Penguins/Red Wings Recap: Pens roll to a 5-3 win

Lineups

A rare same lineup as last game for the Penguins, with the exception being Matt Murray in net on the back-end of a second game in a row.

First period

The Pens strike first early on with Jake Guentzel crashing to the net, we get a review to make sure it’s a good goal, and it is a good goal. 1-0 Pittsburgh.

The Pens make it 2-0 with Chad Ruhwedel finding plenty of space and wiring a nice shot home past Jonathan Bernier for his first goal of the season.

Shots are 12-7 Pens in the first. Goals 2-0.

Second period

Alex Galchenyuk makes a rare appearance in the game by taking a tripping penalty which leads to the Red Wings first goal on the power play when Robby Fabbri finds a rebound and fires it past Matt Murray to make it 2-1.

The Pens reclaim their two goal lead when Guentzel makes a great play to knock the puck out of mid-air and to the net, Evgeni Malkin finds it and swings around with a nice goal here. 3-1.

Shots in the second are 13-9 Detroit, but the Pens carry a 3-1 lead into the final intermission.

Third period

Early on (1:38 to be exact) Dominik Kahun makes a nice zone entry and a bounce finds him with space on the rush. He goes forehand to beat Bernier and make it 4-1.

Detroit gets one back when Ruhwedel and Bryan Rust go swimming, which is never a good thing and Filip Hronek is on the receiving end of a slam dunk. 4-2.

Rust takes a high-sticking penalty late and Detroit makes it interesting when Dylan Larkin wires a puck on the power play past Murray to make it 4-3 with 3:04 left in the game.

The Wings pull their goalie and after empty net maestro Brandon Tanev gets his shot blocked, Kris Letang plays it over for John Marino to wire it in the net. 5-3 final.

Final thoughts

Big guns shine hard

Malkin and Guentzel both recorded three points on the night. They were, by far, the most talented players on the ice tonight, and they showed it. Going up against the worst team in the league that’s over-gunned, there’s no need to over-think it. The skill and the stars have to come through. Just have to. They did tonight.

It’s a three game winning streak —all coming in four days — and they now who get a couple of days off to rest and regroup and keep it going for a home-stand next week against not exactly daunting competition. It would be wrong to say the Pens are thriving without Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin, but they’re definitely doing the best they can, with their best players paving the way.