Penguins Keep Rolling with Fifth Straight Win, Drop Blackhawks 6-2 Behind Explosive Second Period
PITTSBURGH - The Penguins are heating up, and Thursday night’s performance was another reminder that this team is finding its rhythm at just the right time. Powered by a four-goal second period, Pittsburgh cruised past the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 at PPG Paints Arena, extending their win streak to five and sweeping the season series with Chicago in the process.
Since returning from the NHL's holiday break on December 27, the Penguins have banked points in 14 of their last 16 games. That’s not just a hot stretch - that’s a team building serious momentum. Against Western Conference opponents, Pittsburgh has quietly put together a strong 12-6-6 record, and Thursday’s win only added to that growing confidence.
Depth on Display
Ten different Penguins found the scoresheet in this one, a testament to the team’s depth and balance. Arturs Silovs, making his second straight start, turned away 17 shots to pick up his tenth win of the season - and second in a row. He wasn’t overly busy, but he came up big when needed, especially during a shaky first period that could’ve gone sideways.
Chicago actually struck first, capitalizing on a power play that saw them pepper Silovs with pressure. The Blackhawks nearly broke through with a shot off the post and a dangerous look from Connor Bedard, but Silovs - who had lost his stick - made a sprawling glove save to keep things level. Moments later, though, Connor Murphy found space in the slot and ripped one past Silovs at 9:32 of the first, giving the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead.
But the Penguins didn’t wait long to respond.
Dewar Sparks the Comeback
Just under two minutes after Murphy’s tally, Connor Dewar answered with some slick footwork and a little puck luck. Dewar corralled a rebound off a Noel Acciari shot, kicked the puck from skate to stick, and floated a shot that beat Arvid Soderblom just inside the post. It was Dewar’s 12th goal of the season - a new career high - and it tied the game 1-1 heading into the second.
That’s when Pittsburgh took over.
Second Period Surge
The Penguins came out flying in the middle frame, and rookie Ben Kindel wasted no time giving them the lead. Kindel, who had just returned from the penalty box, took a feed from Anthony Mantha and snapped a quick shot through Soderblom’s five-hole at 5:54. That made it three goals in two games for Kindel, who continues to make the most of his minutes.
Next up: a highlight-reel goal from Egor Chinakhov that had the crowd buzzing. Evgeni Malkin, still one of the league’s smoothest puck distributors, glided into the zone and sent a spinning backhand pass to Chinakhov in the slot.
The winger deked around defenseman Artyom Levshunov and flipped the puck in off Soderblom. That’s six goals in 13 games for Chinakhov since joining the team on January 1 - tied with Sidney Crosby for the team lead in that span.
The Penguins are 10-2-2 since his debut. Coincidence?
Probably not.
Just 31 seconds later, the Penguins struck again. Kindel found Mantha with a perfect pass, and the veteran forward split the Chicago defense before sliding a backhander between Soderblom’s pads to make it 4-1. The onslaught continued late in the period, when Ryan Shea blasted a slap shot past Soderblom’s glove at 19:30, putting the game out of reach at 5-1.
Closing It Out
Dewar wasn’t done either. He added his second goal of the night - and 13th of the season - midway through the third, capping off a strong night for Pittsburgh’s bottom six. Bedard would score late to bring Chicago within four, but by then the outcome was well in hand.
For the Penguins, it was another game where everything clicked - from goaltending to special teams to scoring depth. They’ll aim to keep the streak alive Saturday afternoon against the New York Rangers, in a matchup that pits them against former coach Mike Sullivan.
Penguins Lineup Notes
Pittsburgh was without forward Bryan Rust, who began serving a three-game suspension for a high hit on Vancouver’s Brock Boeser. On the blue line, Jack St. Ivany was also out after undergoing hand surgery that will sideline him for up to eight weeks.
With both players unavailable, the Penguins shuffled their lines and pairings:
Forward Lines:
- Rickard Rakell - Sidney Crosby - Justin Brazeau
- Egor Chinakhov - Tommy Novak - Evgeni Malkin
- Rutger McGroarty - Ben Kindel - Anthony Mantha
- Connor Dewar - Blake Lizotte - Noel Acciari
Defensive Pairings:
- Parker Wotherspoon - Erik Karlsson
- Brett Kulak - Kris Letang
- Ilya Solovyov - Ryan Shea
Scratched:
- Kevin Hayes
The Penguins are finding ways to win no matter who's in the lineup - and right now, they’re doing it with style.