Penguins respond right way after Marcus Pettersson trade, shut out Predators at home

Matt Vensel, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Feb 1, 2025

Published in Hockey

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PITTSBURGH — Kyle Dubas traded away two key players Friday in another future-focused move for the Penguins, the second straight year they were sellers before the trade deadline.

Dubas said proud players in their dressing room can learn from what happened in 2023-24, when the Penguins fell into a malaise, snapped out of it with three weeks left in the season and came just a few points shy of making it back to the playoffs.

It is Dubas’ job to worry about the future of the franchise. But in the present, there is still a chance for this team to get back in the race. They just can’t wait this year.

“This year is a little bit different. Some teams over the last number of weeks have separated, very frankly,” he said. “We don’t have the time if we want to make a run for it like we did last year. We don’t have the time to see these points slip away.”

Sure, it was just one game and it came against one of the few NHL teams that have a worse record than them. Still, the Penguins responded the right way to Friday’s trade by defeating the Nashville Predators, 3-0, at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday.

The Penguins played with good pace and kept their mistakes to a minimum. Philip Tomasino and Sidney Crosby gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead, with the captain getting his goal midway through the second period thanks to a sweet Rickard Rakell pass.

That was enough goal support for Alex Nedeljkovic, who made 25 saves in the win. It took 54 games, but Pittsburgh finally secured its first shutout of the season.

Bryan Rust made it 3-0 when Nashville pulled Juuse Saros for an extra attacker.

It was just the Penguins’ fifth win in their 15 games dating back to New Year’s Eve.

In case you just now got internet reception under that rock, Pittsburgh sent Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor to Vancouver for a pick and three players on Friday.

Mike Sullivan acknowledged that it’s human nature for players to be affected when friends and longtime teammates get dealt. What he left unsaid was that there can also be an emotional letdown when team management pulls the plug on a season. But the coach also encouraged his veteran-laded squad to heed last year’s lesson.

“Well, I’d like to think we have that experience to draw on,” Sullivan stated before Saturday’s game. “We’re going to control what we can and we’re going compete hard. We have good leadership and we have an understanding of where we are at.”

Credit to the Penguins players for following through on that and earning a victory.

Ice chips

— Crosby has scored in four straight games, the NHL’s longest current goal streak.

— The two players that the Penguins acquired from the Canucks suited up. Danton Heinen skated on the second line and Vincent Desharnais played on the third pair.

— Tomasino returned to the lineup Saturday night after he was a healthy scratch in Wednesday’s win at Utah. The Predators, of course, are Tomasino’s former team.

— Matt Nieto, Jesse Puljujarvi and Ryan Shea were the healthy scratches Saturday.

— Evgeni Malkin participated in the morning skate, doing so in a non-contact jersey. Sullivan said there is no change with Malkin’s status. He is still out week to week.

— Penguins prospect Owen Pickering was added to the American Hockey League’s All-Star Classic. He will join teammate Emil Bemstrom at the festivities this week.

— Saturday was Patric Hornqvist bobblehead night, and the former Penguins winger and current Florida Panthers consultant was in the building. He got a loud ovation.

Coming up

The Penguins have a scheduled day off Sunday. They will return to practice Monday ahead of Tuesday’s game against the rival New Jersey Devils at PPG Paints Arena.