The Pittsburgh Penguins played with the right attitude while snapping a two-game losing streak Thursday, according to first-year coach Dan Muse.
He hopes to see the same intensity Saturday when the Penguins conclude a three-game road trip to California with a matchup against the San Jose Sharks.
Pittsburgh improved to 3-2-0 by doubling the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 on Thursday night.
“The guys have gone over the boards, they have something to prove,” Muse said. “They weren’t happy with the way it went down there the other night (in Anaheim). They have a new opportunity, and that’s the good thing about this league. If you’re not happy with the results from a night or two ago, you have a new opportunity right around the corner, and I think for the team and for the special teams, they responded very well.”
Pittsburgh’s Filip Hallander scored his first NHL goal while Evgeni Malkin, Connor Dewar and Sidney Crosby also found the back of the net as the Penguins erased a 2-0 deficit.
Hallander, whose goal was the game-winner, became the ninth player in Penguins history to score his first career NHL goal shorthanded.
“(Rickard Rakell) made a good shot. I almost had an open net on the return. I missed it and then blocked the puck as hard as I could. Glad to see it go in,” said Hallander, who was playing his seventh career game in three seasons with the Penguins. “It feels good and I’ve been waiting for it.”
Parker Wotherspoon and Erik Karlsson added two assists each, while goalie Arturs Silovs made 30 saves to improve to 2-1-0.
Pittsburgh and San Jose split two games last season, with each team winning at home.
The Sharks will entertain the Penguins on Saturday in the second half of a back-to-back set.
San Jose, returning home after a 6-3 loss to Utah Mammoth on Friday in Salt Lake City, is still looking for its first victory. The Sharks lost their first two games in overtime, then lost their last two in regulation.
“We were on their heels too early. We have to start with the opposite and get them back on their heels,” San Jost forward Mario Ferraro said. “Obviously it’s a road game, but we have to be even tighter in situations like that. I think just playing simple, getting pucks in and out, that’s really important.
“Of course our start wasn’t good enough (Friday).”
Jeff Skinner and Macklin Celebrini each had a goal and an assist, along with Tyler Toffoli for San Jose, which is the only winless team in the NHL.
Yaroslav Askarov made 28 saves while falling to 0-1-1 this season.
“We have to play 60 minutes. We have to play from the first minute of the match,” Askarov said. “Keep working, keep fighting, and it will happen. It’s close, I think so.”
Alex Nedeljkovic, San Jose’s likely starter in net Saturday, is 0-1-1 with a 4.45 goals-against average and .878 save percentage. In four career games against the Penguins, the former Pittsburgh goalie is 2-1-0 with an .858 save percentage and 5.07 GAA.
–Field level media
