Fast start helps Penguins end 7-game skid against Oilers

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson’s baritone voice dropped a handful of octaves when the query was posed.

How unique of a challenge are the Edmonton Oilers strictly because of the combined presence of superstar forwards Leon Draisaitl and Connor Mc-David?

“Oh very,” a sullen Pettersson said Wednesday in Cranberry. “You’ve got to keep an eye out when they’re out there. The last few times we’ve played them, we’ve given them a little bit too much room so they can ramp up their speed. That’s the whole premise of their game.

“It’s going to be a tough challenge.”

The Penguins were up for that challenge Thursday as they claimed a wild 5-3 victory against the Edmonton Oilers. With the win, the Penguins halted a fourgame losing streak (0-1-3) and snapped a hideous seven- game skid to the powerful Oilers (0-7-0) dating to Dec. 1, 2021.

Thursday’s triumph was accomplished without the services of All-Star forward Evgeni Malkin, who missed his second consecutive game with an undisclosed injury. Officially labeled as “day-to-day,” Malkin underwent a rigorous workout during an optional morning skate in Cranberry.

As for his able-bodied teammates, forward Rickard Rakell opened the scoring with his team-leading 21st goal of the season 3 minutes, 19 seconds into regulation.

Taking a pass on Edmonton’s left half-wall, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby spun off a check from Oilers forward Mattias Ekholm and slipped a backhand feed to the center point for Pettersson, who golfed a one-timer on net. Despite a redirection by Penguins forward Bryan Rust, goaltender Stuart Skinner made the initial save but allowed a rebound to squeak loose. From the left of the crease, Rakell was able to bang a forehand shot under Skinner’s left leg.

Rust’s 16th goal came at 7:22 of the first period.

Settling a loose puck in Edmonton’s left circle, Crosby offloaded it to the near half-wall for Pettersson. Hesitating for a moment, Pettersson dished the pass to the top of the left circle for Rust, who pumped a wrister off the near post and past Skinner’s blocker. Rakell supplied a stout screen on the sequence.

The Penguins went up by a field goal via forward Kevin Hayes’ sixth goal at 9:46 of the opening frame.

Outbattling Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak and forward Adam Henrique for a puck on Edmonton’s end boards, Penguins forward Drew O’Connor slipped a pass to the front of the crease for Hayes, who snapped a wrister by Skinner’s right leg.

Draisaitl got the visitors on the scoreboard with his league-best 30th goal at 12:33 of the first period by cleaning up a rebound.

O’Connor got in on the act with his sixth goal only 68 seconds later.

Rust chased down a puck dumped into Edmonton’s left corner then circumnavigated his way behind the cage to the right circle. Waiting for a line change, Rust backhanded a puck to the opposite circle for an on-rushing O’Connor, who lasered a wrister to the near side by Skinner’s blocker.

Crosby’s 12th goal came 5:42 into the second period during a power-play sequence.

Draisaitl scored again at 10:58 of the second frame to make it 5-2. That was followed by Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ 11th goal during a power- play scenario late in the second at the 19:15 mark.

Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic’s record improved to 7-6-4 after he unofficially stopped 40 of 43 shots, including 16 in the third period.