LOS ANGELES — Blowing out the Sharks in San Jose was good enjoyable. Holding off the Geese in Anaheim was a stable win.
This one felt a bit totally different.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, taking part in towards one of many NHL’s greatest groups in a constructing that’s not often type to them, obtained an extra time aim from Bryan Rust to earn the feel-good win of the season, a 4-3 defeat of the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Area on Thursday.
Rust had a aim disallowed in extra time due to an offside problem.
Moments later, he scored once more.
BRYAN RUST, OUR OVERTIME HERO! 💪 pic.twitter.com/jJtpyPwrN3
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 10, 2023
“I haven’t seen that earlier than,” Lars Eller stated.
The Penguins haven’t seen this sort of success in California in fairly a very long time, both. This marked their first excellent 3-0 journey via California because the 1996-97 season, when Mario Lemieux and Patrick Lalime led the way in which.
Rust’s extra time aim was a reasonably good microcosm of the journey for the Penguins. They nonetheless aren’t at their greatest, however they scratched and clawed their means via California to even their report at 6-6.
The Penguins didn’t play an amazing sport towards the Kings, however they performed a passionate one.
“That was fairly superior,” Crosby stated of Rust’s aim moments after having a aim disallowed. “That’s a reasonably good signal of resilience proper there. It’s powerful whenever you get one referred to as again in extra time.”
The Penguins merely saved combating. They fell behind 2-1, late within the second interval, however obtained a short-handed aim from Eller to even the rating.
Take a bow, @lellerofficial 👏 pic.twitter.com/WEQdKI82NB
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 10, 2023
Crosby, who loved his greatest sport of the season, then arrange Jake Guentzel to present the Penguins the lead.
Karlsson ➡️ Crosby ➡️ Guentzel. A factor of magnificence. pic.twitter.com/62bkSWC6FQ
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 10, 2023
Even after the Kings tied the rating later within the third interval, the Penguins, taking part in in entrance of third-string goaltender Magnus Hellberg, went head-to-head towards one of many NHL’s heavyweights.
Rust lastly put the Kings away.
Minutes after scoring the sport winner, Rust expressed his perception that this was a very massive sport. And a very massive street journey.
“I feel this one’s going to present us a bit little bit of juice,” he stated. “This whole journey will. We discovered a strategy to win video games in very alternative ways even after we weren’t at our greatest.”
Mike Sullivan didn’t assume his crew performed an particularly sharp sport, however he appreciated the aggressive spirit on show.
“I feel it’s an enormous win,” Sullivan stated. “It was an unpleasant win. I don’t assume we had been at our greatest. We had moments once I thought we had been good. What I preferred was that we saved competing. We didn’t get down after they scored. They’re a superb crew. They’re onerous to play towards. I believed it was a gutsy effort on our half.”
Ten postgame observations
• Merely put, this was the journey the Penguins wanted.
Sullivan’s proper. It wasn’t fairly. The Kings had the higher of the play for many of this sport, although I discovered the 36-20 Los Angeles shot whole to be a bit deceptive. Sure, the Kings had been the higher crew many of the evening. However they weren’t that significantly better. The Penguins held their very own and located a means.
Had the Penguins left California with a 2-1 report on this journey, it wouldn’t have been the top of the world. Catastrophe had already been averted due to the triumphs in San Jose and Anaheim.
Nonetheless, this sport was a possibility to make the journey a smashing success. That’s precisely what occurred.
• Give Kyle Dubas some credit score for the previous two wins.
The Penguins’ normal supervisor and crew president recognized goaltending depth as a weak spot when he took over the franchise. With Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic out with accidents, the Penguins turned to Hellberg, their third-string goalie. (Excellent news: Jarry doesn’t have a concussion and is dealing solely with eye swelling. He may very well be able to return to the lineup as quickly as Saturday.)
And what? Hellberg is fairly good for a third-string man. I might enterprise to say he’s higher than a bunch of backups who’re receiving NHL paychecks.
Hellberg performed a pleasant sport towards the Kings and was particularly robust down the stretch. The strain was on him late within the third when the sport was even, as a result of getting no less than a degree out of this one was a giant deal.
He did the job. So did Dubas.
• Crosby was spectacular.
His backhand wraparound aim within the first interval was a factor of magnificence.
Sidney Crosby is using a seven-game level streak (4G-4A) and we’re right here for it 🫶 pic.twitter.com/crv9BkU5kF
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 10, 2023
The go he made to Guentzel within the third interval was even higher.
Crosby is hardly taking part in poorly. In truth, he’s now in possession of a seven-game scoring streak. However this was his most dynamic efficiency of the system. We noticed a bit extra leap. I feel he’s discovering his legs.
• The Kings performed a nasty sport.
It’s who they’re.
The Penguins didn’t blink and truly appeared impressed by the Kings’ aggressive model.
“It’s a must to channel your feelings in the correct path,” Rust stated. “It received heated within the third. I used to be lucky sufficient to show that right into a constructive. Anytime you play a crew that performs onerous and in your face, you’ve received to reply otherwise you’re going to get run over.”
• The Penguins barely celebrated Rust’s preliminary aim in extra time as a result of they knew it was offside.
“I used to be shocked once I didn’t hear a whistle,” Rust stated. “We form of knew.”
I feel it was good that the Penguins had been instantly conscious. It took away the sting that in any other case would have been there as a result of they didn’t let their feelings get out of whack. They knew work remained.
• Eller is one heck of a hockey participant.
I like every thing about his sport. He’s so good defensively. He’s robust on the puck. And he clearly has a little bit of talent in his sport.
He has some Matt Cullen traits. That’s a superb factor.
• Radim Zohorna has been fantastic this season, so I’m not right here to knock him.
Andreas Englund lit up Zohorna with an enormous, open-ice hit within the first interval.
Andreas Englund with a MASSIVE hit on Radim Zohorna 😳💪 pic.twitter.com/PJREm92YBr
— Gino Arduous (@GinoHard_) November 10, 2023
Late within the sport, Zohorna was responsible of a few defensive errors that led to alternatives for the Kings. He was all over many of the evening.
Let’s see how he responds. He’s been, aside from Eller, the very best participant within the Penguins’ backside six. Tough video games occur. He had one.
• Former Penguins proprietor Ron Burkle was in attendance Thursday.
Burkle, in actual fact, visited the locker room following the sport and had a prolonged dialog with Crosby and Kris Letang within the aftermath of the victory.
The California billionaire offered his proportion of the Penguins to Fenway Sports activities Group two years in the past.
• The Kings are a big-time hockey crew.
Actually and figuratively. They appear to be a soccer crew they usually play like one. They’re among the best groups within the Western Convention and, regardless that they weren’t on prime of their sport Thursday, they managed many of the contest.
They’re a really good mix of measurement, nastiness, talent and defensive IQ.
I don’t assume they’re the very best crew within the West — I’d rank Vegas and the admittedly struggling Avs forward of them — however I wouldn’t need to play this crew within the first spherical of the playoffs. They’re good and hold getting higher.
• The Penguins don’t have a lot time to relaxation.
They may fly to Pittsburgh on Friday morning and have the remainder of the day without work earlier than internet hosting the Sabres on Saturday. Then, it’s proper again on the street to Columbus.
Nonetheless, will probably be a cheerful Penguins crew that heads again to Pittsburgh. They’re all of a sudden two factors out of a playoff spot within the Japanese Convention standings. And sure, I understand it’s November. However you may dig too deep of a gap throughout this portion of the season, and the Penguins put collectively exactly the street journey they wanted.
(Photograph of Bryan Rust being swarmed by Penguins teammates after his game-winning aim Thursday evening towards the Kings: Ronald Martinez / Getty Photos)
