ANAHEIM, Calif. — The very expensive and talented young players of the Anaheim Ducks (10-7-1) produced, with some help from an exiled Pittsburgh Penguins (6-10-2) forward. A promising Penguins start waned, and Anaheim accelerated to a 5-2 win at the Honda Center.
The Penguins made it close with a couple of late third-period power-play goals but got no closer. Cutter Gauthier completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal, his third hatty of the season. Anaheim has won five in a row.
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The Penguins have just one win in their last five games.
The Penguins had the better number on the shot clock, but never had the better number on the scoreboard. The Penguins outshot Anaheim 12-7 in the first period and 10-7 in the second, but the even-strength game was largely played in the Penguins’ zone.
Anaheim led the NHL in home power play percentage (43%) and upped that already incredible conversion rate by going 2-for-4. They also essentially scored a third man-advantage tally in the first period as former Penguins forward Mikael Granlund scored exactly as the Anaheim power play expired.
Granlund was serving dishes to his young star teammates. He had a goal and two assists, while Gauthier, who made Anaheim sweat out an extension before finally signing a six-year, $81 million deal, had two goals and three points, too.
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The pace of the game in the first period was a callback to the Penguins’ success of years past. The action was end to end, and the Penguins outshot Anaheim 13-9 in the first period (sorry, WVU fans). However, the best offensive opportunities, the loudest chances, undeniably belonged to Anaheim. In the first period alone, Anaheim had a breakaway (Beckett Sennecke), a three-on-one, and a two-on-one.
With over seven minutes of power-play time, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson led all players with eight shots on goal. He had 10 more blocked. Evgeni Malkin was second on the team with five.
The Penguins were 2-for-6 on the power play. Officially, Anaheim was 2-for-4.
Silovs stopped 20 shots. Penguins coach Dan Muse began pulling Silovs as situations warranted with just under eight minutes remaining. The Penguins scored twice with the extra attacker (and on the power play). Laurent Brossoit absorbed 32 shots in the win.
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Penguins Goal Recap
1-0 Anaheim: Essentially a power-play goal, though not technically. Anaheim converted their man-advantage on the very second that Kaedan Korczak‘s hooking call expired, and the goal was largely bad luck for the Penguins as Declan Carlile blocked a point shot, but it bounced to former Penguins forward Mikael Granlund, who quickly snapped it past Silovs at 8:27 of the first period.
2-0: Cutter Gauthier extended his goal streak to five games with a power-play
tally. It may have looked like a soft goal, but Gauthier’s (13) shot was sneaky: a no-look wrister as he fooled everyone who expected a cross-ice pass at 6:28 of the second period.
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3-0: More Gauthier. Everyone was covered, but Gauthier circled out of the zone and torpedoed straight to the net from the red line. Crosby didn’t see him and duplicated coverage on Granlund, who easily slipped the pass past Crosby and Erik Karlsson. Gauthier was at full speed and uncovered as he ripped the wrister past Silovs at 9:11.
4-0: Another power play goal. Tristan Luneau from the point through traffic at 5:12 of the third period.
4-1: The Penguins got a power-play goal, and coach Dan Muse doubled down by pulling the goalie, too. With a 6-on-4 power play, Kris Letang stepped into a shot from the high slot and broke Brossoit’s shutout at 8:05 of the third period.
4-2: Another 6-on-4 power play goal. From the low point, Crosby tapped a crisp pass to Rickard Rakell, who quickly one-timed the pass past Broissoit at 13:42.
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5-2: Gauther. A 170-foot empty-netter hit dead center at 19:24.
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