The Wrap: Penguins Rally to Beat Coyotes in Back-and-Forth Affair

Final Score: Penguins 6, Coyotes 3

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • -
                                      Arizona got two goals and an assist from Nick Schmaltz while Clayton Keller recorded another multi-point game on Tuesday night (Jan. 25) at PPG Paints Arena but despite going toe-to-toe with Pittsburgh for the first two periods, the Coyotes could not put the Penguins away as the hosts managed to score three game-tying goals before pulling away with four tallies in the third period to secure a 6-3 win over the Coyotes.
                                      "They obviously have a lot of skill and a lot of good players," said Schmaltz. "I think maybe we mismanaged a couple of plays and when you do that against high-skill players they're going to make you pay."
                                      Only 14 shots between Pittsburgh and Arizona were on goal in the first period, as each squad did a good job limiting the opponents' time and space. Each team's best chances in an otherwise quiet frame came on a Sidney Crosby wraparound attempt and a deflected Jakob Chychrun shot that rang off the post.
                                      The second period also concluded all tied up, but this time 2-2 after each team scored a pair. Schmaltz broke the ice midway through the frame by depositing a pass from Keller off the rush. Pittsburgh countered three minutes later with a power-play goal when Crosby fed Bryan Rust with a between the legs pass through the crease.

Arizona got the lead back when Keller delivered a top-shelf snipe from the left circle on a 5-on-3 power play. However, Pittsburgh countered again when Kris Letang tied back up at 2-2 with a wrist shot on the man-advantage as well.

Schmaltz scored for the second time with a go-ahead goal early in the third period, but Pittsburgh answered again when Brock McGinn tied it up at 3-3 just two minutes later. From there, the Penguins took off. Crosby registered the game-winner at 7:10, followed by Letang and Brian Boyle adding two more later on for insurance as Pittsburgh snatched the 6-3 victory.

The Game:

First Period (ARI 0, PIT 0):No scoring.
Second Period (ARI 2, PIT 2):Nick Schmaltz (3), assisted by Clayton Keller (17) and Travis Boyd (10) at 8:23. /// Bryan Rust (10), assisted by Sidney Crosby (22) and Evgeni Malkin (5) at 11:31. /// Clayton Keller (16), assisted by Shayne Gostisbehere (19) and Nick Schmaltz (10) at 16:22. /// Kris Letang (4), assisted by Sidney Crosby (23) and Bryan Rust (16) at 18:18.
Third Period (PIT 6, ARI 3):Nick Schmaltz (4) unassisted at 2:54. /// Brock McGinn (10), assisted by Evan Rodrigues (16) and Evgeni Malkin (6) at 4:53. /// Sidney Crosby (11), assisted by Bryan Rust (17) and Brian Dumoulin (11) at 7:10. /// Kris Letang (5), assisted by Evan Rodrigues (17) and Jeff Carter (14) at 11:36. /// Brian Boyle (5), assisted by Zach Aston-Reese (8) at 13:42.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Statistics:
SOG: ARI - 16, PIT - 36
PP: ARI - 1/2, PIT - 2/3
FO%: ARI - 48%, PIT - 52%
Hits: ARI - 32, PIT - 22
Blocks: ARI - 14, PIT - 6

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • -
                                      Tourigny's Take: "It came down to five or six plays in the sense of both offensively and defensively. There was a timely penalty on our side, bad mistakes and then after we didn't stay with it. When they tied the game, I think there was panic on our side. We were anxious, and instead of just relaxing and staying with it, we drove outside and tried to force plays. We did not play as well defensively and really good teams are going to make us pay."
                                      - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Nick Schmaltz said: "It was unfortunate because I thought we were pretty good for the first two periods. We just gave up a couple of power-play goals; they have a really good power play. But other than that, we didn't really give them a whole lot. Those ones late were just a result of some of our puck mistakes and we let our goalie hang out to dry there."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Notable:
• The duo of Clayton Keller (1-1-2) and Nick Schmaltz (2-1-3) each contributed multi-point games with were their ninth and fourth multi-point performances of the season, respectively. The nine multi-point instances for Keller trails just 2017-18 (14) for the most he's registered in a single season.
• Keller is on simultaneous runs of six points (3-3-6) in his last four games and 16 points (10-6-16) in his last 14 outings. His goal was his third power-play marker of the season, which now leads the Coyotes.
• Schmaltz doubled his goal output by tallying his third and fourth of the season. His three-point showing was his second in his last five games and enters Friday with a 3-4-7 scoring line in that span.
• Tuesday was Schmaltz's fifth career two-goal game and 10th career three-point game. His last multi-goal game came on March 9, 2020 at Winnipeg.
• Schmaltz's second goal was his third career unassisted goal, his first two coming on Jan. 17, 2017 and Jan. 26, 2017 with Chicago.
• Shayne Gostisbehere added an assist for the second consecutive game. In his last 82 games, the defenseman has registered 46 points (16-30-46).
• Travis Boyd's assist was his 20th point of the campaign (10-10-20), tying his previous single-season career-high from 2018-19 with Washington.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Coyotes Lineup:
Forwards
Keller - Boyd - Schmaltz
Crouse - Larsson - Kessel
Ladd - Nash - Fischer
O'Brien - Galchenyuk - Eriksson
Defensemen
Capobianco - Gostisbehere
Moser - Strålman
Chychrun - Lyubushkin
Scratches
Dzingel
Roussel
Mayo
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Roster Notes: Head Coach André Tourigny went with the exact same lineup and line/defense combinations as the Rangers game on Jan. 22.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What's Next: Arizona returns to the Valley and will take part in its second home back-to-back of the season, beginning with hosting Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and the Boston Bruins on Friday (Jan. 28). Puck drop with the Bruins is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcasted on Bally Sports Arizona+ and ESPN 620 AM.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Photo of the Game:Nick Schmaltz stickhandles around Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry to deposit his second goal of the game.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • -
                                      Video Highlights: