednesday. They will practice Thursday in Cranberry before heading to New Jersey for their final road game of the season.
First Published: April 9, 2025, 1:46 a.m.
Updated: April 9, 2025, 1:37 p.m.
