Snap Shots: Pens 5, Rangers 2

Thoughts, musings, and observations from the Pens' 5-2 against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

* The Pens ended their four-game, eight-day road trip with a 3-0-1 record, moving within one point of Washington for the Metro Division lead (the Caps have 96 points while the Pens and Isles both have 95 points). And I think what stood out the most to me is that they got better and better with each game.
After a tough 2-1 overtime loss in Carolina to open the trip last Tuesday, the Pens responded by getting a 2-1 shootout win in Nashville last Thursday. They then held on for a 3-2 regulation win in Dallas on Saturday before coming back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Rangers 4-2 tonight.
The Pens are showing that they have what it takes to win games at this time of year. They've been solid defensively in these tight matchups. They're starting to find a way to get some secondary scoring despite being without Evgeni Malkin for the last five games and the overall lack of room on the ice. And of course, they're getting terrific goaltending. As Pens head coach Mike Sullivan said, his guys are playing hard, playing together and becoming a team.
"We went into some pretty difficult buildings and we get seven out of eight points against some really good teams," he said. "I think it was a great road trip from our standpoint. We have to still continue to climb and try to get better and see where it takes us. But by no means are we satisfied with where we're at. We're going to try to win every game. But I really like how our team is trending."
* After going down 2-0 early in the first period, the Pens' comeback began in the final minutes of that frame. They took complete control of the game from there on out, scoring five unanswered goals. Teddy Blueger scored twice while Nick Bjugstad, Justin Schultz and Matt Cullen all getting one each. Cullen's goal broke a 27-game drought and stood as the game-winner.
For a while there, goal scoring was hard to come by for the Pens. But they broke through in a big way tonight by getting contributions from all over their lineup, which is exactly what you need to win down the stretch and in the playoffs.
"I think it's essential to win games, especially at this time of year," Sullivan said. "Guys are stepping up and they're making big plays at key times for us. Teddy Blueger had a great game for us tonight. Jared McCann had a great game in Dallas for us. We've got different guys stepping up and our core players are our core players. They're bringing it each and every night. When you get that complement going throughout our lineup, I think our team is a much better hockey team."
* The Pens may have seen their streak of consecutive road penalty kills end at 16 when the Rangers scored a power-play goal in the second period, but they bounced back with a vengeance.
For the rest of the night, the Pens were completely dominant on the penalty kill, getting odd-man rushes and scoring a shorthanded goal for a second straight game. And for a second straight game, Blueger was involved on the play.
After feeding McCann for his sick spin-o-rama move against the Stars, Blueger tried to get a pass over to Bryan Rust, but his attempt missed the net. He was able to poke it behind the net over to Blueger, who dragged it onto his backhand as he stepped out from behind the goal line and sent a backhander past Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev.

The Pens now have 12 shorthanded tallies on the season, which ranks top-three in the NHL. As Sullivan said this morning, they don't coach the penalty kill to score goals, they coach the penalty kill to defend and keep it out of their net. But the personnel they've been using have offensive instincts and are able to take advantage of situations that present themselves through their defense.
* That was Blueger's first goal of the night. He went on to score in the third period for his first career two-goal game.
His line with McCann and Phil Kessel is really starting to gain some steam. They had a great night on Saturday in Dallas as Sullivan alluded to, with McCann scoring twice. This morning, McCann said that defensively, they didn't give up much, and offensively, they created a lot. "Tonight, we're going to try to do the same," he said. And that's exactly what they did.
When Malkin first went down, Sullivan said that Kessel's line with Blueger was an important one for them, and they were going to need them. Blueger, who moved from wing to center in Malkin's absence, had to step up and shoulder a bigger role - and he's starting to thrive in it.
* Matt Murray shines on the big stage at the World's Most Famous Arena.
He is now a perfect 6-0 in his career against the Rangers, including a 5-0 mark at Madison Square Garden. Including the playoffs, he is now 9-0 in his career against the Rangers.
Overall, he has an 8-2-2 record in his last 12 games and has won 23 of his past 33 starts (23-7-4) since returning on Dec. 15 from a month-long injury absence.