PITTSBURGH — Jake Guentzel scored 33 seconds into overtime after Bryan Rust tied it with 25 seconds left in regulation, and the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied to defeat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 at PPG Paints Arena on Monday.
Guentzel took a pass from Sidney Crosby to the left face-off circle for a wrist shot on a 2-on-1 to win it. It came four seconds later Trevor Zegras missed Cam Fowler with a backhand pass on a breakaway at the other end.
“It’s huge,” Guentzel said. “We need two points now. They’re the same two points at the end of the year. … You just have to stay with it. That’s the only way you can do it.”
Video: ANA@PIT: Zucker scores on the wraparound
Evgeni Malkin and Jason Zucker each had a goal and an assist, and Rickard Rakell had three assists for the Penguins (22-15-6), who had lost two in a row and eight of 10. Casey DeSmith made 26 saves.
Zegras had a goal and an assist, and John Gibson made 41 saves for the Ducks (12-27-5), who have lost four straight by a combined score of 23-8.
“The result is the result,” Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. “I thought we played a really good road game, one of the best road games we’ve played, especially against a really hungry and veteran team. … With our team, we have to play a perfect game, where we’re at as a team.
“Obviously, in overtime, you have your chance at one end. If you don’t put it in, you know it’s coming back the other way.”
Video: ANA@PIT: Rust fires in a goal to even the score
Ducks defenseman John Klingberg tied it 2-2 at 11:16 of the third period on the power play, taking a pass from Zegras for a wrist shot from the right circle before Zegras gave Anaheim a 3-2 lead on a one-timer set up. Ryan Strome at 15:40.
“Not that I can think of right now,” Zegras said on if there’s anything positive in the loss. “Battled back, didn’t get the result. Not what you want.”
Rust tied it 3-3 with 25 seconds remaining, a one-timer off a backhand pass from Guentzel with the extra attacker to end a nine-game scoring drought.
“I think for us, we’ve been getting a lot of chances,” Rust said. “We’d been pushing fairly well. How things have been going, they got a couple there in the third and instead of getting on our heels and kind of deflating, we decided to dig in. … I think we were all working for each other.”
Video: ANA@PIT: Guentzel launches game-winning goal in OT
Zucker put Pittsburgh ahead 1-0 at 4:16 of the first period after his pass intended for Rakell was tipped behind the net by Klingberg, and Zucker collected it for a wraparound at the right post.
Adam Henrique tied it 1-1 on a power play at 17:50. Troy Terry shot from the left circle, producing a rebound for Mason McTavish to collect for a wrist shot near the left post before Henrique scored on a second rebound from the crease.
Malkin gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead at 8:46 of the second period, tapping in a loose puck at the right post off a slap shot from Rakell with Gibson down in the crease. He had gone without a point in four of his previous six games and without a goal in five of those six.
“It is what it is, lose the game,” Gibson said. “You can say whatever you want. But you still found a way to lose the game instead of winning the game.”
Video: ANA@PIT: Malkin gets in tight to score
DeSmith made a lunging save on a slap shot from McTavish on a power play to preserve the one-goal lead with one second left in the period.
“I think it’s a huge win for us,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “I thought our leadership was terrific. There was a lot of talk about getting it done and responding the right way. … I really liked the response with our guys.”
NOTES: Guentzel’s goal on Crosby’s assist gave him 1,458 points (538 goals, 920 assists) in 1,151 NHL games, passing Teemu Selanne (1,457 points in 1,451 games) for 17th all-time. … Rakell played against his former team for the first time since being acquired in a trade from the Ducks on March 21 last season. … Gibson made his 400th NHL start. He is 173-167-55 in 408 games. … Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson had two shots on goal, two hits and four blocks in 23:15 of ice time after missing the previous two games with an illness. … Pittsburgh forward Jonathan Gruden had two hits in 7:02 during his NHL debut. … Penguins defenseman Jan Rutta was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. He is day to day.
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