Despite managing a season-low 16 shots on goal, the Pittsburgh Penguins capitalized on key opportunities to secure a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
Dominik Kahun notched a goal and an assist, while Tristan Jarry made 32 saves as the Penguins opened a three-game road trip with a win, ending Vegas’ four-game winning streak. Pittsburgh has won three straight and six of its last seven on the road (6-1-0).
“It’s always good to beat a team that’s that good,” said Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, who recorded two assists and is now one shy of becoming the first defenseman in franchise history with 400 career assists. “They were playing really well lately, and we all know it’s tough to win here, so it’s good to get that one.”
The Penguins, who have excelled against Western Conference teams this season, have improved to 12-3-1 since Dec. 4. Their 12 wins and 25 points during that span are tied for the most in the NHL with Tampa Bay.
Evgeni Malkin, Patric Hornqvist, and Brandon Tanev also scored for Pittsburgh, which has gone 16-6-4 in 26 games without captain Sidney Crosby, who remains sidelined due to injury.
Jarry, now 14-6-1 on the season, continued his dominance against Western Conference teams, boasting a 10-1-1 record and a 10-game unbeaten streak (9-0-1) against them.
“We’ve got a great group of players,” said Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan. “It wasn’t always pretty tonight, but our guys have been playing competitive hockey, and they’ve deserved the points we’ve accumulated.”
The Golden Knights, tied for the Pacific Division lead, have seen their record slip to 15-7-3 since Nov. 17. Their 33 points over that stretch are tied with Pittsburgh for the second-most in the NHL.
Despite a strong effort to rally from a 3-0 deficit, Vegas couldn’t complete the comeback, unlike their previous game, where they overturned the same scoreline to beat St. Louis in overtime. In front of 18,298 fans, Tuesday’s game ended with the Golden Knights falling short.
“I thought we played good,” said Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 12 saves against his former team. “But I feel like I let the guys down. I let in too many goals on too few shots. That can’t happen.”
Max Pacioretty scored his team-leading 19th goal, and Paul Stastny added his 12th goal of the season. Pacioretty and Stastny combined for 15 of Vegas’ 35 shots on goal.
Turnovers plagued the Golden Knights, who gave the puck away eight times, three of those in the first period alone.
“There were some self-inflicted wounds for sure,” said Vegas coach Gerard Gallant. “We made mistakes, they capitalized, and it ended up in the back of the net.”
Malkin opened the scoring for Pittsburgh, followed by Hornqvist’s goal from a rebound. Kahun made it 3-0 early in the second period with a backhander through Fleury’s pads. Tanev’s wraparound goal in the third sealed the win despite Reilly Smith’s late goal for Vegas. The Golden Knights couldn’t capitalize on a late power-play opportunity, even with a 6-on-4 advantage after pulling Fleury.
Game Notes:
- Sidney Crosby skated during the morning but missed his 26th consecutive game due to a core injury. He could return during Pittsburgh’s current road trip.
- Vegas rookie Cody Glass is week-to-week with a lower-body injury sustained on Saturday.
- Cody Eakin returned to the Golden Knights lineup after missing 17 games.
- Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson played in his 100th game with Pittsburgh.
- With two assists, Letang is just one away from becoming the first defenseman in Penguins history to record 400 career assists.
Up Next:
- Pittsburgh: Visits Colorado on Friday.
- Vegas: Hosts Los Angeles on Thursday.
