Pittsburgh Review

The Pittsburgh Penguins showed resilience in their recent game against the New York Rangers, despite falling short with a 5-3 loss. This came after a previous defeat to Washington, marking their first match post the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Head Coach Mike Sullivan acknowledged the team's effort, stating, "I thought our team played extremely hard. I thought we carried play the majority of the night." He commended the Rangers for capitalizing on their opportunities and encouraged his team to maintain their current level of play, believing it would lead to future victories.

Evgeni Malkin returned to action after missing six games and opened the scoring in a relatively balanced first period. Danton Heinen assisted Malkin, stepping into Michael Bunting's role alongside Kevin Hayes.

In the second period, Pittsburgh dominated with a 19-4 shot advantage but failed to score due to Igor Shesterkin's performance in goal. The Rangers took advantage when J.T. Miller scored late in the frame.

Ryan Shea emerged as a key player in the third period by scoring twice, marking his first multi-goal game. Reflecting on his goals, Shea credited teammates Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin for setting up plays that led to his success.

Shea filled in for Vincent Desharnais and made his third appearance this season following trades involving Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor. Kevin Hayes praised Shea’s dedication: “Sheazo’s a great player...he hasn’t really been pouty.”

Pittsburgh faced challenges playing with five defensemen after Matt Grzelcyk left due to an upper-body injury from a hit by Matt Rempe. Sullivan noted, “When you go down to five that early in the game, that's not easy,” but expressed pride in how players adapted.

Sullivan emphasized the importance of each game as they aim for playoff contention: “We know that every game is important...we're going to fight till the very end.” Despite back-to-back losses, he remains optimistic about future performances.