The Pittsburgh Penguins may have found a way to cope without star defenseman Kris Letang, who is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a stroke. During Thursday night’s 4-3 comeback victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, the Penguins relied on a simple strategy: relentless shooting.
Jake Guentzel and Kasperi Kapanen scored less than two minutes apart in the third period, helping the Penguins rally past the Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights. This victory marked the Penguins’ first win since Letang’s diagnosis.
Letang was able to skate at the team’s practice facility on Thursday morning, just three days after his second stroke, but there is no timetable for his return. His teammates stepped up against Vegas, firing 47 shots at Golden Knights rookie goaltender Logan Thompson, with four finding the back of the net. This effort helped Pittsburgh snap a two-game losing streak.
“I think (we) just tried to pull together and get a win for (Letang),” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said.
Guentzel’s power-play goal 7:33 into the third tied the game at 3, and Kapanen’s first goal in nearly two months, 112 seconds later, put the Penguins ahead. Tristan Jarry made 34 saves, weathering a late flurry to win for the fifth time in his last six starts.
Brock McGinn and Rikard Rakell also scored for Pittsburgh, which gave the Golden Knights their second regulation road loss this season.
“I thought the guys competed really hard all night,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “They didn’t get discouraged when they got down a couple of goals early in the game. They just kept playing.”
Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore’s long shot from the point broke a 2-2 tie 1:26 into the third, but the Penguins continued to pressure Thompson until he finally gave way.
Guentzel ended Pittsburgh’s 0-for-17 power-play drought by firing a shot from the right circle through a Crosby screen. Kapanen, who has struggled with inconsistency, scored his first goal since Oct. 13 by collecting a pass from behind the net by Brock McGinn and beating Thompson.
“I think there isn’t a guy in the league that wants to be healthy (and not play),” Kapanen said. “I always want to compete with the guys. I want to be battling out there.”
Thompson, the NHL’s Rookie of the Month in November, lost for the third time in 13 starts. Jack Eichel scored his 12th season goal for Vegas, and Reilly Smith added his 10th.
“They were quicker than us tonight,” Smith said. “It’s a little bit of a wake-up call. We’ve got to do a better job just upping the tempo, especially when you play a team like Pittsburgh.”
Despite being outplayed sometimes, the Golden Knights countered effectively early on, taking a 2-0 lead in the first period. Eichel scored from in front 3:59 into the game, and Smith ended Pittsburgh’s streak of 19 consecutive penalty kills with a close-range snipe at 17:59 in the first.
However, Pittsburgh’s relentless pace paid off with a pair of second-period goals, setting the stage for their third-period comeback as they navigate playing without one of their franchise cornerstones.
UP NEXT
- Golden Knights: Visit Detroit on Saturday.
- Penguins: Continue a five-game homestand on Saturday night when St. Louis visits.
