Penguins Stink Again in Embarrassing Loss to Utah

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins (7-12-4) quit long before the game was over. The Utah Hockey Club (8-9-3) did not, and it was yet another embarrassing, lifeless loss on home ice as Utah won 6-1 at PPG Paints Arens Saturday.

On the plus side, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby added his name to another elite list when he scored his 600th career goal early in the second period.

However, the good vibes began and ended with that goal. The Penguins flatlined again. There was no fight, no pushback, not even a scrum in the third period as Utah snapped their three-game losing streak. In turn, the Penguins lost their third game in a row and sixth in the last seven (1-4-2), losing to Utah 5-1 at PPG Paints Arena.

The final 10 minutes were more like a funeral procession than a hockey game despite a fairly sizable crowd that braved downtown Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night traffic for the event.

Read More: Sidney Crosby Scores Goal  No. 600!

The Penguins were given a full two-minute 5v3 power play early in the second period after a pair of Utah slashing penalties. Defenseman Erik Karlsson slipped a pass to a wide-open Crosby (8), who scored a vintage goal with a wrist shot along the goal line inside the far post.

The goal closed the Penguins to within 2-1 before Utah scored a few more goals, and the Penguins eventually quit.

The Penguins’ malaise from being controlled by the Winnipeg Jets in a 4-1 loss Friday continued into the first period Saturday. In the opening minutes, the team fired more shots at Utah goalie Karl Vejmelka. However, the team stumbled through the majority of the period and gave up a trio of goals, two of which counted.

The Penguins’ defensive zone coverage continues to be a wild adventure rather than a coordinated and structured team event. Utah didn’t score on their first shot (though the real first shot did rest behind goalie Alex Nedeljkovic was inexplicably not scored as a shot). Instead, Utah scored on their third shot when defenseman Ryan Graves was losing his pursuit of Dylan Guenther, so defense partner Matt Grzelcyk abandoned his net-front post to help, only to leave Jack McBain (6) wide open on the far post for an easy slam at 8:54 of the first period.

Coach Mike Sullivan juggled his defense pairs, moving Grzelcyk from the top pair left side to the third pairing right side, with Ryan Graves on the left.

The Penguins had a 6-0 shot advantage, but the first period ended tied 10-10, and Utah converted another chance later in the first period. Once again, the Penguins were disorganized, covering the Utah rush attack. Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was open at the top of the slot and whipped a wrister past Nedeljkovic at 13:07.

It was a stoppable goal, and good teams get those saves, but teams in the weeds do not.

Referees overturned Utah’s third goal of the first period because of goaltender interference. It was an easy review (that should have been obvious from the beginning), but Nick Schmaltz was left untouched in the right circle; more defensive wizardry from the Penguins.

Former Penguins center Nick Bjugstad scored what became the clincher midway through the second period. After Jesse Puljujarvi’s tripping minor, Bujugstad deflected a point shot by Michael Kesserling past Nedeljkovic at 10:37.

Utah scored a pair in the third period as the Penguins struggled to care.

Dylan Guenther (8) fought for inside position on Marcus Pettersson and shoved a loose puck into the net at 6:38 of the third period. Less than a minute later, Alexander Kerfoot (3) deflected a shot past Nedeljkovic at 7:25.

The Penguins fell silent as the murmur of the crowd wondered what happened to the Penguins, and their hope this season was all that dulled the sound of skate blades cutting on the ice.

The Penguins quit long before the game ended. They stood flat-footed as Utah and Dylan Guenther (9) skated around them for the final tally to punctuate yet another pathetic loss.

Nedeljkovic stopped 23 of 29 shots. Vejmelka saved 28 of 29 for his second win of the season.