Nedeljkovic Gets Goalie Goal in Penguins Win Over the Sabres – The Hockey Writers NHL News Latest News, Analysis & More

We watched the Pittsburgh Penguins match up with the Buffalo Sabres at the Key Bank Center in Buffalo on Friday night. This was the Penguins’ first game since announcing they waived their former All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry. They entered play against the Sabres on Friday night, losers in seven of their last eight games, while the Sabres came in hot, winning three of their previous four games.

Game Recap

The Penguins and the Sabres traded scoring chances in the first period, but both goalies started the game standing tall. However, the Sabres would finally break the ice 15 minutes into the game on the power play where Owen Power went top shelf from the point. The Sabres would carry this one-goal lead into the first intermission.

This lead did not last long in the second period. The Penguins went on the power play with Rasmus Dahlin taking a high sticking penalty 30 seconds into the second frame. Rickard Rakell capitalized on this Penguins power play to tie the game at one on a rocket of a shot from the top of the right circle.

Right after the power-play goal, the Penguins got on the board again, taking a 2-1 lead. This goal came less than 30 seconds after the Penguins’ first goal. Anthony Beauvillier ended up burying on a partial breakaway. While Beauvillier finished it, this goal would not have happened without the near-full-ice saucer pass from Cody Glass to spring Beauvillier behind the Sabres’ defensemen.

The Penguins then scored their third goal of the second period, their third unanswered, eight minutes later, halfway through the period. After sending an exceptional pass to set up the second goal, Glass received an excellent pass from Phillip Tomasino and scored on a one-timer from the slot for the Penguins’ second power-play goal of the game.

These two teams would hold each other scoreless in the second half of the second period, and the Penguins’ carried a 3-1 lead into the final 20 minutes. The Penguins further extended this lead early in the third. They started the period on the power play with Tage Thompson taking an interference penalty with 35 seconds remaining in the second. The Penguins’ third power-play goal of the night was scored by Bryan Rust, who ripped a wrist shot top-shelf past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

The Sabres would respond by getting their second goal of the game courtesy of Zach Benson. However, it was too late, and the Penguins would close out the game with an empty netter from goaltender Nedeljkovic, his second point of the game, making a 5-2 final.

This was a massive win for the Penguins, considering Nedeljkovic made 40 saves in the win, which could bring back some confidence in their locker room after seeing their long-time starting goalie headed to the American Hockey League.