Penguins beat Kings in overtime, extend winning streak to 3

When the Pittsburgh Penguins signed journeyman goaltender Magnus Hellberg to a one-year deal worth $785,000 on July 2, they didn’t bring him into their nest to serve as the organization’s third goaltender because he is an ample 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds.

But his dimensions certainly didn’t hurt.

“The question that we always ask ourselves (is) who’s the best guy available that can fill that role,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said Oct. 28. “I know there’s a philosophy that exists with respect to the goaltending position that size is important. The more pertinent question is which guy is the best guy available to our team at that respective time that gives us the depth that we need so that we can compete. That’s really the philosophy that’s taken place, certainly in my time.

“But I do think there is a narrative — and it makes sense — that if you have bigger goaltenders, they tend to take up a whole lot more space.”

Hellberg was big for the Penguins in his first start with the club on Thursday, directing them to a 4-3 overtime victory against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena in the City of Angels, extending the team’s winning streak to a season-best three games.

Stepping in for injured starter Tristan Jarry — recuperating from an undisclosed head injury suffered on Tuesday — as well as backup Alex Nedeljkovic — hobbled since Oct. 24 due to an undisclosed malady — Hellberg made 33 saves on 36 shots in his third game for the Penguins, logging his first result of the season (1-0-0).

Penguins forward Bryan Rust’s seventh goal of the season at 3:45 of overtime was the difference.

“I know it was an ugly win,” Sullivan told the Associated Press in Los Angeles. “I don’t think we were at our best. We had moments when I thought we would get into momentum swings on both sides, but I just thought we kept competing.”

Penguins forward Sidney Crosby opened the scoring with his seventh goal 7:11 into regulation.

From deep in the Kings’ right circle, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang dished a forehand pass to the slot, where it struck off the right skate of Penguins forward Jake Guentzel. The rebound caromed below the right circle, where Trevor Lewis tried to skate it out of danger but lost possession to Crosby. Swooping behind the cage, Crosby managed to tuck a backhander past the right skate of goaltender Pheonix Copley’s right skate. Crosby extended his scoring streak to a season-best seven games. There were no assists.

A short-handed goal by Kings forward Carl Grundstrom at 14:14 of the first period tied the contest, 1-1.

During the late stages of a power-play sequence, Grundstrom cleared a puck from his own right corner. Hellberg tried to deaden the bouncing puck but was unable to prevent it from reaching the Penguins’ right corner. That allowed Kings forward Anze Kopitar to chase down the loose puck and hold it along the boards. As the Penguins made a far-too-casual line change, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson provided minimal resistance in his own right circle. Kopitar took advantage of that charity and snapped a pass to the slot, where a streaking Grundstrom swiped a forehand shot through Hellberg’s five-hole for his fifth goal. Kopitar and defenseman Matt Roy had assists.

Grundstrom’s score was the second short-handed goal the Penguins have allowed this season.

Kings forward Adrian Kempe’s sixth goal gave the hosts their first lead 9:58 into the second period.

After gaining the offensive blue line at the center point, Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson offloaded a backhand pass to the left wing for Kempe, who sizzled a near-side wrister over Hellberg’s blocker. Anderson and forward Quinton Byfield had assists.

The Penguins’ first short-handed goal of the season tied the game 2-2 at 18:03 of the middle frame.

Stealing the puck off Kings forward Kevin Fiala near the benches at the center red line, Penguins forward Lars Eller surged up ice into the offensive zone on the right wing. At the top of the right circle, Eller dodged Fiala’s backcheck and cut to the slot. As Kings defenseman Drew Doughty offered minimal resistance, Eller fired against the grain, beating Copley’s blocker with a wrister for this second goal. There were no assists.

Guentzel’s fifth goal restored a lead for the Penguins only 37 seconds into the third period.

Rushing the puck through the neutral zone, Karlsson dished a backhand pass to the right wing, allowing Crosby to gain the offensive zone. From the right point, Crosby threaded a pass between Anderson and Doughty to the far side. Darting past Kings forward Anze Kopitar — one of the NHL’s top defensive forwards — Guentzel one-touched the puck by the right leg of a sprawling Copley. Assists went to Crosby and Karlsson.

Fiala made up for his faux pas with his second goal off a goalmouth scramble at 6:40 of the third period.

After Kings forward Pierre-Luc Dubois gained the offensive zone on the right wing, he backhanded a pass to Kings defenseman Jordan Spence surging into the right circle. After Letang slid down to block a pass attempt by Spence, the puck deflected in on net, forcing Hellberg to boot it out with his left leg. Dubois followed up on the rebound with a forehand shot from the crease but was rejected by Hellberg’s left leg once again. Trailing the sequence late, Fiala beat a backchecking Crosby to the puck, went forehand to backhand and tucked a shot behind a scrambling Hellberg. Dubois and Spence collected assists.

Rust appeared to initially score at 3:23 of the extra period, but a video review wiped out the goal as the sequence was deemed to be offside.

Only 22 seconds later, Rust managed to score a legal goal.

Gaining the offensive zone on the right wing, Evgeni Malkin pulled up and drew in Fiala then left a drop pass for Rust. Surging up the right wing boards, Rust swooped in behind the cage and tucked a forehand shot by Copley’s right leg. Malkin and Karlsson had assists.

“The first one, when I first got it, I thought it was offside,” Rust told the Associated Press. “They didn’t blow the whistle and I just kept playing in the puck. I celebrated like it was a goal, but I wasn’t too surprised when it didn’t count. I was able to get out there right away again and make the most of it.”

Notes:

• The Penguins’ most recent overtime win against the Kings was a 4-3 home victory on Dec. 15, 2018. Forward Phil Kessel scored the winning goal.

• The Penguins snapped a four-game road losing streak to the Kings. Their most recent win there before Thursday was a 3-1 triumph on Jan. 18, 2018.

• That was tied for the Penguins’ longest active losing streak on the road. The Penguins still have four-game road losing streaks against the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers.

• Hellberg became the 59th goaltender to record a win for the franchise.

• Karlsson (772 points) broke into the top-200 career scorers in NHL history.

• The Penguins’ scratches were Jarry (head) and defenseman P.O Joseph (healthy).

• Penguins forward Jeff Carter returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the first time in his 19-year career over the previous two games.

• In 11 career games against the Penguins, Kempe has 11 points (six goals, five assists).