3 Takeaways From Penguins Epic Win Over Rangers

The odds were stacked against the Pittsburgh Penguins when they arrived in New York City. However, that didn’t stop them from gutting out one of the biggest victories of the season, defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 on Friday night.

Although Sidney Crosby skated earlier in the morning, the captain was a no-go for the Metro Division tilt later in the evening, putting the Penguins at a further disadvantage since Evgeni Malkin is also out of the lineup.

Related: Sidney Crosby Ruled Out Against Rangers, Status Still Up-In-The-Air For 4 Nations

But they persevered and pulled out a rare win against a Metro team. Here’s a breakdown.

Nedeljkovic Outperforms Shesterkin

Ever since taking over the starter’s role with the Penguins, Nedeljkovic is doing almost everything he can to save the team’s season. On Friday, he went-to-head with former Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin and won the goalie battle with 22 saves for a .917 SV%.

Without superstars in the lineup, Nedeljkovic needed to play at an even higher level and was up to the challenge of facing one of the Eastern Conference’s top offensive lineups, now featuring J.T. Miller. Meanwhile, Shesterkin finished with 23 saves but didn’t see a single shot in the third period, ending his night with a .885 SV%.

Finally, the Penguins defeated the Rangers after dropping both early season meetings by 6-0 and 4-2 scores. Interestingly, they meet again right after the 4 Nations Face-off break, with another crucial two points on the line.

Penguins Survive With No Shots in Third Period

The visitors had an edge in shots 11-8 during the first period but trailed 1-0 after a Vincent Trocheck goal. The fun didn’t stop there, as Blake Lizotte tied things before Adam Fox restored the Rangers’ lead.

By the end of the second, Pittsburgh outshot the Rangers again, 15-9, and jumped out to a 3-2 lead thanks to goals from Rickard Rakell and Philip Tomasino.

After 40 minutes, the Penguins had a score advantage of 3-2 and a 26-17 lead in shots. However, they ended up with 26 shots and failed to get another puck on goal in the third period.

Meanwhile, Nedeljkovic turned away all seven shots he faced to preserve the thrilling 3-2 victory.

Tomasino is Pittsburgh’s Good Luck Charm

Tomasino joined the Penguins after a Nov. 25 deal, making his first appearance two nights later on Nov. 27. In his second game on Nov. 29, he tallied his first goal for Pittsburgh, which turned out to be the game-winner against the Boston Bruins.

On Friday night, his second-period lamplighter stood as the game-winner, his fifth in black and gold. Through 27 games with the Penguins, Tomasino has seven goals, and five of them are game-winners, tied for the most in the NHL since Nov. 27.

Moreover, Tomasino ranks sixth in goals and ninth in points among his Pittsburgh teammates, seamlessly blending into the lineup and making significant contributions quickly.