Latest news with #Nedeljkovic
Reuters
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Ilya Mikheyev scores twice to lead Penguins past Blackhawks
April 7 - Ilya Mikheyev had two goals and Frank Nazar also scored to back a 28-save effort from Spencer Knight as the host Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 on Sunday to stop a five-game losing streak. Chicago (22-45-10, 54 points) navigated a late charge from the Penguins, who tallied their lone goal when Rickard Rakell scored on the power play with 5:24 remaining. Pittsburgh (31-35-12, 74 points) was eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Penguins trail Montreal -- which skated later Sunday -- by nine points for the final wild-card spot in the East with four games remaining. Mikheyev's goal at 9:40 of the third period stood up as the game-winner after taking a neutral zone pass from Connor Bedard and darting past Pittsburgh's Conor Timmins to convert. Rookie Sam Rinzel picked up the secondary assist for his first career NHL point. Mikheyev accounted for the final margin with an empty-net goal in the final minute. The Penguins were outshot 31-29 while finishing 1-for-3 on the power play. Chicago grabbed a 1-0 lead at 18:55 of the second period, capitalizing on a 2-1 rush in the waning seconds of a Penguins power play. Streaking down the left side, Nazar gathered a feed from Teuvo Teravainen and fired a wrist shot from the slot past Pittsburgh goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. A short delay followed after the puck landed in Nedeljkovic's pads. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby was held off the scoresheet, ending a 12-game point streak. Pittsburgh's Blake Lizotte redirected a puck out of the air and over the goal line for an apparent goal in the second period, but the tally was waived off for a high stick. Knight otherwise held the Penguins attack in check as Chicago earned its first win since March 23. Forward Phil Tomasino didn't play for the Penguins as he underwent evaluation for an upper-body injury. Nedeljkovic made 27 saves. The Blackhawks and Penguins will complete the season series when they finish a home-and-home in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Reuters
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Ilya Samsonov gets 2nd shutout of season as Knights blank Penguins
March 8 - Mark Stone had a goal and two assists and Ilya Samsonov made 22 saves for his second shutout of the season as the Vegas Golden Knights blanked the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 on Friday night in Las Vegas. Tanner Pearson had a goal and an assist and Ivan Barbashev and Brandon Saad also scored goals for Vegas, which extended its Pacific Division lead to six points over idle Edmonton with its fourth straight win and seventh in the last eight games. It was Samsonov's 15th career shutout for and followed back-to-back games that he had allowed five goals. The Golden Knights, who last lost in regulation at T-Mobile Arena on Jan. 11 to the New York Rangers, 2-1, extended their home point streak to 10 games (7-0-3) while also improving to 24-6-3 on home ice. Alex Nedeljkovic finished with 23 saves for Pittsburgh, which lost its fourth consecutive game and eighth in its last nine. Vegas took a 1-0 lead at 12:58 of the first period when Stone picked up a rebound of a Zach Whitecloud shot by the right side of the net and then backhanded a pass to Pearson cutting down the slot. Pearson then fired a wrist shot into the top left corner of the goal. Barbashev made it 2-0 early in the second period when he ripped a wrist shot from the left circle past Nedeljkovic's glove and into the top far corner of the net. Vegas then broke the game open with two goals in within 54 seconds early in the third period. Saad got the first when he ripped a wrist shot from the top of the right circle over the right shoulder of Nedeljkovic and into the top far corner. Stone followed when he took a Pearson pass coming down the right wing, deked Nedeljkovic and then stuffed a wrist shot inside the right post.
New York Times
02-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Penguins' first-shot blues and afternoon struggles continue: 3 observations
PITTSBURGH — It's a lousy statistic in a lost season, but the Pittsburgh Penguins did Saturday what they've done better than almost any team in recorded NHL history: first shot, first goal against. Though, to be fair to their goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, surrendering a breakaway to David Pastrnak within the first couple of minutes is daring the hockey gods. And the Penguins aren't good enough to dare anybody. Advertisement A 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena was their fourth in five games since the NHL's break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. The Penguins are closer to the bottom of the Eastern Conference than its second wild-card spot — and their points percentage is better than only four teams in the league. The NHL trade deadline is Friday. The NHL Draft Lottery's date is to be determined. Still, for the first time since captain Sidney Crosby's rookie season — or five American presidential elections ago — fans of the Penguins can look to the latter with more anticipation than the former. It's again all about the ping-pong balls in Pittsburgh. But back to that first shot/first goal allowed trend, which is beckoning history. Only the 2012-13 Philadelphia Flyers' 14 such goals are more than the 13 allowed by these Penguins, who are tied with the 2017-18 Edmonton Oilers for the second most in a single season. The NHL's official statistics department said team records for goals allowed on the first shot date to 2009-10. Absolutely cookin' 🍝 — Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 1, 2025 Nedeljkovic agreed Saturday with a reporter who noted those types of goals 'happen different ways,' but he eloquently expounded upon a larger issue with the Penguins: poor starts in general. 'I think for a majority of them it's just about starting on time — for everybody,' Nedlejkovic said. 'Some things are preventable, some things just happen; that's hockey, right? Shots are going to go in, get deflected, go off guys, we're going to have bad bounces, pucks go over sticks or whatever it is, and they end up with good looks. 'We need to find a better way of starting on time, playing with a little bit more emotion from the get-go, and I don't think you'll see those type of things happen.' Advertisement To his credit, Nedeljkovic did not exclude himself from the mix of those who should be better at the beginning of games. It's a long list, one that hockey president and general manager Kyle Dubas and coach Mike Sullivan will find names familiar and (likely) on the outs during season-ending meetings. 'Doesn't matter if it's a breakaway, what the shot or situation is — I've got to be ready,' Nedeljkovic said. 'That's my job. 'We need to just find a better way of starting on time, playing with more detail at the beginning of the game, get back to just playing simple hockey, detailed, and honestly just winning.' Winning won't come easily for the Penguins over the final weeks of what will be a third consecutive season without qualification for the Stanley Cup playoffs, barring something unearthly between now and mid-April. Fifteen of their final 20 remaining games are against teams that were either in possession or within 4 points of a postseason spot as of Saturday. That makes for more than enough opportunities to raise the bar — or should it be lower the bar? — on the first shot/first goal allowed record. 'With smarter play, more purposeful play, we don't give up those types of opportunities,' Sullivan said. 'The common theme is we need more purposeful play so that we're harder to play against.' Three observations from this loss: This loss was the Penguins' sixth in as many afternoon games. Their goal differential in those games is minus-19. A reasonable person could argue that one of the league's older rosters is prone to struggling in early starts. However, the Penguins were the NHL's eldest roster the last two seasons, and they went 7-5-2 in afternoon games. The Penguins host the Toronto Maple Leafs at 1 p.m. on Sunday. That is one of their five remaining afternoon games. Advertisement Dubas' signing of veteran Anthony Beauvillier confounded a lot of people during the offseason, but the move might rank as his shrewdest. Beauvillier scored his 13th goal Saturday. Only Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust and Crosby have scored more for the Penguins. Those three players get power-play looks. Beauvillier rarely does, and all of his goals have come at even strength. 'He plays hard, he competes, plays any role you ask him to,' Sullivan said. 'He's at the top of our list in terms of five-on-five goal production, more so than other guys. He doesn't always play in the top six. 'He uses his speed. He competes hard. He has some finishing capability. We've started to work him in on the penalty kill. 'He just embraces any role you give him.' On a cap-friendly and expiring contract, Beauvillier is a veteran of 55 postseason games. He's scored 16 goals and 31 points in the playoffs. Dubas long ago informed GM peers that he's open for business before the trade deadline. Beauvillier is unlikely to bring much in return, but he's the type of versatile forward who probably would provide a depth upgrade for any contender. Although Rakell has been their most consistent goal producer this season, he remains streaky. His late power-play goal Saturday was only his third in 14 games. This stretch came on the heels of Rakell's scoring 17 goals in 27 games from Nov. 19 to Jan. 17. Dubas is not set on moving Rakell by the trade deadline. He will want at least a first-round pick, which might prove a steep price for a player who has played in only two postseason games since 2018. Also, Rakell is 31 and has three seasons remaining on a contract that counts $5 million annually against the salary cap. It's not unreasonable to think Rakell might need to score in upcoming games against the Maple Leafs and on the road versus the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche to boost his value to the point Dubas will trade him before the deadline. (Photo of David Pastrnak and Anthony Beauvillier: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
New York Times
28-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Nedeljkovic's tirade, Imama's controversial hit ignite Penguins: Yohe's 10 observations
PITTSBURGH — Alex Nedeljkovic called out his team about as publicly as a goaltender can. Evgeni Malkin enjoyed the signature game of his season, putting the finishing touches on a comeback victory. In between all the madness, Boko Imama threw some fuel on the fire that once was hockey's most heated rivalry. Imama's controversial hit and Nedeljkovic's temper tantrum paved the way for Malkin's overtime winner in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 5-4 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena. MALKIN COMPLETES THE COMEBACK FOR THE PENS 🚨 — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 28, 2025 It was a night of visceral emotions. Mike Sullivan's birthday looked like a dud when the Flyers scored to go ahead 3-0 in the second period. Matvei Michkov's goal gave the Flyers, who beat the Penguins 6-1 only 48 hours earlier in Philadelphia, what felt like an insurmountable lead. The Penguins' coach decided to yank Nedeljkovic at that point. Nedeljkovic responded by breaking his stick off the crossbar. He then skated to the bench and screamed at his teammates and perhaps at the coaching staff, though it was unclear which people were on the receiving end of Nedeljkovic's rant. The Penguins pull Nedeljkovic and he is NOT happy about it 😳 — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 28, 2025 The goaltender then slammed the door shut on the Penguins bench and stormed to the dressing room before returning to the bench. He sat stone-faced on the bench for the rest of the game. It was a unique way for a goaltender to respond to the news he was being yanked. Sullivan didn't mind it. 'I have no problem with Ned's reaction,' he said. 'For me, that's just an indication of how invested he is. He cares. He's competitive. He wants to win. That's raw emotion. Quite honestly, I thought he inspired the group to want to compete for him.' Advertisement That much was confirmed. Philip Tomasino scored less than two minutes later. Tommer 🙌 — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2025 Two Erik Karlsson goals and Malkin's tying tally in the third sent the game to overtime, where Malkin won it. BINGO. That's three points tonight for Evgeni Malkin! — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2025 'We were all frustrated,' Tomasino said. 'Honestly, he gave us kind of a wake-up call. We had left him hung out to try a bit. It kind of motivated our group.' After Karlsson pulled the Penguins within a goal, Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway took a run at Noel Acciari. Imama saw it out of the corner of his eye and unloaded on an unsuspecting Hathaway, ramming him shoulder-first to the ice. Hathaway's head bounced off the ice, which appeared to knock him out cold. He remained on the ice for a couple of minutes before teammates helped him to the bench. Garnet Hathaway was helped off the ice after taking a hit from Bokondji Imama. The hit was reviewed for a major penalty but was ultimately ruled a 2-minute minor for interference. — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 28, 2025 Imama was initially given a five-minute major for interference. However, after a review, the infraction was ruled a two-minute minor for interference. Flyers coach John Tortorella vehemently disagreed. Hear from Torts following tonight's OT loss in Pittsburgh. #PHIvsPIT — Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) February 28, 2025 'The explanation was that it was not a hit to the head on the hit, that he hit his head on the ice,' Tortorella said. 'That's why it was a two-minute penalty. It's probably one of the dirtiest hits I've seen in quite a while. That's why he hits his head on the ice. I believe we should be thinking about what really happened on the hit. Not get glued on the hit to the head originally. That's a dangerous, cheap hit. Freddy (referee Frederick L'Ecuyer) gave me an explanation. I understand the explanation. But I don't understand how you end up with two minutes on probably one of the dirtiest hits I've seen in a while.' Advertisement Imama had a distinctly different take on the hit. He spoke with The Athletic after the game and explained his mindset. 'I was pretty confident (that the major would be overturned),' he said. 'My intention was never to be dirty or to hurt anyone. I always play clean. Obviously, it's a physical game. Unfortunately, things like this can happen. I didn't get a chance to see the replay. But I knew, deep down, I had the right intention. I just wanted to bump him.' Imama saw Hathaway take a run at Acciari. 'Yeah, absolutely,' he said. 'I just know what kind of a player he is, too.' Imama said he had asked Hathaway to fight on numerous occasions earlier in the game. 'Yes, I did,' he said. 'And it didn't happen.' Thus, he decided to take matters into his own hands when he saw Hathaway take a run at a teammate. 'Look, he didn't want to engage in a fight,' Imama said. 'Usually, I would just turn around and challenge him fairly. But that isn't going to happen with him. I just wanted to get in his way.' Tortorella didn't believe Imama had bad intentions but still strongly disliked the hit. 'I don't think the player is trying to hurt a player,' he said. 'I'm certainly not going to accuse him of that. It's a cheap hit, though. Garny hits Acciari there. It's a good, legal hit. He's trying to hit him back. But the puck is nowhere there. It's a blind hit. I'm not accusing the guy of trying to hurt him. But it's a dirty hit.' • Nedeljkovic's reaction was something. He wasn't available to speak with the media, so his thoughts will remain a mystery for a couple of days (the Penguins don't practice Friday). The guy is a real competitor. I give him credit, too, because it can't be easy to display that much alpha behavior when you're playing for the Penguins. He's surrounded by guys who are going to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame, players who have numerous Stanley Cup rings. Advertisement But he still speaks his mind. His team was sleepwalking through the first half, and it speaks highly of his desire to win that he launched into a tirade. • This was the 12th time the Penguins have allowed a goal on the opponent's first shot. It's the fourth time Nedeljkovic has been beaten on the first shot. Tristan Jarry has done it six times. Joel Blomqvist has been beaten twice by the first shot. Given this was their 61st game, the simple math tells me the Penguins give up a goal on the first shot 19.6 percent of the time. You simply can't win games when this happens so regularly. You're essentially spotting your opponent a goal in one out of every five games. Let's put this in perspective: Mario Lemieux, arguably the most gifted goal scorer in NHL history, finished his illustrious career with a 19.0 shot percentage. Incredible. • High marks to Blomqvist, who was excellent in relief of Nedeljkovic. He stopped 21 of 22 shots. Make no mistake, the Flyers were the better team for most of the night and were very much in control during the third period. Malkin did his part, sending the game to overtime with his tying goal. But Blomqvist held down the fort for the remainder of the period. It was a good bounce-back for him. Blomqvist has struggled mightily lately. I imagine he'll get the start Saturday against the Boston Bruins. • Malkin has been the Penguins' best player in their past four games. That two-week break during the Four Nations Face-Off — and remember, he missed a few games before that stretch after getting injured in Seattle about a month ago — gave him a surge of energy. He has his legs right now, and when he has his legs to this magnitude, he's still an awfully dangerous player. Quite a performance. • Karlsson was outstanding all game. He's a difficult player to figure out. Karlsson has been so disappointing in his two seasons with the Penguins. Any objective person would agree with this. EK65 with a 🚀 — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2025 And yet, some nights, he still looks like Karlsson. You know, the guy the Penguins thought they were getting. NO QUIT IN EK65. — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2025 This was one of those nights. Every touch of the puck was outstanding. • I spoke privately with Tortorella after his news conference, and he had nice things to say about Imama. He doesn't think he's a dirty player, but he hated the hit. After speaking with Tortorella and Imama, I agreed with everything they said. Advertisement I don't think Imama had bad intentions, but it was a nasty, blindside hit. A five-minute major probably would have been a fair ruling. That said, Imama isn't wrong that Hathaway crosses the line. He does. Imama and Tortorella both made good points. Sometimes in hockey, there's some gray area. This was one of those times. • Is the Penguins-Flyers rivalry back? I hope so. It's been far too quiet for far too long • Ryan Graves was awarded an assist on Malkin's tying goal, his first point of the season. Really. He's been solid lately and shouldn't have been a scratch in Philadelphia on Tuesday. • Good for the Penguins for showing the guts to come back and win. But I can't get over how inexplicably bad their start was. They were embarrassed two nights earlier in Philadelphia against their biggest rival. You get a rematch on home ice and can't produce a shot on goal in the first 10 minutes? Not acceptable. • I wouldn't want to fight Imama, either. Tough customer. (Photo of Evgeni Malkin celebrating his game-winning goal with Rickard Rakell: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
3 Takeaways From Penguins Disheartening 6-1 Loss To Flyers
The Pittsburgh Penguins (23-28-9) have had a rough couple of games since returning from the 4 Nations Face-off, but none as painful to watch as their Tuesday night 6-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Surprisingly, it was a close game until the dying minutes of the second period, when the team imploded in another epic collapse like their recent contest against the Washington Capitals. They gave up two goals within ten seconds to a Flyers team that wouldn't be denied with 38 shots on goal. Although the season is far from over, the writing on the way is becoming clearer with each defeat. The Penguins are now nine points out of a wildcard spot and only two points clear of last place in the Eastern Conference. Let's discuss a few talking points from their latest setback. The Penguins are one of three teams in the NHL to surrender more than 200 goals, with 220, joining the San Jose Sharks (221) and Chicago Blackhawks (203). This has been their downfall all season and one reason why the club is now 4-12-4 against Metro Division opponents. Despite keeping Tuesday night's contest close at 2-1, Alex Nedeljkovic struggled with a few pucks getting past him in critical moments when his team needed a save. Once things happened, those goals led to a change in dynamics, and everyone played differently. Frustrations boiled over, and the Penguins just looked like a broken team. Unfortunately, it's been a narrative that we've seen play out repeatedly, but the minor changes they have made haven't led to results on the ice, and goaltending is one of the weakest parts of the team. The answers are no longer Nedeljkovic or Joel Blomqvist but in a different sweater under someone else's payroll. Since returning from their break, Pittsburgh has been winless. Back-breaking goals in bunches have kept Pittsburgh winless. Whether it's missed assignments or a player's inability to read the play, the goalies can only shoulder so much blame before someone needs to search deeper for the answers. NHL Highlights | Penguins vs. Flyers | February 25, 2025 Watch full game highlights from the matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers on February 25, 2025, condensing all the action into ... Realistically, the Penguins and Flyers are on the same level: fringe playoff teams who must fight every night for a point and a place in the wildcard race. However, just watching Tuesday night's game, no one would assume that. The Flyers wanted the game, and it showed. They fired 38 shots on goal and had an advantage every period: 15-6, 14-10, and 9-8. Philadelphia had a comfortable lead, and when things got close, they busted the game wide open in the third and ended up with five goals on 29 shots, leaving Nedeljkovic with a .827 SV% through 40 minutes. Evgeni Malkin was one of four players who did not register a shot on goal in Philadelphia. Considering he had a goal and assist against the Rangers on Sunday, the future Hall of Famer was almost invisible in a must-win situation. Meanwhile, Rickard Rakell, arguably one of the hottest Pittsburgh players before the 4 Nations Face-off, recorded a single assist and was minus-7 in his first three games back. His usual linemate, Sidney Crosby, has a goal and assist and is minus-6. Finally, the team's highest-paid player, Erik Karlsson, has two assists, five shots on goal, and is a team-leading minus-8 in three games. Erik Karlsson on tonight's loss:'We've just got to look one day at a time. … We know the position that we're in, and if you start thinking about big picture, it might get a little bit discouraging—and you can't let that happen. We've still got a lot of hockey left.' — SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) February 26, 2025 Given the Penguins' current position in the standings, these players, who all possess elite-level skills, must bring their A-game every night to salvage the season and their reputations. Yes, it isn't easy to see results when Pittsburgh has only scored seven goals and given up 19 in the last nine periods, but they have elite talent who just isn't getting the job done. Whether playing offense or defense, it takes a team to win and lose, but superstars are the difference makers. The Penguins haven't seen their difference makers make a difference in three games.
