Jesse Puljujarvi scored off the rush to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead early in the second period. Ryan Graves helped make it happen. The defenseman shoved down Andrei Svechnikov then skated directly to the Carolina crease and parked right in front of Pyotr Kochetkov. Puljujarvi scored through that sizable screen.

The Hurricanes tied it up later in the period when Dmitry Orlov’s shot deflected in off Erik Karlsson. The Penguins were playing shorthanded because Marcus Pettersson was still down after an awkward collision with Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

That pinball goal was the only blemish during the second for Nedeljkovic, who stopped 14 shots in that period to prevent the Hurricanes from pulling ahead.

Rust scored off a Crosby faceoff win with 1:51 left in the second to make it 2-1.

That was all Nedeljkovic needed to snap the team’s three-game losing streak.

Some of his better saves came on Guentzel, a two-time All-Star forward here.

Guentzel had a couple of good looks late in the first period. He just missed on a short-side attempt off the rush then watched his sneaky deflection get kicked out by Nedeljkovic. Guentzel also was stuffed on a point-blank shot in the second.

Drew O’Connor, who has replaced Guentzel on the top line, and Crosby hit the empty net to secure the win for the Penguins in Guentzel’s much-anticipated return.

ICE CHIPS

— Sam Poulin made his season debut for the Penguins. The former first-round draft pick was promoted Tuesday morning and centered the fourth line against the Hurricanes. It was the 23-year-old’s first NHL game in more than 16 months.

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