Penguins beat Canadiens, extend winning streak to 5

Entering Tuesday, the Penguins were one of the better defensive teams in the NHL by most basic defensive statistics.

They were third in the league with a goals-against average of 2.44 and ninth in terms of average shots allowed at 30.4 per contest.

Coach Mike Sullivan is hesitant to share many schematic details as to why his team has been so stingy on the opposition, but he is quick to laud those he deploys to implement those tactics.

“The players are committed to playing on both sides of the puck,” Sullivan said. “When we do that, we can play a stingy game defensively. It’s a collective effort. It takes everyone. The players are the guys making that commitment. And their attention to detail has been really good. We’re trying to defend the good areas, or as we call it, ‘the good ice.’ We’re trying to defend the scoring area with numbers and we’re trying to defend it with a vengeance.

“There’s a lot that goes into it as far as the details are concerned. We work on that stuff daily. But I think the biggest factor is just the buy-in, the commitment of the players. They’re doing a terrific job.”

Of course, playing one of the worst teams in the NHL is usually a terrific way to boost any of your metrics.

That was the case Tuesday as the Penguins defeated the morbid Montreal Canadiens, 5-2, at PPG Paints Arena.

Buoyed by multi-point performances by forwards Sidney Crosby and Evan Rodrigues, the Penguins matched a season best with their fifth consecutive win.

Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen opened the scoring at 11:08 into regulation with his seventh goal of the season.

Corralling a puck at the right point of the offensive zone, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang chopped a one-timer on net that goaltender Jake Allen fought off. The rebound hopped to the slot where Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry jabbed it away. Above the hash marks, Rodrigues instinctively booted the puck with his left skate to the right of the crease, where Kapanen essentially bunted it over Allen’s head and into the cage. Rodrigues had the lone assist.

It became a 2-0 game thanks to a power-play score at 6:45 of the second period.

After Penguins forward Jeff Carter won an offensive zone draw in the right circle, Letang settled the puck at the right point and motioned to the center point, where he slid a forehand pass to the left circle. From there, Rodrigues teed up a one-timer that blew past Allen’s glove on the far side for his ninth goal. Letang and Carter were awarded assists.

Rodrigues matched a career best in goals he established as a member of the Buffalo Sabres in 2018-19. He credited an improved one-timer for his success this season.

“After practice, just taking a lot of them, you start to feel comfortable and confident in that,” Rodrigues said. “You’ve just got to continue to shoot. Some will go in; some won’t. I’m just trying to continue to let them rip, and they’re finding their way in the back of the net.”

The Canadiens put one into the back of the net only 14 seconds later.

After Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson fumbled a puck in his own left corner, Canadiens forward Laurent Dauphin backhanded the pass to the crease for linemate Jonathan Drouin, who deked goaltender Tristan Jarry out of position and tucked a backhander into the cage for his fifth goal. The only assist went to Dauphin.

Matheson made amends for his error by scoring his second goal at 11:27 of the middle frame.

Controlling the puck in the right corner of the offensive zone, Crosby surveyed the scene for a moment before zipping a cross-ice pass for Matheson above the left circle. Lining up his shot, Matheson fired a wrister through a phalanx of bodies and sticks that beat Allen’s blocker on the near side. Crosby and Rodrigues collected assists. Penguins forward Danton Heinen provided a screen on the sequence.

The Canadiens persisted and made it a 2-1 game late in the second period at the 19:57 mark. Driving the puck up the right wing of the Penguins’ zone, Drouin pulled up and slid a pass to the right point for rookie forward Jesse Ylonen, who cranked a one-timer that beat a screened Jarry’s blocker on the far side for his first career goal. The only assist went to Drouin.

It became a 4-2 contest only 28 seconds into the third period when Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin scored his first goal of the season. Pushing the puck up the left wing of the offensive zone, Crosby curled around on his backhand and fed a pass to the left point for Dumoulin, who swatted a one-timer that sailed past Allen’s blocker on the near side. Crosby collected the only assist. Once again, Heinen provided a screen.

Fourth-line center Brian Boyle put the Penguins up by a field goal at 9:38 of the third. After Penguins forward Dominik Simon hounded Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot into a turnover on Montreal’s right-wing wall, Boyle claimed the puck and wired a wrister from the right circle for his third goal. Simon and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel had assists.

Jarry made 28 saves on 30 shots and improved his record to 12-5-4.

As for the Penguins as a whole, they’ve won 10 of their past 13 games (10-2-1) thanks in part to a demanding defensive approach.

“I think we rely a lot on our work ethic,” Crosby said. “We check really well, we have speed, and when we play that way, we’re tough to play against. We don’t give up a lot. For that reason, it translates into wins. If we’re not playing like that, things change pretty quickly.

“It’s good to get rewarded for playing the way we feel like we can give us success. But there (have) also been times where we’ve gotten away from that and we’re a much different team. Just building on that, having the confidence to know that if we play the right way, we give ourselves a good chance.”

Note: Injured Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, still recuperating from offseason surgery to his right knee, participated in an optional morning skate. … Forwards Jake Guentzel (right hand) and Bryan Rust (undisclosed) each worked out on the ice before the morning skate … Defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Sam Lafferty were healthy scratches.