Penguins beat Sabres, extend winning streak to 4

Western New York in March isn’t exactly a glamorous locale to spend a few days.

There nearly are as many potholes as there are blinding snow squalls.

But Mike Sullivan doesn’t mind setting up shop for a midweek excursion in Buffalo given the format the NHL has adopted for this season because of the pandemic.

With the vast majority of games being played in two-game “series” staged in the same venue, the Penguins’ coach is cozy with the idea of being in the Nickel City for 72 hours.

“I kind of like the idea of going into a city and playing a team a couple of times in a row,” Sullivan said via video conference. “It elevates intensity. Sometimes, emotions carry over game to game. And our game is at its best when both teams are emotionally invested.”

The Penguins didn’t exactly need their best game Thursday considering the opposition. But they might have had one of their best third periods of the season in defeating a squalid Buffalo Sabres squad, 5-2, at KeyBank Center. The victory extended a winning streak to four games, matching a season best.

During the third period, they clamped things down, against an admittedly inferior opponent, controlling shots, 8-4.

That came in stark contrast to Tuesday’s 4-2 home win against the New York Rangers in which they barely hung on while being outshot, 15-1, in the final period.

“We wanted to win the third period, and I think we went out there and did that,” forward Brandon Tanev said after Thursday’s contest. “It was our best period of the game, and it set us up for two points there. It was a full team effort.”

The Penguins took a 1-0 lead 6 minutes, 27 seconds into regulation. After a botched passing sequence between Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt and defenseman Jacob Bryson at their own blue line, Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen swiped the puck and created his own breakaway. Instead of shooting, he left a drop pass for the skater chasing him, linemate Evgeni Malkin, who lifted a forehand shot over goaltender Jonas Johansson’s left leg for his seventh goal.

It marked the third consecutive game the duo has combined on a goal in some fashion.

“They’ve just developed a certain chemistry here over the time they’ve been together,” Sullivan said. “We’ve really been encouraged by it. With each game they’ve played, they get more comfortable with one another. They’ve been a real good tandem for us.

A wraparound goal by forward Tage Thompson, his first of the season, tied the score 27 seconds later.

The Penguins regained a lead 3:24 into the second period when Tanev tucked a backhander through Johansson’s five hole on a breakaway for his sixth goal.

Things were tied again, 2-2, at 8:46 of the second when Sabres forward Victor Olofsson fired one-timer from the right circle for his eighth goal.

A power-play goal restored a lead for the Penguins at 11:36 of the second. Off a feed from behind the net by forward Sidney Crosby, forward Jake Guentzel, low in the right circle, sniped a difficult wrister to the far side past Johansson’s blocker for his ninth goal.

Penguins forward Anthony Angello, who grew up a Sabres fan approximately three hours east of Buffalo in Manlius, N.Y., got his first goal of the season 2:43 into the third period, ripping a wrister from the right circle past Johansson’s glove on the near side.

An empty-net goal by forward Bryan Rust, his ninth, capped the scoring at 18:45 of the third.

Jarry made 21 saves on 23 shots in a victory that boosted more than the Penguins’ place in the standings.

“More confidence right now,” Malkin said. “When you win a couple (consecutive) games, you have more confidence. We’re feeling more like we work together. And the goalie, Jarry played unbelievable (the) last four games. … He’s amazing. He’s I think (the) best player right now on the team. … The power play is working now too. It’s everything that’s come back.”

Note: Penguins defenseman John Marino was scratched for an undisclosed injury. He is “day to day” according to Sullivan. … In his place, the Penguins dressed defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, a healthy scratch the previous 12 games. … Forward Josh Currie was assigned to the taxi squad from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.