Penguins’ Winner Waved Off; Devils Score PPG for OT Win

The Pittsburgh Penguins had just four wins in their last 10 games, and coach Mike Sullivan was not unhappy with their win Friday over the Ottawa Senators but wanted his team to play significantly better defensively. He got his wish, and the teams hit overtime, tied 1-1.

Penguins d-man Marcus Pettersson thought he scored the winner in OT, but officials called Pettersson for jumping onto the ice too early.

“I think the right call was made,” said Pettersson. “I’ve got to be better there. I can’t let the team down in that situation. So that’s on me.”

New Jersey had a 4v3 power play for too many men on the ice, and defenseman Dougie Hamilton scored the power-play winner for a 2-1 New Jersey win.

The Penguins had a chance to pull within two points of the third-place New York Rangers in the Metro Division but instead are three back after gaining the overtime point.

The Penguins have only three wins in 11 OT games this season.

Unlike the Penguins’ handy win over Ottawa, in which the teams combined for a revised-down 89 shots, the Penguins and New Jersey was not a high-event game, though it started that way.

After regulation, the Penguins and New Jersey combined for just 46 shots in regulation Sunday.

New Jersey had odd-man rushes on the first three shifts ending with a 1-0 lead just 58 seconds into the game. The Penguins yielded a two-on-one on the first shift, Penguins defenseman Mark Friedman nullified a three-on-two with a surprise step-forward hit at the defensive blue line on the second shift. Still, New Jersey center Jack Hughes (30) sneaked a shot behind Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry on the third shift.

Hughes became the eighth player in the NHL with 30 goals this season.

However, the Penguins stabilized their effort, and captain Sidney Crosby tied the game midway through the first period. Crosby (22) worked a give-and-go with defenseman Jeff Petry at the top of the zone and blasted a quick shot through traffic from near the blue line.

The shot clock after the first period was 8-6 for New Jersey (scorers originally had 7-7).

The shot clock in the second period told the story, though the scoreboard didn’t change. The Penguins outshot New Jersey 12-2 in the second period. The Penguins led the shot attempts 24-17, which means they blocked or helped New Jersey miss 15 of the 17 shots in the second.

Jake Guentzel and Teddy Blueger led the Penguins and all players with three blocks.

On one unusual note, the Penguins and New Jersey each had just two turnovers in the first 40 minutes. Jeff Petry led all players with four shots on goal.

Early in the third period, it appeared Ryan Poehling, who played in his first game since Dec. 10, scored the goal ahead goal. Arms raised and players slowed, but officials correctly ruled the puck hit the crossbar, and play continued.

“(We) made a great play and just got unlucky on the rebound,” Poehling said.

New Jersey outshot the Pittsburgh Penguins 12-8 in the third period, and the Penguins failed to score on a power play that spanned the last seconds of the second period into the start of the third.