The Pittsburgh Penguins will hope to claim all four points available from their Thanksgiving weekend doubleheader as they host the wayward Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
Pittsburgh’s 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday and 4-3 overtime triumph versus the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday marked its first string of consecutive wins since late October.
Superstar captain Sidney Crosby helped his team overcome a two-goal deficit on Friday, tying the game off Tommy Novak’s stretch pass that caromed off the boards before settling softly on his stick.
Defenseman Kris Letang sealed the win 59 seconds into the extra session in what was the Penguins’ first overtime win of the season.
Bryan Rust left the game twice with apparent injuries but returned in the third to get the Penguins back within one just 13 seconds into the period.
“On our toes a bit more, I think we took away their time and space a little bit more,” Rust said of their sudden resurgence in the third period. “But I also think we were smarter with the puck, which also helps.”
The Penguins had dropped all five of their games that had gone past regulation this season.
“If you go back to our last overtime, I thought we did a lot of good things,” said Pittsburgh head coach Dan Muse, who criticized his team earlier in the day for lacking energy.
“So, you know, we carried that over into this one. Obviously, when we got the opportunity, we executed. Great to get that first overtime win.”
The Maple Leafs, who are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games, arrive at the halfway mark of their six-game road trip in rather unimpressive fashion. They coughed up a two-goal lead against the Washington Capitals on Friday night in a 4-2 loss.
Max Domi was a healthy scratch for the first time this season as Dakota Joshua and Matias Maccelli slotted in on the wings.
“I gotta look at the lineup, what I think’s best for tonight, and that’s part of it,” Toronto head coach Craig Berube said. “And then I just want to talk to himDomi] about getting a reset and we’ll see about tomorrow if we get him back in.”
The Maple Leafs have been hemmed in their own zone for much of their road trip, having been outshot 99-72 over the three-game stretch. If there has been any silver lining, Joseph Woll has been a sorely needed steadying presence between the pipes given the barrage of pucks on net.
“He’s been outstanding,” Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly said of Woll after Friday’s game. “You know, he’s been working extremely hard to get back into form and he looks just like himself and he’s making huge saves for us.”
Team-leading scorer William Nylander drew out of the lineup after waking up in the morning with an illness. It is unclear whether he will play against Pittsburgh.
-Field Level Media
