NEWARK, N.J. _ Of all the issues that ailed the Penguins during their recent skid, secondary scoring is somewhere near the top of the list.
Dating back to Feb. 18, just two goals came from someone not playing in the top six. Defenseman John Marino had one against the Ottawa Senators. Patrick Hornqvist had the other in Buffalo. Not surprisingly, the Penguins lost eight of those ten games.
Tuesday against the Devils, the Penguins finally exorcised that demon during a 5-2 win at the Prudential Center.
Recent acquisition Evan Rodrigues scored his first goal as a Penguin. Defenseman Justin Schultz snapped his scoring drought that dated back to mid-November. And Evgeni Malkin slammed the door with a pair of third-period goals.
The Penguins (40-23-6, 86 points) remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division, while the Devils are possibly the only divisional team without a chance at the postseason.
Rodrigues, who was acquired on deadline day, reportedly requested a trade from Buffalo in part because he was unhappy that he was often a healthy scratch.
On Saturday, Mike Sullivan made a coach's decision by scratching Rodrigues in favor of Sam Lafferty. Rodrigues responded on Sunday by drawing three penalties _ yes, three _ himself and looking like one of the best Penguins on the ice during a 6-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
"I spoke to Evan about that," Sullivan said before the game. "He has a clear understanding of why we made the decision that we made and what our expectation is of him and what his role is on this team. I think Evan has responded really well."
Tuesday, Rodrigues continued to flash _ this time, on the score sheet.
Midway through the first period, Rodrigues carried the puck into the offensive zone and dangled at the top of the left circle. He sniped a shot top shelf that beat MacKenzie Blackwood, the Devils' talented 23-year-old goalie, who entered the game with a .953 save percentage in his previous nine appearances.
Penguins goalie Matt Murray earned his fourth start in the last five games. He was sharp early, stopping a flurry of chances during a New Jersey 3-on-2. However, during a Devils power play, Nikita Gusev's harmless-looking shot hit Murray's glove and fluttered into the net to tie the score at 1.
The Penguins reclaimed the lead, 2-1, nearly five minutes into the second period. Schultz scored his third goal of the season when he beat Blackwood top shelf. It was Schultz's first goal since Nov. 12, snapping a 27-game drought.
The Devils nearly tied it during two separate opportunities late in the second. The Penguins' power play unit dominated zone time and wore out the Devils' penalty killers. But just as the penalty expired, Jason Zucker's errant pass came right to 2019 first overall pick Jack Hughes as he was coming out of the penalty box. But the breakaway attempt hit the post.
The Devils had a golden opportunity early in the third period. After Sidney Crosby picked up a high-sticking penalty, Kris Letang lost his composure and committed an ill-advised and horribly timed retaliatory slashing penalty. It gave the Devils a 5-on-3 power play for 1:42.
The Penguins escaped the scare with some timely saves from Murray and a painful blocked shot by Teddy Blueger.
Moments later, Malkin threw a puck on net that hit Blackwood's right pad and trickled into the net. The Devils briefly pulled within a goal when Nico Hischier chipped a puck over Letang's head to Miles Wood, who beat Murray off the rush.
But Malkin sealed the game with his second goal of the period. Kris Letang tacked on an empty-netter.
The Penguins will continue their three-game road trip on Thursday in Columbus.
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