Penguins Look More Complete, Take Important Win
It doesn't seem like the Pittsburgh Penguins will move up in the standings, but they can keep pace for the time being.
PITTSBURGH - There isn’t much runway left for the Pittsburgh Penguins to make their final push for the postseason and a battle against the Minnesota Wild is no walk in the park.
The Penguins entered the contest a single point behind both the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers all with four games remaining.
Marc-Andre Fleury was given the start in goal for the Wild, only making it a more poetic contest for Pittsburgh.
Would the goalie who started the greatest run in franchise history help pin the nail into its coffin?
The Penguins were well aware of what’s at stake and did everything they could to have a hot start.
Through the first 20 minutes, the Penguins ripped 19 shots and Kris Letang potted the opening goal.
A perfectly placed shot beat Fleury over the shoulder, a breakthrough with the goalie making multiple huge saves for the Wild.
Not only did the Penguins get off to a good start offensively, they had a solid defensive period by only allowing five shots from the Wild.
The Penguins didn’t add a ton of pressure through the second period, only recording five shots, but managed to take a 2-0 with a power play goal from Rickard Rakell.
The power play has been a real soft spot for the Penguins recently and capitalizing on a goal could be huge for the momentum of the units.
Tristan Jarry stood tall in the second period by again keeping his net empty and making 13 stops.
The Penguins got out to a 3-0 lead early in the final frame with a goal from Jason Zucker just under three minutes into the period.
As the period dragged on, it looked as if the Penguins started letting off the gas a little.
The Wild caught up in shots almost completely and broke Jarry’s shutout with a goal on a 5-on-3 opportunity.
The Penguins felt the pressure being applied to them but managed to push their lead back to three.
Jeff Carter found his way on the board with a late goal to give the Penguins the cushion they desperately needed.
The Penguins picked up a much needed win, but both the Islanders and Panthers are well on their way to sealing victories of their own.
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