In Pittsburgh, Kasperi Kapanen returned to the Penguins lineup and potted one goal and two points in a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. 
On Thursday night, there was no big rally from the Devils.
“I felt really good,” said the forward, who missed the previous 13 games and practiced fully for the first time Wednesday. “I only had the one full practice, but regardless, still felt really good. Felt fresh.”
Tristan Jarry made 30 saves to get the win.
“Extremely frustrated,” Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said. “We’re at a point where I’m asking them to work and do a lot of things, and continue to work and continue to fight, and continue to battle. Tonight, our hands and our execution didn’t match that.”
Sidney Crosby scored with only 41 seconds of clean ice used in the first period for a 1-0 lead.
“That’s when you’re going to be the most fresh, is that first shift,” Crosby said. “I think the adrenaline is flowing. You’re trying to set the tempo.”
The Devils’ Matt Tennyson tied it at 1-1 just before Cody Ceci put the Pens ahead to stay with his goal.
“It shouldn’t happen,” the Devils’ Nico Hischier said. “We knew what our job is, first shift. We didn’t execute. We did not want that to happen. That was just not good enough.”
Bryan Rust and Teddy Blueger added a goal and two points each in the win.
Aaron Dell got the start for the Devils and surrendered four goals and made 11 saves before getting the hook in the middle frame.
“We’ve got a good work ethic,” New Jersey’s Damon Severson said. “Guys are working hard. Trying to do the right things. But it’s just little things at certain times that are catching up to us.”
Scott Wedgewood made seven saves in a mop up role.
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