The Pittsburgh Penguins flipped the script from Friday's loss and held onto a third period lead.

Blown third-period leads have become a habit for the Pittsburgh Penguins over the past season and a quarter. However, they were able to fend off those demons in the final frame against the Toronto Maple Leafs, successfully protecting a 3-2 lead to claim victory in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins' stand didn't come without challenge. Toronto pushed hard in the final 20 minutes, and outshot the Penguins 12-3 and outchancing them 13-3. The work of Tristan Jarry and the defense held those chances out of the Penguins' net.

Goal Recap

(TOR 1-0) Tyler Bertuzzi (5): John Tavares (13) & Morgan Reilly (13)

(TIE 1-1) Jake Guentzel (7): Drew O'Connor (4) & Sidney Crosby (11)

(TOR 2-1) Matthew Knies (6): Calle Jarnkrok (6)

(TIE 2-2) Noel Acciari (2): Unassisted

(PIT 3-2) Erik Karlsson (6): Kris Letang (10) & Jeff Carter (1)

Three Stars

3. Jake Guentzel

Jake Guentzel has elevated his game to new levels this season. He's shown more playmaking ability, but goal-scoring is his first nature and is his greatest asset to the Penguins. Fortunately, Guentzel is inching towards a hot stretch of lighting the lamp.

Guentzel scored his seventh goal against the Leafs but has been sniffing the back of the net for a few games. The top-line winger has registered at least five shots in three of the last four games. He reached that mark only twice in the Penguins' first 16 games this season.

2. Tristan Jarry

Tristan Jarry had a slow start against the Leafs, allowing two nearly identical goals in the opening frame. Jarry made the initial save on those chances but left massive rebounds for Bertuzzi and Knies to knock into the open net.

Jarry rebounded and shut down the Leafs the rest of the way to secure his fifth victory in his last eight appearances. He has also risen to the NHL leaderboard in goals saved above expected, now sitting seventh among league goaltenders.

1. Noel Acciari

Twenty games into his Penguins' career, Noel Acciari has settled into his role on the fourth line. While scoring contributions isn't the route of his responsibilities, his two in the last four games have come at pivotal times for the Penguins.

Acciari has become a steady physical force for the Penguins, setting the tone for the bottom six and the seventh-ranked penalty kill in the NHL.

Final Thoughts

Three is the magic number in the NHL. Three straight wins signify a team on a hot streak, and three consecutive losses mark a team on a cold streak. Too often last season, the Penguins would cycle between hot and cold.

The Penguins have lost three straight one time through the first quarter of the season and avoided a second with last night's win. It may be a minor nuance, but it's one that marks which teams will find success as the season progresses and the standings battle begins to heat up.

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