Pens Labyrinth
Fansided

Pittsburgh Penguins Win Another Hard-Fought Game

By FS Staff

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 07: Sidney Crosby #87"n talks with Phil Kessel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the game against the Washington Capitals in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena on May 7, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 07: Sidney Crosby #87"n talks with Phil Kessel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the game against the Washington Capitals in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena on May 7, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
facebooktwitterreddit

Different team, same result. The Penguins got another win on back-to-back nights, this time against the Minnesota Wild in a 2-1 final score.

While the start was not the best, the Penguins found a way to get the victory against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night, boosting their home record to a solid 10-7-2 for the season. The Penguins were able to control the faceoff circle, and thanks to a third period goal by Bryan Rust (his second of the game) the Penguins were able to seal the deal.

What Went Right

Something is clicking for the Penguins goaltenders, as DeSmith provided some key saves in this victory, stopping 40 of the 41 shots attempted by the Wild. The past two nights were exactly what management was hoping for when they set up these two goaltenders, and if they both can consistently play at this type of level, the Penguins are going to be in good shape as the season progresses.

One thing that coach Sullivan will definitely be pleased with was the continued hustle of his players. Many times players will slow down, especially in back-to-back contests, but not this Penguins team. They recorded 16 blocked shots in this game, that’s how you win hockey games, and that is a team effort.

One interesting tidbit from the game was that Sidney Crosby was again taking a couple of shifts on the penalty kill in this game. It will be interesting if this continues throughout the regular season.

What’s Next

The Pens will play their 4th game in 6 days on Saturday as they will be heading to Raleigh to take on the Hurricanes. The Penguins will be looking to get their 3rd win in a row, and also go for winning 5 of their last 6.

This Penguins team is starting to take good form, and you can sense an added level of enthusiasm over the past couple of games. But for now, they can relax and enjoy a hard-fought victory over Minnesota, it was well earned.

Home/Penguins News