Playoff Hockey Returns to Pittsburgh: Pens Clinch Berth in 5-2 Victory

 

For the first time since the 2021-22 season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are returning to Pittsburgh. The Penguins officially punched their postseason ticket on Thursday night, dominating the New Jersey Devils 5-2 at the Prudential Center. Egor Chinakhov, who has continued to stay hot since joining the Pittsburgh lineup, had a three-point night, scoring a goal and recording two assists, leading the charge. Erik Karlsson, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, and Tommy Novak also found the back of the net. Jack Hughes and Paul Cotter each scored for the Devils. Riding a three-game win streak, the Penguins are back at home on Saturday to take on the Washington Capitals, while the Devils head to Detroit.

Pittsburgh Penguins Lineup:

Chinakhov - Crosby - Rust

Novak - Rakell - Malkin

Mantha - Kindel - Brazeau

Soderblom - Acciari - A. Hayes

Wotherspoon - Karlsson

Girard - Letang

Shea - Clifton

Skinner

Silovs

New Jersey Devils Lineup:

Meier - Hischier - Mercer

Bratt - Hughes - Brown

Hameenaho - Glass - Bjugstad

Cotter - McLaughlin - Halonen

Siegenthaler - Hamilton

Cholowski - Kovacevic

Dillon - Nemec

Allen

Markstrom

Bryan Rust got the party started at 15:07 of the first period, making it 1-0, scoring his 29th goal of the season. He took a pass from Egor Chinakov to finish a tic-tac-toe play with both Kris Letang and Chinakhov after Letang had the puck at the blue line before making a pass to a cutting Chinakhov, who one-timed it to Rust from the left circle, and Rust found the back of the net before Jake Allen could get back in position.

At 10:09 of the second, Paul Cotter got New Jersey on the board to tie it 1-1 with his ninth of the season when he took a pass from Dougie Hamilton, who flipped a high pass over the Penguins' defense to Cotter after getting the puck from Brian Halonen. Cotter skated in on Stuart Skinner, beating him with a slick forehand, backhand. Tommy Novak put the Penguins back in front 2-1 at 8:17 after passing back and forth with Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson, firing a wrister past Allen from just inside the right circle. Only 9 seconds later, Chinakhov put in his 21st of the season when he took a stretch pass from Ryan Shea after Sidney Crosby won the ensuing face-off back to Shea, who flipped the puck and found its way to Chinakhov for a backhanded shot batted in past Allen to make it 3-1. Jack Hughes brought the Devils within 3-2 with 4:53 to go in the middle frame after receiving a pass near the blue line from Jonas Siegenthaler, who got the puck from Connor Brown, and Hughes skated into the slot to beat Skinner with a wrister for his 26th goal of the season.

Malkin put in his 19th of the season to give the Penguins a 4-2 lead after Crosby tossed the puck on goal from below the goal line off a pass from Chinakhov, and Malkin picked up the loose puck in the crease before banging it home. With 3 minutes to go, Erik Karlsson took a pass from Parker Wotherspoon before scoring an empty-netter for the 5-2 final.

Sidney Crosby on being back in the postseason, and if he ever got to the point where he wasn't sure they'd get back in the playoffs: "It's exciting. That's why you play. That's the best time of the year. So, to know that we're gonna be there, to set out to do that, and obviously even more, it's nice to get rewarded. Everybody has had a part in this. Obviously, it's a team game, but especially with this group, you know, with the injuries, and all the different guys in and out - everybody's contributed to us getting there." - "I know how hard it is... We had some tough ones where it came down to the last day, and we didn't get in... But I thought right from camp, we've had those intentions and had that belief. Our start was a good example of that. I think the belief was there. It takes everybody. We've got a great group here, and just really happy to know that we're going back there."

Bryan Rust on training camp, the group, and mindset coming into the season: "I think you always gotta think that coming into the year. You always gotta think that you're gonna be good. You gotta expect the best out of everybody, and I think that's exactly what we did. I don't think we looked too far ahead. I don't think we looked when we had a really good start, and then we had that 9-10 game losing streak where we blew all those leads - I don't think we were focused on anything else, but the task at hand and the next game, and I think we were having fun doing it. I think guys in here really rose to the occasion, but obviously, we gotta rise a little bit more."

Stuart Skinner on clinching a playoff spot: "It's great. It's always a great feeling. I always take it as a huge honor to get into a playoff spot. No matter where you are, when you get an opportunity like this, it's what we all play for. The group of guys in here, you can feel the energy and how excited and hungry we are. So, for the next, I believe three more games, it's a really good opportunity for us to prepare going into round one."

Notes:

- Stuart Skinner made a total of 19 saves for Pittsburgh.

- Evgeni Malkin picked up a goal and an assist, and Sidney Crosby collected a pair of assists. ...Both Crosby and Malkin enter their franchise-leading 16th postseason. Crosby enters the 2026 playoffs with the fifth-most playoff points in NHL history, tied with Jaromir Jagr (201), while Malkin (180) owns the fourth most by a player born outside of North America behind only Jari Kurri (233), Jagr (201), and Nicklas Lidstrom (183). ...Crosby enters the 2026 playoffs two wins shy of 100 postseason victories, which would make him the fourth active player to reach the mark - joining Corey Perry, Ryan McDonagh, and Brad Marchand. Victor Hedman is one win away, while Malkin (96) could also hit 100 if the Penguins reach Round 2.

- Kris Letang (90 points in 147 GP) is two points from tying Bobby Orr for eighth-most playoff points by a defenseman with one franchise, and one assist shy of Duncan Keith for seventh on that list.

- Jake Allen made a total of 26 saves for New Jersey.

- The Devils were eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday.

- Penguins: 42-22-16, Devils: 40-36-3