PITTSBURGH — Michael Bunting netted a power-play goal in the third period, allowing the Pittsburgh Penguins to seize control of the game and ultimately secure a 5-2 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday evening.
Rickard Rakell also contributed with a power-play goal, while Bryan Rust had a notable performance with a goal and an assist. In the closing moments of the game, Blake Lizotte and Kris Letang added short-handed empty-net goals, sealing the win for Pittsburgh.
With his performance, Letang reached a milestone, now ranking 23rd among defensemen for the most points in NHL history. Lizotte celebrated a personal achievement, setting a career-high with a four-game point streak.
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby assisted on a goal, tying Gordie Howe for the fifth-most assists by one player for a single franchise in league history. Meanwhile, Rust moved past Mark Recchi to take the 16th spot on the team’s all-time points leaderboard.
Goaltender Tristan Jarry was effective in net, stopping 24 shots and marking his fourth consecutive win.
For Toronto, William Nylander scored on a power play, and Mitch Marner tallied his 10th goal of the season while also assisting on another goal. Marner has been impressive lately, accumulating nine goals and 31 points over his past 20 games, with points in eight straight road matchups.
Joseph Woll recorded 24 saves but witnessed his six-game winning streak come to an end.
Takeaways from the match highlight that the Maple Leafs have now lost two games in a row, having fallen 3-1 to Washington the previous night. Prior to this slump, Toronto had claimed victory in 10 of 12 games.
In contrast, the Penguins bounced back following a 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers, winning five of their last six games after a tough stretch that saw them lose eight of ten overall.
A key moment in the game occurred when Rust’s cross-ice pass deflected off Connor Dewar of the Maple Leafs, landing perfectly for Bunting to score the decisive goal.
Significantly, Pittsburgh has managed to score power-play goals in seven of their last 11 games, with four of Bunting’s six goals this season coming from power plays.
Looking ahead, both teams are set to take the ice again on Tuesday night. Toronto will face off against New Jersey, while Pittsburgh takes on Colorado.
