Pittsburgh Review

Pittsburgh concluded their season-opening road trip with a victory against Montreal on Monday. The Penguins initially led 2-1 after the first period but faced challenges in the second, similar to their previous game. However, they regained control in the third period, securing a 6-3 win and finishing with a 2-1 record on the road.

Evgeni Malkin contributed significantly with three points and is close to achieving a career milestone of 500 goals. Lars Eller scored twice, while Rickard Rakell, Kevin Hayes, and Kris Letang also found the net. Tristan Jarry was in goal for this match following rookie Joel Blomqvist's appearances in the prior games.

Head Coach Mike Sullivan shared his thoughts post-game: "For sure. I think we won the road trip, and that was something that we wanted to try to do when we left." He acknowledged areas for improvement but expressed satisfaction with his team's effort and intentions.

Sullivan noted a strong start in the first period but admitted struggles during the second: "You gotta give Montreal credit, they pushed, and I don't think we handled it very well." He praised his team’s return to form in the final period by playing an "honest game" with structure.

Malkin's performance was highlighted by Sullivan: "I think he looks strong. He's in great shape... We can see him making a concerted effort out there to try to play the game the right way."

Eller's contributions were also recognized: "It's huge because we ask him to do a lot of thankless jobs... So when a guy like Lars has the ability to score a couple of goals... it's great for his confidence."

The coach commented on Jesse Puljujarvi's impact on Eller's line compared to Rutger McGroarty: "Jesse obviously brings another level of size... They're big, they're strong, and they can skate."

Sullivan assessed Jarry’s performance positively: "I thought he got better as the game went on... When he's at his best, he tends to make those look easy."