Tristan Jarry, Penguins shut out Capitals for bounce-back victory

Lars Eller is a member of a unique — and, more accurately, obscure — fraternity of 19 players who have been teammates with Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and his counterpart with the Washington Capitals, Alex Ovechkin.

The sturdy third-line center who scored the championship-clinching goal that led to the Capitals’ only Stanley Cup win in 2019 has good memories of his days in the Beltway. But Eller, who joined the Penguins as a free agent this past offseason, wasn’t overly eager to reminisce when asked about playing his former team for the first time since the Capitals traded him in March.

After all, he knows all too well how important Penguins-Capitals is.

“It’s been like a second home for me for a long time,” Eller said Tuesday in Cranberry. “Lots of good things to think back on. Now, it’s a new chapter. I’m looking forward to going in there and try to get two points.”

Unlike many things in Washington, those ambitions were realized as the Penguins earned their first win in their second game of the 2023-24 campaign, blanking their longtime rivals, 4-0, on Friday at Capital One Arena.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry stopped all 19 shots he faced to record his 14th career shutout, and the Penguins power play was 2 for 4. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and three assists, and Sidney Crosby scored twice.

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“After losing the first one, we just wanted to get two points, regardless of who we were playing,” Crosby told reporters in Washington. “Obviously we know with these games, they’re intense, but with this being their first one and our second, both teams were just trying to get to their game. Special teams were big tonight. We got a big couple of power-play goals, and (Jarry) made some big saves there to keep our cushion. Pretty solid game. We didn’t give them a ton.”

Malkin opened the scoring 4 minutes, 7 seconds into the second period with his first goal of the season. Following a strong effort by Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson to keep the puck in the offensive zone at the right point, forward Rickard Rakell claimed possession on the right half wall. With Capitals defensemen John Carlson and Rasmus Sandin as well as forward Nicklas Backstrom all bunched together in the right circle, Rakell identified Malkin alone in the slot and slid a pass to him. With minimal resistance, Malkin scorched goaltender Charlie Lindgren’s glove with a wrister. Rakell and Karlsson had assists.

A power-play goal by Crosby put the visitors up by two goals at 5:51 of the middle frame. Settling a puck in the left circle of the offensive zone, Malkin slipped a pass to the far side of the crease for forward Jake Guentzel. The puck pinballed off Guentzel’s stick and bounced to the slot, where Crosby was able to force a forehand shot through stick checks by Carlson and Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen. With Lindgren swimming in his crease, Crosby’s shot fluttered into a mostly vacant cage for his second goal of the season off assists from Guentzel and Malkin.

Crosby struck again on a power-play opportunity at 11:46 of the second. From the left circle of the offensive zone, Guentzel forced a pass to Crosby — positioned in the opposite circle — but had it broken up by Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov. Trailing the sequence, Malkin instinctively swept the rebound to Crosby, who swiped a one-timer from low in the right circle past Lindgren’s right skate on the far side. Malkin and Guentzel recorded assists.

Forward Reilly Smith’s first goal of the season and as a member of the Penguins capped the scoring at 16:57 of the final period. Following a neutral zone turnover by Carlson, Malkin claimed the puck, backtracked behind his own blue line and slid a stretch pass to the offensive blue line for Smith. Charging up the left wing, Smith ripped a wrister past the glove of the right-catching Lindgren on the near side. The lone assist went to Malkin.

The Penguins’ penalty kill was 3 for 3 and limited the Capitals to one shot.

“I just thought we played smart,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We had a little bit more structure in the defensive zone. Just our play without the puck was a little bit more conscientious.”

Notes:

• Jarry’s shutout was his first since a 2-0 home win against the Nashville Predators on March 30. He made 28 saves in that contest.

• Jarry also had the Penguins’ last shutout against the Capitals, a 3-0 road win on May 1, 2021.

• Jarry (118 wins) surpassed Matt Murray (117) for third place on the franchise’s career goaltending wins list.

• Malkin (1,233 points) surpassed defenseman Phil Housley (1,232) and forward Norm Ullman (1,229) for 42nd place on the NHL’s career scoring list.

• Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson received a fighting major late in regulation at 19:35 of the third period when he was attacked by Capitals forward Tom Wilson:

• Penguins defensemen John Ludvig and Ryan Shea were healthy scratches.

• Darcy Kuemper, the Capitals’ top goaltender, was scratched as he attended to his family following the birth of a child, according to media in Washington.

• The Capitals’ Spencer Carbery made his NHL head coaching debut.