Saturday, October 23, 2021 07:00 PM (ET)

Short-handed Penguins demolish Maple Leafs 7-1

Field Level Media
Oct 23, 2021

Rookie Drew O'Connor scored twice and Marcus Pettersson added a goal and two assists Saturday as the Pittsburgh Penguins, despite a heavily diluted lineup, drubbed the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 7-1.

Pittsburgh's Mike Matheson and Evan Rodrigues each added a goal and an assist. Jason Zucker and Brian Boyle also scored while Danton Heinen and Kasperi Kapanen had two assists each for the Penguins, who played without five of their top six skaters.

Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Jeff Carter and Kris Letang were out because of injury or positive COVID-19 tests, with Letang's positive test coming earlier Saturday.

Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry made 28 saves.

Jason Spezza scored for the Maple Leafs.

Toronto goaltender Jack Campbell gave up five goals on 21 shots through two periods before being replaced by Michael Hutchinson, who allowed two goals on 12 shots.

O'Connor opened the scoring at 11:53 of the first period. Pettersson let loose a shot from just below the left point, and the puck banked in off O'Connor's hip.

Toronto tied it 1-1 at 12:44 of the first. Spezza, from near the left goal post, tapped a rebound behind Jarry.

Matheson broke the tie at 1:38 of the second. He drove down the left side past Jake Muzzin and swooped around the net to deposit a wraparound goal.

Fifteen seconds later, Zucker gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead. His shot from the top of the left circle caromed in off the skate of the Maple Leafs' Timothy Liljegren.

At 11:01 of the second, O'Connor struck again, making it 4-1 with a shot that went in off Muzzin's skate.

Pettersson upped it to 5-1 at 13:59 of the second when he converted a feed from Rodrigues. Pettersson became the 14th different Penguins player to score through five games.

Hutchinson replaced Campbell in net for the third, and Boyle greeted him with a goal from near the left hash marks off a pass from Dominik Simon just 20 seconds in.

Rodrigues made it 7-1 at 2:24 on a screened shot during a power play.

Boyle and Toronto's Wayne Simmonds fought with 6:44 left.

--Field Level Media

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