Anthony Beauvillier netted two goals, and Joel Blomqvist made 29 saves in his NHL debut as the Pittsburgh Penguins triumphed over the Detroit Red Wings 6-3 on Thursday night.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each recorded two assists, contributing to four of the six goals. This victory allowed the Penguins to bounce back from a disappointing 6-0 loss at home to the New York Rangers in the season opener the previous night. Additional goals for Pittsburgh came from Marcus Pettersson, Erik Karlsson, Kevin Hayes, and Drew O’Connor.
For the Red Wings, Alex DeBrincat scored twice, while Vladimir Tarasenko added another goal.
Key highlights from the game include Crosby’s achievement of eight multi-point games in his last 11 matchups against Detroit. In 22 career games against the Red Wings, Crosby has amassed 18 goals and 28 assists. The Penguins have been strong against Detroit, holding a record of 10-2-2 in their last 14 encounters, including 5-2 in the last seven games played in Detroit.
The Red Wings experienced a setback as goaltender Ville Husso was removed from the game just over five minutes into the second period after conceding four goals on 14 shots. This marks a continuation of a tough start to the season for Husso, who had also struggled with lower-body injuries. Additionally, Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry exited the game during the second period due to an upper-body injury.
A pivotal moment in the match came when the score was tied at 1-1 going into the second period, but the Penguins surged ahead by scoring three goals in just 2:28 early in the period.
In terms of defensive performance, the Red Wings did not show the improvements they had aimed for; last season, they allowed four or more goals in 39 of their 82 games.
Looking ahead, the Penguins will face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, while the Red Wings will host the Nashville Predators on the same evening.