{"id":516294,"date":"2026-03-22T07:17:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T07:17:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/516294\/"},"modified":"2026-03-22T07:17:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T07:17:31","slug":"shootout-win-penguins-overcome-themselves-and-earn-crucial-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/516294\/","title":{"rendered":"SHOOTOUT WIN! Penguins Overcome Themselves and Earn Crucial Win."},"content":{"rendered":"

PITTSBURGH \u2014 Another failed challenge for goaltender interference, another short-handed goal against, and another shootout was certainly not the formula that would seem to equal success, but somehow the Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> (35-18-16) still managed to down the Winnipeg Jets<\/a> (28-29-12) 5-4 in a shootout at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Penguins have feasted on the Central Divisions with an NHL best 8-2-3 record against Central Division foes and an impressive 16-7-6 against the Western Conference. <\/p>\n

On just their second shot of the game, the Penguins opened the scoring when Egor Chinakhov<\/a> (15) took an Evgeni Malkin<\/a> pass and then did the rest, turning Winnipeg defenseman Dylan Demelo inside out and taking a sharp left turn across the slot, wristing the puck past off-balance Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck<\/a> to give the Penguins an early 1-0 lead just 1:06 into the game. It was Chinakhov\u2019s 100th career point in the NHL<\/a>. <\/p>\n

In the middle of the announcement of the Chinakhov goal, and on the very next Pittsburgh shot, the Penguins struck again. Rickard Rakell<\/a> (14) took a beautiful Bryan Rust pass and tapped it past Hellebuyck to put the Penguins up by a pair. The goal came just 56 seconds after the Chinakhov goal.<\/p>\n

The frantic pace to start the game continued when Winnipeg scored a controversial goal. After a failed point shot from defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, the Jets took off in transition the other way. Erik Karlsson<\/a> gave chase as Jets forward Brad Lambert got a clean shot on Penguins netminder Arturs Silovs<\/a>. The resulting rebound landed on the stick of Winnipeg\u2019s Morgan Barron. Barron\u2019s attempted shot then popped up in the air just as Karlsson caught up to the Winnipeg forward. As the puck popped high in the air Karlsson, Barron, and Silovs all collided with each other, leaving Silovs well out of the net. As all that was happening, the puck dropped to the ice and into the net. It appeared that Barron had pushed Karlsson into Silovs, so Penguins\u2019 head coach Dan Muse challenged the call for goaltender interference. However, the call on the ice stood and the Penguins were assessed a delay of game penalty. It was the Penguins eighth unsuccessful challenge for goaltender interference this season (0-8). \u201cWe felt that one was by the book in that their player pushes (Karlsson) into (Silovs).\u201d<\/p>\n

The Penguins got their first power play opportunity of the game, but it would be the Jets that would score. Karlsson took a shot from the point that got deflected and popped up in the air and onto the stick of Adam Lowry who broke in two-on-one with Cole Koepke<\/a> (6). Karlsson being the only man back tried to break up the two-on-one, but Lowry floated a pass right between the legs of Karlsson to Koepke, who then deeked Silovs to tie the game at two. It was the 11th short-handed goal allowed by the Penguins this season. <\/p>\n

While Karlsson could not prevent the short-handed goal, he made up for it by continuing his torrent scoring pace to put the Penguins back ahead, 3-2. After a spectacular tic-tac-toe passing display between Chinakhov, Parker Wotherspoon, and finally Karlsson (10), the Penguins\u2019 defenseman absolutely wired a wrist shot off the left post and in at 15:22 of the second. \u201cHe\u2019s been unbelievable,\u201d remarked Penguins head coach Dan Muse.<\/p>\n

The back-and-forth nature of the game continued into the third period. First it was Jets defenseman Neal Pionk<\/a> (3) wristing a puck from the point off the right post to knot the game at three at 4:04 of the third. It then appeared that the Jets took the lead just 35 seconds later when Mark Scheifele<\/a> wristed a puck off the crossbar and in, but the Penguins challenged again, this time for a high stick on the puck. The challenge was successful this time, as it was determined that Winnipeg forward Alex Iafallo had touched the puck with a high stick prior to Scheifele scoring and the score remained 3-3. <\/p>\n

While the Jets thought they had taken a 4-3 lead earlier in the period, they actually did go ahead 4-3 on a seemingly harmless wrist shot from the slot off the stick of Winnipeg\u2019s Brad Lambert<\/a> (2) that alluded Silovs\u2019 glove at 8:36 of the third.<\/p>\n

The pesky Penguins continued to press and Karlsson continued his elite play with another perfectly placed shot to tie the game once again. Taking a Rust drop pass, Karlsson (11) unleashed a wrist shot from the right circle that tucked inside the left post to knot the game at four. It was his fifth goal in his past three games and second-consecutive two-goal game. Since February 28, only the Lightning\u2019s Nikita Kucherov and the Avalanche\u2019s Nathan MacKinnon have as many points as Karlsson\u2019s 19. <\/p>\n

There would be no more scoring in regulation and for a 22nd time this season, the Penguins headed to overtime. Pittsburgh dominated play to start the extra frame, including a failed two-on-none and a wide-open look for Sidney Crosby<\/a>, but they could not solve Hellebuyck. The Penguins even got a power play in overtime, but could not convert, sending the Penguins to a dreaded shootout for a twelfth time this season.<\/p>\n

Almost shockingly, the Penguins bested the Jets in the shootout with Silovs stopping all three Winnipeg shooters, while Crosby and Rakell scored for the Penguins, \u201cimproving\u201d their shootout record to 2-10 on the season. <\/p>\n

The Penguins will have little time to celebrate the victory, as they will be back in action on Sunday afternoon against the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>. It will be the third meeting between the two teams in the past 13 days. <\/p>\n

Notes<\/p>\n

The Penguins\u2019 lines on Saturday afternoon were as follows:<\/p>\n

Forwards<\/p>\n

Rickard Rakell \u2013 Sidney Crosby \u2013 Bryan Rust<\/p>\n

Egor Chinakohov \u2013 Tommy Novak \u2013 Evgeni Malkin<\/p>\n

Anthony Mantha \u2013 Ben Kindel \u2013 Justin Brazeau<\/p>\n

Elmer Soderblom \u2013 Connor Dewar \u2013 Noel Acciari<\/p>\n

Defensemen<\/p>\n

Parker Wotherspoon \u2013 Erik Karlsson<\/p>\n

Sam Girard \u2013 Kris Letang<\/p>\n

Ryan Shea \u2013 Connor Clifton<\/p>\n

Additional Notes<\/p>\n

Bryan Rust played in his 700th career game and extended his points streak to six-consecutive games, tying his longest points streak of the season. <\/p>\n

Defenseman Ryan Shea exited the game in the second period with an apparent upper body injury after taking a high hit from Winnipeg\u2019s Adam Lowry. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTags: Egor Chinakhov<\/a> erik karlsson<\/a> Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> Sidney Crosby<\/a> Vince Comunale<\/a> <\/p>\n

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