PITTSBURGH — The fire that Evgeni Malkin showed after the Penguins finally blasted through the brick wall at the other end of the ice hammered home just how difficult that task was and how physically and emotionally draining Saturday’s game was.
Throughout the first 45 minutes of their 1-0 victory against the New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena, Tristan Jarry and Igor Shesterkin traded saves and two of the Metropolitan Division’s top squads took turns crashing into each other.
Finally, with 14:51 left in regulation, somebody scored the game’s first goal. With the Penguins on the power play, Bryan Rust sent a backhand pass across the zone to Malkin, who ripped a shot from the right circle past his countryman.
