PITTSBURGH — The cavalry has started to arrive for the Penguins, and not a moment too soon.
Without several regulars, a couple of them former All-Stars, they won just three of their first 11 games coming out of the NHL’s Christmas break. They got outplayed at 5-on-5. Their special teams suffered. They didn’t get timely saves.
But Friday night they welcomed back Tristan Jarry and Jeff Petry and immediately reaped the benefits. Those two helped the Penguins build a 3-0 lead against the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena and then skate away with a 4-1 win.