Jake Guentzel’s 100th career goal, a blast from above the left hash marks with 1:31 left in regulation on Sunday, gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 win over the visiting New York Rangers.
Pittsburgh has won four straight, coming back from at least one deficit in each.
Bryan Rust and Jared McCann also scored and Sidney Crosby had two assists for the Penguins. Goaltender Tristan Jarry made 23 saves.
Colin Blackwell and Ryan Strome scored for New York, which twice had a one-goal lead but lost its third in a row (0-2-1). Igor Shesterkin stopped 16 shots.
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Pittsburgh lost winger Evan Rodrigues in the second period when he and New York’s Filip Chytil collided. Rodrigues limped to the locker room favoring his right leg.
The Rangers got the only goal of the first period.
New York won a battle in the corner before Adam Fox let loose a shot from the right point. Blackwell, despite being tied up by Pittsburgh defenseman Cody Ceci, got his stick on the puck, redirected it past Jarry to make it 1-0 at 16:36.
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It was the fourth career goal for Blackwell, who was recalled from New York’s taxi squad earlier in the day.
A little more than five minutes into the second, Shesterkin stopped Rust on a breakaway by getting his right arm on Rust’s backhander.
Given another chance, Rust cashed in after he shifted to the top line with Rodrigues out. After Rust broke up a pass in his defensive end, Crosby sprung Rust on a breakaway from the blue line in, and this time Rust snapped the puck under Shesterkin’s pads to tie it 1-1 at 11:24 of the second.
Related: If you’re a fan of the Penguins, check out #LetsGoPens rumors, rankings, and news here.
That gave Rust a five-game point streak.
Strome moved the Rangers ahead 2-1 at 17:17 of the second with his first point of the season. After a scramble in the crease and with Jarry sprawled to his left, Strome was able to chip the puck over the goalie’s glove.
The Penguins tied it at 2:26 of the third. McCann’s fluttering shot from the left wing boards sailed inside the near post.
–Field Level Media