Meek Penguins Go Gently to Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights (38-18-6) scored on their first two shots of the third period. The Pittsburgh Penguins (24-31-10) couldn’t score on any of their shots.

The Penguins quickly faded and lost 4-0 to Vegas at T-Mobile Arena on Friday. Since the NHL season resumed following the Four Nations Face-Off, the Penguins are just 1-6-1.

The Penguins looked soft and overmatched. Perhaps it was the post-NHL trade deadline reality hitting home and realizing that help is not on the way, or perhaps the Penguins’ struggles were the result of trading away several players to further the organization’s revamp. Since the Penguins lost on Tuesday, general manager Kyle Dubas traded away scrappy winger Michael Bunting, the structured Anthony Beauviller, and the popular Cody Glass.

Or perhaps the Vegas Golden Knights were a far superior team, and the Penguins knew it.

The Golden Knights kept the Penguins under control for most of the game, and although it wasn’t a blowout, even the small 1-0 gap after the seemed insurmountable to the new Penguins lineup.

The Penguins again held their opponent to only a few shots in the first period and again ended the period trailing. Despite a 5-0 shots advantage that lasted for nearly 10 minutes and a 9-6 edge after 20, the Penguins were behind.

Former Penguins winger Tanner Pearson scored the first goal of the game as the Penguins’ new players participated in the time-honored tradition of defensive mistakes. Newly acquired Tommy Novak was caught puck-watching after the faceoff, and Pearson (11) had a clear path toward the net and was uncontested as he finished Mark Stone’s rebound.

There wasn’t a Penguins player within 10 feet of Pearson.

Early in the second period, a bad bounce and an ill-advised line change put the Penguins in a deeper hole. Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hague knocked a pass away from Sidney Crosby, which fed the Vegas transition. Golden Knights winger Ivan Barbashev (19) was essentially uncovered as he raced to the left circle and snapped a high wrist shot past Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.

Early in the third period, Vegas scored a pair of quick goals to send the humbled Penguins to an easy defeat.

Brandon Saad (10) sent a 30-foot wrister past Nedeljkovic from behind the right dot, and 54 seconds later, Penguins defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok let Vegas captain Mark Stone (17) breeze by for a breakaway goal.

Nedeljkovic stopped 23 of 27 as Viva Las Vegas blared through the arena at the final horn. Golden Knights goalie Ilya Samsonov easily stopped the 22 shots he faced.

Penguins Notes

Tommy Novak made his Penguins debut. He centered the third line with Danton Heinen and former Nashville teammate Philip Tomasino.

Penguins winger Boko Imama led the Penguins with three hits after the first two periods despite playing only 2:56. He finished the game with a team-high five hits.

Only 10 Penguins had shots after 40 minutes. Of the Penguins’ 18 shots, Bryan Rust had five.

Rust left the game late in the second period after blocking a shot but returned in the third period.