Approximately two weeks ago, it felt like the Pittsburgh Penguins' season was starting to slip away. The team was mired in an eight-game losing streak, and - at one point - they found themselves just three points out of last place in the Eastern Conference.
And now, they're just four points out of first place in the Metropolitan Division.
On Sunday, the Penguins roared back from a three-goal deficit and beat the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime, 5-4. Rickard Rakell tied the game with 12.8 seconds left in regulation with the extra attacker, and captain Sidney Crosby ended it two and a half minutes into overtime on a backhanded breakaway shot.
Goaltender Arturs Silovs was a bit shaky early on, but he came up with some huge stops late in the third period to keep it a one-goal game. He stopped 21 of 25 Columbus shots.
And as for the Penguins? They had 43 shots on goal and 92 shot attempts - which was a tell for how dominant they were for all but approximately 10-15 minutes of this game, when Columbus scored all of their goals.
The Penguins got started early in this one, and it was courtesy of Ville Koivunen, who was back in the lineup in place of Rutger McGroarty after a healthy scratch against the Detroit Red Wings. Just 1:50 into the first period, Koivunen was hanging around the net-front, and he buried a rebound to put Pittsburgh up, 1-0.
Then, Columbus took control of the momentum for a spell. Dmitri Voronkov, Mason Marchment, and Kirill Marchenko scored three consecutive goals for the Blue Jackets before the end of the first period, and Zach Werenski added a goal just 47 seconds into the middle frame to put Columbus up, 4-1.
'You Can Never Be Satisfied In This League': McGroarty Taking Strides At NHL Level With PenguinsPittsburgh Penguins' forward Rutger McGroarty is learning every day at the NHL level - and he only figures to get even better with more experience at the highest level of hockey.Not long after the Werenski goal, the Penguins started to tilt the ice the other way a bit, even if it took them a bit to capitalize on an opportunity. That finally happened late in the second when Noel Acciari took a feed from Connor Dewar after a turnover by the Jackets at the blue line, putting it past goaltender Jet Greaves to bring the game to within two.
And in the third period, the Penguins simply took over. Tommy Novak scored a power play goal a little more than three minutes in to make it 4-3, and the score remained that way for a while despite a heavy onslaught by Pittsburgh. Columbus had some chances late that Silovs was able to neutralize, and the Penguins finally got possession in the offensive zone with two minutes left in the game so they could pull Silovs.
Aside from one zone clear, the Penguins maintained possession for nearly the entirety of the two minutes and were generating chances left and right. Finally, Rakell took a feed from Anthony Mantha in the low slot area, and he sniped it past Greaves to force overtime in the waning seconds of regulation.
Possession switched back and forth during the overtime period, but eventually, ex-Blue Jacket Yegor Chinakhov - playing in his first game against his former employer - reset and had the puck near the defensive blue line. He connected with Erik Karlsson on the offensive blue line, who saw a fresh-from-the-bench, breaking Crosby.
He slipped a pass right on the tape, and Crosby didn't miss.
In December, the Penguins often found themselves on the other side of blown three-goal leads. This time, they were the beneficiary, and the result was earned after how dominant a performance they had.
They also now find themselves tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for third in the Metro, and with a Carolina Hurricanes win to the New Jersey Devils Sunday, they're just four points back of the division lead with a game in hand.
Here are some takeaways and observations from this big comeback win for the Penguins:
- If you're not entertained by the product on the ice this season, you're just nuts.
Prior to the holiday break, fans were writing eulogies for this team, fair or not. But the crazy thing is that, no matter how dark things got in December, the Penguins were never that far out of a playoff spot, even in the aftermath. No one in the East really pulled away, and that happened at the best possible time for Pittsburgh.
Because since the break? They've accrued more points than any team in hockey, and they're on a five-game winning streak - their longest such streak since Nov. 4-14 of 2023. And, sure, oftentimes, mediocre teams can go on winning stretches.
But given how the Penguins have played in these games - and how they've played some of the best teams in the league at five-on-five for most of the season - it's becoming more and more difficult to say that the Penguins being as competitive as they are this season is some kind of fluke. Because, if you think about it, even in the games against the Utah Mammoth and San Jose Sharks - when the Penguins surrendered three-plus-goal leads - Pittsburgh was the better team for the majority of those games before falling apart.
At the end of the day, this is, at worst, a slightly above average five-on-five team with remarkably good special teams (despite a penalty kill slide in December) and questionable goaltending. But it just so happens that the Penguins have also been a much better team when they're not riddled with injuries, as they have gotten some important supporting cast members back in the lineup in recent weeks.
This is not a bad hockey team. I think this is a good hockey team with inconsistent goaltending as its fatal flaw and a tendency to lapse defensively at times. The Penguins aren't dominating games by accident this season. When they play simple and stay committed to defense - especially as they did against Detroit on Saturday - this is, plainly, a good hockey team.
And it will be an even better one once Evgeni Malin makes his return to the lineup.
Takeaways: Penguins Put Up Defensive Clinic Against Red Wings, Sweep Home-And-HomeThe Pittsburgh Penguins put together arguably their best performance of the season on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings. - Of course, the captain deserves all the flowers after this game for notching the game-winner and becoming the most productive overtime player in NHL history with 50 OT points.
But an immense amount of credit for the Penguins even getting to that point is owed to the work of Erik Karlsson, especially late in this game.
Immediately preceding Rakell's game-tying goal, Karlsson executed a tough zone keep at the blue line and got the puck to Crosby, who fed Mantha down low to ultimately set up Rakell's chance. Then, in overtime, Karlsson made a one-on-one defensive play to stymie a breakaway opportunity, which would have been a high-danger chance. He did the same thing against Detroit in overtime on Thursday during an OT two-on-one.
Just like the Penguins' play dipped in the month of December, so did Karlsson's. But he and defense partner Parker Wotherspoon are back in full force, and they generated 34 chances for and just four chances against the entire night.
Yeah, that's good. And the Penguins are a markedly better team when their top pairing is humming.
'It's A Dream Come True For Me': Rakell, Karlsson Thrilled To Represent Sweden At Olympic GamesPittsburgh Penguins' players Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell will have the opportunity to represent Team Sweden at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina, Italy - and it's an opportunity years in the making for both of them. - Good for Rakell to get a goal like that. I think he really needed it.
Rakell is, by nature, a goal-scorer, so when the puck isn't going into the net with frequency for him, he tends to grip his stick a bit tight. Prior to registering an empty-net goal against Detroit on Saturday, he had just one goal and five points in the 10 games since returning from injury.
So, when he sniped that shot from the low-slot area to tie the game, that had to feel pretty good.
When he is on, Rakell is a threat every time he's on the ice, and especially in the offensive zone. Hopefully, this tally will get him going and give him back the goal-scoring touch that we've become so accustomed to seeing during his tenure in Pittsburgh.
- Speaking of "good for him" sentiment, good for Chinakhov getting that assist on the OT winner against his former team.
Prior to the game, Columbus head coach Dean Evason declined comment on Chinakhov, who - allegedly - had a rift during his time there. Nationwide Arena also posted a "tribute" after a whistle, and not even during a TV timeout, to "honor" a former first-round pick who played more than 200 games with the team and, at times, looked like a very promising player.
None of that had to feel awesome for Chinakhov, so I'm sure there were few happier humans in the building than him when Crosby's shot found the back of the net. It was a pretty good night for him otherwise, too. I like what I've seen so far.
- Following the game, multiple players praised the work of the Penguins' fourth line and attributed the Acciari goal as a turning point of sorts.
I have to say I agree.
For a while in the second period, it was looking like one of those games where the Penguins were going to have an abundance of chances and nothing to show for it. But Acciari's late goal gave them some much-needed life, and that carried over into the third.
I fell like I'm saying it after every game now, but this fourth line is such a difference-maker for the Penguins. They are a much different and much better team with the trio of Acciari, Dewar, and Blake Lizotte on that checking energy line.
- Ben Kindel recorded two assists in this game, and he won 13 of 17 faceoffs as well. He also made a costly play on Columbus's second goal.
I think, lately, there has been some very good moments for Kindel as well as some learning moments. As a whole, I didn't think this was his best 200-foot performance, but he continues to display instincts on both sides of the puck that are typically not there with 18-year-old centers.
Oh, and he's definitely here to say, as the Jan. 3 game was the Penguins' 40th, meaning Kindel has not only year one of his entry-level contract, but he's also lost a year of restriced free agency (and, therefore, team control).
I'm quite intrigued by the addition of Chinakhov to that line, as he provides some size, defensive ability, physicality, and finishing touch for that line. I think both McGroarty and Koivunen have looked like solid complementary pieces in his two games with Pittsburgh, too.
But Chinakhov is the exact kind of player who can help Kindel rack up a whole lot more points. Chance creation has never been an issue with that third line, but the finishing has been the problem. Chinakhov could fix that. And if he does, it's going to create a matchup nightmare for other teams, as the Penguins will have four lines that are very hard to play against.
Chinakhov Trade Shows Penguins Are Starting To Shift GearsKyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, and it could be a sign of things to come over the next several months.- Since this was a largely positive performance, I don't want to focus too much on negatives. But I'll start with a bit of commentary on the goaltending (and, maybe, this isn't all that negative).
Silovs did not look comfortable for the entire first half of this game. The last two Columbus goals, especially, were not good looks for him, and he looked very slow and unsure of himself post-to-post. At times, he looked surprised that a puck ended up in his glove.
But he was brilliant in the third period when it counted most.
Yes, Silovs has not had a good run of games since November, and it's something that the Penguins need to keep a close eye on if they hope to make the playoffs. But one thing about Silovs is that he tends to get it together in the game's biggest moments and make saves when the stakes are highest.
He's been better on breakaways. His last shootout against Montreal - a win - was an improvement. He stands tall when teams pressure late in games and doesn't seem to crater much.
It's still hard to say whether or not he can find enough consistency to be a starter at the NHL level. But he sure knows how to make saves when he absolutely has to.
- I haven't loved Jack St. Ivany's game since his return. And I'm not convinced he should be playing instead of Connor Clifton or, even, Harrison Brunicke, who is playing at the World Junior Championship (WJC) for Team Canada and who the Penguins need to make a decision on immediately after the tournament.
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Even though Clifton hasn't done anything special this season, I thought he was, at least, serviceable before exiting the lineup in favor of St. Ivany. I'd give him another run of games if the plan is to send Brunicke back to the WHL after the WJC.
- When Malkin is ready to return, it will be interesting to see what happens with this roster.
The easiest and most likely outcome is that at least one of McGroarty or Koivunen will be sent back to the AHL. They are waivers-exempt, and everyone else in the lineup is playing too well to swap out at this point in time. One or both of them going back will also, likely, depend on what decision they make on Brunicke, as the Penguins are only carrying seven defensemen right now.
That said, I don't think Kevin Hayes is going to find his way into the lineup for the same reasons that the kids won't. Of course, it's more palatable for Hayes to be a 13th forward and not see much ice time than it is for two developing players, but if Koivunen plays the way he did Sunday or either young guy keeps making a case for himself, it could make things tough for management.
Pittsburgh Penguins' New Year's Resolutions: 2025 EditionThere were some ups and downs for Pittsburgh Penguins' players in 2025. So what can they resolve to accomplish in 2026?I don't think there's an easy answer. My guess is that Brunicke goes back to the WHL - there's no point in losing a year of restricted free agency if he isn't going to play very much - and that the Penguins elect to keep 14 forwards. But I'm not sure it's the best thing for either Koivunen or McGroarty to, mostly, be sitting in the press box - in that case - when they could be getting regular minutes in the AHL.
It will be interesting, especially if the Penguins keep winning hockey games with the lineup as-is.
- Fun little note: As Rakell was scoring the game-tying goal, Bryan Rust was flattened to the ice at the net-front. In celebration of Rakell's goal, he laid face-down on the ice where he was planted, and he pumped his fists behind his head a few times in celebratory fashion.
It made me cackle quite a bit. Funny moment for a fun team.
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