Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby speaks following their 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at PPG Paints Arena. After allowing a two goal lead slip away in Buffalo, the Pittsburgh Penguins returned home for what was set to be a tough battle against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams were entering the second half of back-to-back contests, but the Penguins and their injury-filled lineup were going to have their work cut out for them. FIRST PERIOD It didn’t take long for the Leafs to make it a tough contest, either as they opened the scoring just four minutes into the game. Tyler Bertuzzi found his way to the front of the net to easily beat Tristan Jarry. The Penguins did have a quick response, however, as clean passes from Sidney Crosby and Drew O’Connor found Jake Guentzel with a wide open net. The Maple Leafs had the lead for a total of 28 seconds before Guentzel found the equalizer, but they found a way to reclaim their lead. About three minutes later, Erik Karlsson passed rather than take an open shot on goal and the Maple Leafs capitalized on a returning opportunity. Both teams shared a power play opportunity and the Penguins’ best offensive threat with the special teams came while they were killing John Ludvig’s elbowing minor. The teams entered the first intermission with the Maple Leafs up 2-1. SECOND PERIOD While trailing, and in need of a game-tying goal, the Penguins’ power play continued their ice-cold streak by letting two more chances slip away, including 21 seconds of a 5-on-3. Despite the missed man advantage opportunities, the Penguins looked a lot better, and the work was about to pay off. Noel Acciari took full advantage of a steal he created and picked a corner on his former team and Joseph Woll. It was the kind of goal elite-level players score, but of who it was, it was huge for the Penguins following poor power play chances. The score remained tied until the closing seconds when Erik Karlsson blasted a shot from the point that missed everyone on its way to the net. Just a shot with pure speed gave the Penguins a 3-2 lead with under 30 seconds to play in the second period and eventually into the intermission. THIRD PERIOD The Maple Leafs came out strong to start the final frame and had some good looks on an early power play opportunity, but Jarry stood tall. Jarry had to continue making saves throughout the period as the Maple Leafs continued to pepper the Penguins with offense. As time ticked off the clock, the Penguins were in desperate need of an insurance tally, as the Leafs were ready to swarm with their top-end talent. With Woll pulled, the Leafs made their final push with an empty net, but the Penguins played strong defenses against the attack. The Penguins eventually shut things down and sealed their 10th win of the season and climbed back to a .500 record. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Jansen Harkins Returns to Penguins Lineup Against Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/jansen-harkins-returns-pittsburgh-penguins-lineup-toronto-maple-leafs] Bryan Rust Once Again Absent from Penguins Lineup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/bryan-rust-again-absent-pittsburgh-penguins-lineup] Penguins President Faces Maple Leafs for Fist Time [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-kyle-dubas-faces-toronto-maple-leafs-first-time] Penguins Need Second Line to Find New Level [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-second-line-new-level] Sidney Crosby Part of Group that 'Saved the NHL' [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-sidney-crosby-group-saved-nhl] * undefined * undefined
