Penguins Outmatched and Outclassed by Winnipeg, the Fall Continues

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins (7-11-4) didn’t play poorly but were never really competitive, either. After a couple of days of both self conflagration and hard practices, the Penguins were far more responsible and detailed, but their effort was still a country mile from good enough as the Winnipeg Jets (17-3-0) controlled the game.

Every Penguins’ mistake became a goal while they meekly struggled to break through Winnipeg’s layers at center ice and the defensive zone. By the end of the second period, Winnipeg was outshooting the Penguins 25-13 and leading 3-0.

Kyle Connor (13) added the empty netter with 1:11 left, his second goal of the game, to seal Winnipeg’s 4-1 win over the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.

For the fourth time in six starts, Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry allowed a goal on the first shot of the game. However, the unbelievable statistical anomaly was essentially unstoppable as defenseman Erik Karlsson far too casually played a pass from Evgeni Malkin in the defensive zone and then missed a short touch pass back to Evgeni Malkin, who tried to stickhandle the lo0se puck in stride but missed it.

Nino Neiderrieter (8) received the loose puck feet from the crease and had time to stickhandle around Jarry for the goal at 1:22 of the first period.

Perhaps that’s one way to avoid giving up a 2-0 lead.

Midway through the second period, the Penguins again showed off their poor decision-making and defensive difficulty. Sidney Crosby’s slap shot missed the net, but defenseman Erik Karlsson was not able to stop the puck on the wall, and Winnipeg transitioned to offense four-on-two. In the defensive zone, Penguins winger Bryan Rust dropped to the ice to defend against a cross-ice pass but did so far too early, which took him out of the play and essentially created a three-on-one. Jarry stopped Vladislav Namestnikov’s first shot, but Namestnikov (6) had plenty of time to poke

And in the final minute of the second period, Winnipeg drove the stake through the Penguins’ heart. After Malkin took a tripping minor at 18:45, Winnipeg both scored a power-play goal and the dreaded tally in the final minute. From the mid-wall, Kyle Connor threaded a pass through the outstretched sticks of defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Noel Acciari, and Gabriel Valardi (8) whipped a top-shelf wrister past Jarry at 19:01.

The Penguins’ overmatched struggles were exemplified by Sidney Crosby, who didn’t have a shot on goal in the first 40 minutes and didn’t even have one blocked. He remains stuck on career goal No. 599. He has just one tally in the last eight games.

Crosby tried to send a message to his team early in the third period by dropping the gloves with Winnipeg winger Kyle Connor. Crosby landed a solid right hand in the brief tussle but was assessed an extra two minutes for cross-checking at 0:38.

The Penguins finally got on the board early in the third period with a power-play goal. Bryan Rust slipped a pass across the crease to Michael Bunting (4) who snapped it into the net behind Hellebuyck. However, that was all the Penguins could muster.

Hellebuyck stopped 18 of 19 shots. Jarry made several good saves and stopped 26 of 29 in the loss.