Pens Points: Another Battle Awaits

A rollercoaster of a contest in Game 3 on Saturday saw the Pittsburgh Penguins protect home ice and prevail over the New York Rangers 7-4. Now comes Game 4 and another showdown between the two long time rivals and a chance for the Penguins to send the Rangers to the brink. After sending Igor Shesterkin to the showers early on Saturday night, the Penguins will once again need to crack the likely Vezina winner if they hope to tkae a 3-1 series lead heading back to New York.

No better way to prepare for playoff hockey than Pens Points...

It wasn’t a pitch perfect performance from the Penguins on Saturday night, but it was enough to get the job done and regain the series lead. Winning the game was obviously the biggest takeaway, but next in line is the emergence of the depth scoring. [Pensburgh]

After struggling against the Islanders last postseason, this go around against the Rangers has seen Sidney Crosby return to his world dominating self. Crosby’s impact was on full display as the Penguins pushed for the win in Game 3. [Pensburgh]

For the Penguins to succeed in this series, Louis Domingue doesn’t have to be perfect, he just has to give them a chance. Despite letting in four goals on Saturday, Domingue came up with the big saves when it mattered most. [Pensburgh]

While there is still some work to do on the Penguins power play, the other side of the special teams has picked up some slack. After letting the Rangers tie the game, the Penguins killed three straight penalties to keep the score level. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

For the first time in months, Evan Rodrigues came to life when the Penguins needed him most. Two goals and an assist in the first period from Rodrigues helped the Penguins build their early lead and chase Igor Shesterkin from the game. [Trib Live]

Louis Domingue went from eating spicy pork and broccoli to the Penguins top starter in the blink of an eye. In the three games since his playoff debut in net, Domingue has gradually grown into the role as the No. 1 guy. [Trib Live]

This season will not be one to remember for Brian Dumoulin in many ways, but his absence from the lineup the last two games has been significant. Mike Matheson has replaced him on the top pairing to less than optimal results. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

News and notes from around the NHL...

It was a scary moment on Saturday afternoon when fans saw Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper writhing on the ice after taking a stick to the eye. Although Kuemper left Game 3 early, he is still in line to start Game 4 tonight. [NHL]

Since helping the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019, goaltender Jordan Binnington recorded exactly zero playoff wins the the three years since. That changed on Sunday when he backstopped the Blues to a series tying victory over the Minnesota Wild. [ESPN]