PITTSBURGH — In an exciting overtime matchup on Tuesday evening, Rickard Rakell netted the game-winner just 1:44 into the extra period, leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
Rakell’s decisive goal came through a deft deflection of Erik Karlsson’s shot from the point, finding its way past goaltender Darcy Kuemper. The game featured key contributions from Evgeni Malkin, who scored a crucial goal, and Matt Grzelcyk, whose late third-period goal marked his first as a Penguin, forcing the game into overtime. Michael Bunting, marking his 300th game in the NHL, assisted on two of the goals.
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic stood tall in net for Pittsburgh, making a total of 29 saves to help secure the win. On the other side, the Kings opened the scoring just 33 seconds into the match with a goal from Adrian Kempe, while Alex Turcotte also found the back of the net. Vladislav Gavrikov contributed with two assists in the contest, while Kuemper made 28 saves for Los Angeles.
This result marks a complex moment for the Kings, who have now dropped two of their last three games following a streak of six consecutive wins. Meanwhile, the Penguins are enjoying a strong stretch, having won seven out of their last 10 games. It’s noteworthy that Pittsburgh had been struggling with eight losses in the prior ten games before their current successful run.
A pivotal moment in the third period came when Sidney Crosby delivered a perfectly placed cross-ice pass to Grzelcyk, who unleashed a wrist shot that beat Kuemper, leveling the score and pushing the game into overtime.
A significant statistic for the Penguins is their impressive record of 12 wins, 3 losses, and 2 overtime losses in games where they score three or more goals. Additionally, Pittsburgh has managed to gain points in eight out of their last 10 home encounters with the Kings, stretching back to October 30, 2014.
Looking ahead, both squads will be on the road this Thursday. The Penguins head to Nashville for their next challenge, while the Kings embark on an extensive season-long, seven-game, 15-day road trip.