The Pittsburgh Penguins are able to fend off a seven-game losing streak with a win over the Arizona Coyotes.
Just because the Arizona Coyotes are struggling this season doesn’t mean it was going to be an easy contest for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Tack on another slow start for the Penguins and it looked like it was going to be a long night at Mullett Arena.
Their flat start was apparent when only two shots were recorded through the first 10 minutes and the Coyotes took a 1-0 lead after the opening frame.
Goalie Casey DeSmith was looking for a bounce back game in his second start since taking over as the temporary starter and he got it.
DeSmith stopped 23 of the 24 Coyotes shots and kept the Penguins in the game when it was still early.
The start to the second period seemed just as slow with no shots reaching the net until Jake Guentzel kicked his goalless streak.
Mike Sullivan said that if Guentzel wants to find the back of the net again, he’ll have to get to the front of it.
That’s where a loose puck found Guentzel who had a wide open net to tie the game and score his first goal in eight games.
It wouldn’t be long before Guentzel continued to find his stride with his second goal of the night.
The Penguins went from down 1-0 to up 2-0 in just under five minutes thanks to Guentzel’s return to form.
The third period was all Penguins; DeSmith only saw shots and Jason Zucker was rewarded for his hard work.
Zucker potted an insurance tally while showing great patience after a nice pass from Evgeni Malkin.
Jeff Carter found an empty net goal to reach the final score of 4-1 and for the first time in six games, the Penguins are back in the win column.
The Penguins extended their dominating streak against the Coyotes to 12-0-1 in their last 13 matchups.
It was an important win, not just to avoid their second seven-game losing streak of the season, but the first step in climbing back into the playoff race.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more!
- Subscribe to Inside the Penguins on YouTube
- Follow Inside the Penguins on Twitter: @InsidePenguins