GAME RECAP: Penguins vs. Wild (12.18.23) | Pettersson Gets 100th Career Assist

Monday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Minnesota Wild. Before the puck dropped, the home team got some good news: Noel Acciari, Rickard Rakell, and Chad Ruhwedel rejoined the lineup. The Penguins came out focused and ready to play. Marcus Pettersson dumped the puck below the goal line, Valtteri Puustinen chased it down, and chipped it to Reilly Smith in front of the net. Smith pulled the puck across the net to his backhand and over the glove of the Wild goalie Gustavsson. This marked Pettersson’s 100th career assist. The 1st ended with a 1-0 lead for the Penguins. Keeping the momentum going in the 2nd, the Penguins struck twice. Jake Guentzel scored on the power play with a tip on Erik Karlsson’s shot from the point. That goal was followed shortly after with one from Evgeni Malkin. Puustinen entered the zone with the puck on a 2-on-1 with Malkin. Giving a pump fake, Puustinen froze the goalie and passed across to Malkin for a wide-open shot. Near the end of the period, the Wild got their first of the night from Ryan Hartman. Minnesota got a second quickly after that from Jake Middleton. Finishing the 2nd period, the Penguins maintained the lead, 3-2. Early in the 3rd, Vinni Lettieri completed the comeback for the visitors to tie the game, 3-3. Pittsburgh had an answer only minutes later on the power play. Guentzel threw the puck in front of the net where it bounced around and found Sidney Crosby’s stick. He stuffed the puck under the goaltender’s pad to take the lead right back. Able to defend the lead through the end of the game, the Penguins won 4-3.

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