Penguins rally to edge road-weary Jets 3-2 in a shootout
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan isn't thrilled with what he's seeing on the ice these days.
The scoreboard is another matter.
Kasperi Kapanen and Jeff Carter scored nine seconds apart in the third period to erase a two-goal deficit and Sidney Crosby scored the only goal of the shootout as the Penguins rallied by road-weary Winnipeg 3-2 on Sunday for their fifth straight win.
Pittsburgh trailed for more than 40 minutes and spent far too much time chasing the Jets around PPG Paints Arena. It's not an ideal recipe for a team that wants to make a deep playoff run.
Still, Sullivan's team is competing amid the mistakes. For now, he will take it.
"I thought it was a high-event game on both sides and fortunately we found a way to win," he said. "But I don't think it was the game that we want to play most nights."
Another spectacular performance by All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry, a fortunate bounce off Kapanen's skate and a miscue by Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck let the Penguins escape anyway.
Kapanen began the comeback by redirecting a pass from Evgeni Malkin to bring Pittsburgh within a goal 6:55 into the third period. The din had barely died down when Carter tied it after he knocked down Hellebuyck's clearing attempt and laced a shot into the open net before Helleybuyck could scramble back into position.
"We know we didn't play the right way the first two periods," Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. "We went back to work. If we play a 60-minute game the way we did at the end, we're going to be on the right side of things."
Jarry, an All-Star for a second time, made 27 saves. He turned away several odd-man rushes in the first two periods, and then made a sprawling stop on Blake Wheeler in overtime.
Eight months removed from a meltdown in the playoffs against the New York Islanders, Jarry is one of the reasons Pittsburgh is in the thick of a tight race atop the Metropolitan Division at the season's midway point.
"He's a guy that lives in the present," Letang said of Jarry. "He's going to focus on doing the right thing in the moment."
The victory may have been the most unlikely of the Penguins' current seven-game run at home that began after a loss to Montreal on Nov. 27.
Kyle Connor scored his 22nd goal of the season for the Jets. Wheeler scored in his second game back from a lower-body injury that forced him to miss more than a month.
Hellebuyck made 36 saves, but Winnipeg finished 3-3-2 during a three-week journey that began on Jan. 2 and included contests in three different time zones.
"We were in a very good game today," Jets interim coach Dave Lowry said. "I like the resiliency that our group showed."
Despite playing their second game in less than 24 hours, the Jets hardly looked fatigued. Not so much for the Penguins who -- despite being given Saturday off following a win in Columbus on Friday night -- looked a step slow at times against a team that hasn't played inside its own arena in five weeks thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wheeler wasted little time giving the Jets the lead, taking a lead pass from Mark Scheifele and flicking a backhand over Jarry's glove 3:28 into the first period.
Winnipeg had a chance to double its advantage twice late in the period but Jarry turned away breakaways by both Connor and Wheeler.
Connor earned a measure of revenge 8:11 into the second when he collected a cross-ice feed from Paul Stastny and buried a laser from the right circle for a 2-0 lead.
Hellebuyck kept Pittsburgh at bay until midway through the third when Kapanen's skate created his ninth goal. Carter added his 12th on a shot from the corner just above the goal line.
"I just had a late decision because it looked like it was going to be icing for a second," Hellebuyck said after falling to 1-3-2 in his last six starts. "Then when I decided, my only play was to put it behind the net and they just have a guy side open right there. Just seems like my luck right now."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.