The Pittsburgh Penguins continued their dominance over the Florida Panthers, defeating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions 5-2 on Sunday night. Coming off a 9-4 rout in their Saturday matchup that eliminated Florida from playoff contention, Pittsburgh proved they weren’t slowing down.
Rickard Rakell was the star of the night, scoring twice to power the Penguins. His first goal, his first with Pittsburgh, came with just 48 seconds left in the first period on the power play, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Rakell added his second goal late in the second period, with helpers from Bryan Rust and Elmer Soderblom.
Crosby also contributed with a goal and two assists, continuing his exceptional form this season and leading the Penguins’ offensive charge. Rust and Soderblom added their own tallies, rounding out a balanced scoring effort.
For the Panthers, Carter Verhaeghe and Cole Schwindt found the back of the net, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with Pittsburgh’s firepower. Daniil Tarasov allowed five goals on 23 shots, while the Penguins’ Arturs Silovs made 29 saves, stepping in after tandem mate Stuart Skinner was sidelined with an upper-body injury.
With the win, Pittsburgh keeps rolling as they head to face the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, while the Panthers look to regroup on the road against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
The back-to-back victories over Florida have cemented the Penguins as a team in midseason form, showcasing both depth and star power, with Crosby and Rakell leading the way.
