Penguins Blitz Oilers Early, Ride Mantha’s Hot Start to Dominant Win in Edmonton
EDMONTON - If the Penguins were supposed to be tired on the second night of a back-to-back, someone forgot to tell them.
Pittsburgh wasted no time making a statement Thursday night in Edmonton, exploding for three goals in just 37 seconds - the third-fastest three-goal stretch in franchise history - and never looking back in a 6-2 rout of the Oilers.
Anthony Mantha was the early sparkplug, scoring twice in the opening flurry and setting the tone for a night where nearly everything clicked for the Penguins. The opening blitz stunned Edmonton and effectively took the crowd out of the game before most fans had settled into their seats.
“I don’t think you expect that,” said Sidney Crosby. “Mantha had a big shift there, he got a couple of goals and gave us a boost. I thought we were ready to go from the start - sometimes it just works out that way.”
Ready to go might be an understatement. The Penguins scored their first three goals on just four shots, and they did it before the game was three minutes old.
First, Mantha redirected a slick feed from Justin Brazeau through a defender’s legs. Then, just 22 seconds later, Mantha struck again - this time on a breakaway - for his 16th goal of the season.
Fifteen seconds after that, Crosby joined the party, tipping in a pass from the slot for his 27th of the year and extending his point streak to five games.
It was a historic low for the Oilers, who had never allowed three goals in such a short span in franchise history.
From there, the Penguins kept their foot on the gas. Evgeni Malkin added a goal and an assist, while Rickard Rakell and Egor Chinakhov also found the back of the net. The scoring depth was on full display - all four lines contributed, and the penalty kill stood tall when needed.
“Everyone played really well, that’s a big team win,” Mantha said. “Almost every line was able to find the back of the net, our kill was awesome, and [Arturs Silovs] was great in net. It’s a great all-around night.”
Silovs, who got the start in goal after Pittsburgh’s 4-1 win in Calgary the night before, turned aside 29 shots. It wasn’t just the volume of saves - it was the timing. Whenever Edmonton threatened to swing momentum, Silovs was there with a big stop.
“He was awesome,” said interim head coach Dan Muse. “There were some huge saves throughout the game, but especially in moments where the momentum could’ve shifted.
He came up big. It was a really strong win.”
Muse had plenty to be pleased about. The Penguins had every reason to come out flat - the back-to-back, the travel, the altitude difference between Calgary and Edmonton - but none of it showed.
“When you’re playing a back-to-back and the other team is fresh, there are plenty of excuses you could lean on - travel, fatigue, whatever,” Muse said. “But our group didn’t go there.
They came out ready to go. I loved the offensive execution, and I liked a lot of what we were doing defensively too - just a great team game.”
The win was Pittsburgh’s third straight and improved their record to 10-2-2 over their last 14 games - a stretch that’s seen them climb back into the thick of the playoff race.
And while the stars did their part - Crosby and Malkin both scored, moving the Penguins to a staggering 117-10-7 all-time when both tally in the same game - there were contributions up and down the lineup.
Defenseman Jack St. Ivany, for instance, quietly continues to build confidence.
After recording just three assists in his first 14 games, he’s now picked up four in his last two, including two more helpers Thursday night. It’s the kind of secondary production that can make a big difference as the season wears on.
Pittsburgh also broke a bit of a hex in the process - they hadn’t won in Edmonton since December 20, 2019. That streak’s over now, and they did it in emphatic fashion.
For a team that’s starting to look more and more like a playoff threat, Thursday night in Edmonton felt like another step in the right direction - and a reminder that when this group is rolling, they can be a handful for anyone.