Paul Cotter scored the deciding goal in the shootout to lift the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 win against the Penguins on Saturday in Newark, N.J.
Arseny Gritsuk scored and Jake Allen made 33 saves for the Devils, who remain unbeaten at home (7-0-0) and have won three of their last four games.
Ryan Graves scored and Arturs Silovs made 23 saves for the Penguins, who have lost three of their last four games (1-2-1).
New Jersey controlled the play early, with a 6-2 shot attempt advantage, including three on goal, just over three minutes into the first period. The Devils had an early opportunity on a 2-on-1, but Jack Hughes lost the puck on a deke as he got to the net.
Pittsburgh started to take over as the period progressed, outshooting New Jersey 10-2 the rest of the way. But it was the hosts who broke the scoreless tie.
Gritsyuk capitalized on a turnover to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead at 19:12 of the opening frame. Kris Letang collected a loose puck along the right wall and took it into the Penguins’ zone to regroup. He tried to send a cross-ice backhand feed from the left circle, but Gritsyuk was right on him to pick it off and put it blocker side past Silovs.
Pittsburgh kept pushing in the second period but couldn’t convert. Anthony Mantha missed the net on a breakaway after a Devils turnover seven and a half minutes in. Shortly thereafter, the visitors kept New Jersey hemmed in its zone for a stretch.
Graves broke through to tie it 1-1 at 12:33 of the middle frame. Sidney Crosby won a battle down low and cycled before feeding it to Bryan Rust, who pushed it up to Graves at the left point. Graves then fired a one-timer that deflected off Devils winger Ondrej Palat before going over Allen’s glove.
Jack Hughes had a chance to put the Devils in front with 49 seconds left in the period when his brother Luke fed him at the right side of the net, but Silovs stretched out to glove it and rob the Devils center.
–Field Level Media
