The Pittsburgh Penguins found a win over the Anaheim Ducks, but it wasn't a pretty process.
PITTSBURGH - The Anaheim Ducks are a team actively trying to lose as many games as possible in the 2022-23 season, and some how the Pittsburgh Penguins found a way to make it close.
The Penguins got off to a solid start with a goal from the birthday boy Jason Zucker in the opening five minutes.
Zucker found a loose puck and succeeded on a solid wrap around to beat Pittsburgh-native John Gibson.
Before the period could end, however, the Ducks had an answer and forced the period to end knotted at one.
Again, this is a Ducks team that has young and fast talent, but they came into Pittsburgh with 12 wins.
Through the second period the Ducks looked to be carrying momentum, but Evgeni Malkin made sure to put things in the Penguins favor.
A mad scramble in front of Gibson was swatted home by Malkin for his 15th of the season and ending the second with a 2-1 lead.
Then came the third period; the Ducks not only got that one goal back to tie the game again, but they managed to beat Casey DeSmith to take a 3-2 lead.
The Penguins looked unserious despite being the vastly superior team in many ways; credit to Gibson he made a number of great saves, but the Penguins struggled to find the net.
With DeSmith pulled in the closing seconds of regulation, Bryan Rust took a great feed from Jake Guentzel once again knot the score.
With the game tied at three, the Penguins and Ducks were heading to overtime, and it felt like just a delaying of the inevitable for the Pens.
They had only won one game in the extra frame heading into this matchup and the Ducks looked like they had a chance to close it out.
Trevor Zegras not only scored earlier in the game, but is known for having some of the best hands and stick handling ability in the NHL.
Not the guy you want to give a breakway to with your backup goalie in net; thankfully for the Penguins, Zegras went for a pass and no one caught it.
The Penguins picked it up and sent Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel on an odd man rush the other way.
Guentzel made sure not to miss and saved the Penguins bacon; it was a much needed win for the standings, but it was ugly when you consider the opponent.
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