Pittsburgh @ Anaheim preview
Honda Center
Last Meeting ( Oct 30, 2023 ) Anaheim 4, Pittsburgh 3
Comfortable with his role as the Anaheim Ducks' late-game savoir, Mason McTavish will get a second chance Tuesday to help topple the Pittsburgh Penguins in the span of a week.
McTavish's late goal not only was the difference in a road victory over the Penguins on Oct. 30, but the 20-year-old pulled off the feat again with a late go-ahead score in a comeback victory over the champion Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
"I've been coming up with the third-period goals recently," McTavish said on the Bally Sports West broadcast. "Maybe (I need) to get going from the start. I don't know."
On a six-game winning streak that has signaled the young Ducks just might be for real, Anaheim has pulled off five comebacks already this season when they trailed in the third period. Sunday's 4-2 victory came with four third-period goals and 30 saves from John Gibson.
Another one of those comebacks came at Pittsburgh last week when Anaheim trailed by a goal with a tick over 17 minutes remaining. McTavish rode to the rescue with a game-tying score at 3:01 of the final period. He wasn't finished.
The game-winner came when the Ducks killed off the first part of the Penguins' two-man advantage, when McTavish bolted from the penalty box, took a pass from Adam Henrique and beat Penguins' goalie Tristan Jarry with 11.9 seconds remaining for the 4-3 victory.
The go-ahead goal Sunday from McTavish, to stick the Golden Knights with their first regulation loss of the season and end their 12-game season-opening points streak, came with 3:40 remaining. Sam Carrick scored two goals, tying the game at 10:55 of the third.
"It just goes to show the character of the group here," Carrick said. "Never quitting, never giving up and just believing in each other. It doesn't matter if it's a one-, two- or three-goal (deficit), we've got a chance to come back."
The Penguins are just 4-6-0 and lost five of their last seven games, but they are coming off a resounding 10-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday to open a three-game California road trip.
Reilly Smith, Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin each scored two goals. Guentzel scored the 200th goal of his career and had two assists, along with Smith. Bryan Rust also had a four-point game with a goal and three assists.
"Felt good to get a win," Rust said. "I don't think we like where we are (in the standings) this early in the season. We don't like our record, don't like some of the results. So we knew that we had to come out here tonight, try and get the win."
Jarry had a much better time than he did in the third period against the Ducks last week when he made 24 saves against the Sharks.
It was also a milestone night for Penguins star Sidney Crosby, who played in his 1,200th NHL game and marked the occasion with an assist. His 1,512 career points are sixth most through a player's first 1,200 games.
"He's just a tremendous player," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's an unbelievable athlete. He's an incredible teammate. He's been the heartbeat of the Penguins for a long time, and he continues to be."
--Field Level Media