NEWARK, N.J. -- The box score of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 6-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday had all the trappings of a lopsided laugher.

Evgeni Malkin scored his 26th and 27th goals. Sidney Crosby added two assists. Third-line winger Bryan Rust had a career-high three points and backup goaltender Matthew Murray probably didn't breathe heavy for more than a minute while making 17 saves.

"It's the response we were looking for," said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, whose team absorbed a 4-2 home loss to the lowly Calgary Flames on Saturday. "We believe in our leadership group and we knew they would play the right way. I thought it was a solid team effort."

With about eight minutes to go in the second period, however, the game was still in doubt as the Devils embarked on a 5-on-3 power play for 1:22 down 3-1.

The Penguins stood strong, allowing just one shot to center Adam Henrique that was deftly stopped by Murray's left skate. About two minutes after the penalties expired, Malkin scored his second of the game to make it 4-1 and set the blowout in motion.

"Sometimes 5-on-3s that get too cute are a lot easier to kill but they had a pretty straightforward shooting power play," said Penguins center Nick Bonino, who was on the ice for the full 1:22 and also broke a 31-game scoring drought with a second-period goal that made it 3-0. "I thought we did a good job getting in lanes. To get that kill was good and (Malkin) scored right away. It was a big swing."

The Penguins (34-23-8) moved into the first wild-card spot in the East and hold a five-point lead on the ninth-place Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils (31-29-7) have lost eight of 10 to fall six points behind the eighth-place Detroit Red Wings, who hold two games in hand.

"We believe in this group right to the end," Henrique said. "I think that goes for everybody in here. We believe in each other. We believe in this group right to the end. We have to keep finding ways to put points on the board."

Making up that ground looks almost impossible for the Devils, who announced after the game that goaltender Cory Schneider will miss at least two weeks with a sprained right knee. Backup Keith Kinkaid was shelled for six goals on 30 shots by the Penguins and will probably earn the bulk of the starts in the near future.

Kinkaid said he put too much pressure on himself leading into his start Sunday and that pressure isn't likely to dissipate as the Devils grow more desperate for points over their final 15 games.

"We have a lot of confidence in Keith," Devils coach John Hynes said. "It's a different situation for him. Sometimes when you come in, as a backup and you don't necessarily have to carry the load, it might be different."

Both teams struggled to muster dangerous chances during the first 10 minutes before Malkin and center Matt Cullen scored 38 seconds apart midway through the second period.

Malkin slammed a one-timer past Kinkaid on a power play and Cullen scored a long wrist shot after a Devils turnover to give the Penguins what proved to be an insurmountable 2-0 lead.

After Bonino broke his goal drought at 1:37 of the second period, Devils right winger Kyle Palmieri gave his team hope by scoring his 25th goal on a breakaway at 7:52. But after the 5-on-3 failure and Malkin's goal, the Penguins added two more goals in the third period from Rust and left winger Scott Wilson.

It was a big response after a home loss less than 24 hours earlier to a team that's battling for the top pick in the 2016 draft.

"I thought (Malkin) and Sid had a strong night," Sullivan said. "For those two guys to step the way they did in such an important game for us, it was important for us. I knew they were going to respond the right way."

NOTES: Penguins LW Carl Hagelin did not play due to an upper-body injury he suffered against the Calgary Flames on Saturday. Coach Mike Sullivan said Hagelin passed concussion protocol but was held out for precautionary reasons. ... Penguins D Justin Schultz played his first game since being acquired in a trade on Feb. 27. ... Devils G Keith Kinkaid appeared in a third straight game for the first time in his career. ... Devils C Jacob Josefson is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.