Crosby’s 599th goal, Nedeljkovic big in SO, and more: 3 reasons why Pittsburgh Penguins won 4-3 in SO against San Jose Sharks

The Pittsburgh Penguins ended their losing streak on Saturday night with a 4-3 shootout win against the San Jose Sharks at the PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins bounced back after blowing a 3-0 lead to take the game in a marathon shootout.

Sidney Crosby notched up his 599th career goal, with Bryan Rust and Jesse Puljujarvi adding the others for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Meanwhile, Tyler Toffoli had two goals with Mikael Granlund adding the other for the Sharks.

So, let’s take a closer look at the three reasons why the Pittsburgh Penguins won against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.

3 reasons why Pittsburgh Penguins beat San Jose Sharks

#3 The Penguins outplayed the Sharks most of the game

Despite the third-period meltdown in which the Pittsburgh Penguins allowed the Sharks to tie the game, the Pens outplayed the Sharks for most of the game. As a matter of fact, the Pens dominated the overtime period.

Had it not been for Sharks’ netminder Mackenzie Blackwood, the game would have never gotten to the shootout. The Pens kept the Sharks in check, except for the two specific situations that led to the Sharks’ second and third goals.

#2 Nedeljkovic held the fort

Despite blowing the lead, Penguins starting netminder Alex Nedeljkovic held the fort in the latter stages of the third period. With the Penguins seemingly running out of gas, Nedeljkovic managed to keep the Penguins in the game.

Then, Nedeljkovic was big in the shootout. He made three of five saves in the shootout to give the Penguins the win. In particular, Nedeljkovic stopped Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith in the shootout.

#1 The Penguins' resilience

It’s worth pointing out that the Penguins showed their resilience by staying in the game despite blowing a three-goal lead. The Pens kept pushing in the third period and overtime, trying to win the game.

Particularly, Evgeni Malkin led the way, notching an assist. However, Malkin’s performance on the night earned him the game’s first star. Malkin played mover 17 minutes, registering one shot on goal. Nevertheless, it was Malkin’s assist on Rust’s goal that got the scoring started for Pittsburgh.

Also, Malkin played a solid all-around game to complement Sidney Crosby’s leadership, especially down the stretch in overtime as the Pens pushed to win the game.

The Penguins will be looking to extend their winning streak on Tuesday night as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at the PPG Paints Arena.