Penguins
Penguins Down & Out; Waste Good Start Against Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif — A strong start became a weak finish, just as a strong effort Monday was washed away in a pond of mistakes and bad plays. The Pittsburgh Penguins (20-22-8) couldn’t find a second goal before bad plays and bad luck found them in a 5-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks (19-23-6) at the Honda Center Friday.
The Penguins had a golden opportunity to get back into the playoff race as multiple other Eastern Conference wanna-bees lost, but as they’ve done so often this season, they sank their opportunity.
The Penguins started well, if not great. They had the first seven shots of the game in the first nine minutes, but it took just one moment for Anaheim to expose the Penguins’ penchant for absent-minded defensive zone coverage.
After a few good saves by goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, Robby Fabbri beat Owen Pickering from the wall to the net. Resulting collisions and chaos put the puck on Mason McTavish’s stick just feet from a wide-open net. McTavish (8) didn’t miss the gimme at 9:28 of the first period.
In the final minute of the first period, Anaheim made the Penguins sorry for more haphazard structure. Forward Matt Nieto charged forward instead of staying back, leaving Alex Killorn one-on-one with P.O Joseph. Killorn (9) slipped past Joseph at the Penguin’s blue line and sniped a low, far-post shot past Nedeljkovic at 19:01.
Each team had 12 shots on goal in the first period despite the Penguins’ heavy early advantage.
The Penguins survived a few more defensive mistakes in the second period and converted a power play, which changed the completion of the game. After quickly moving the puck around the zone, Bryan Rust slid a pass across the crease to Michael Bunting (14), who slammed it into the net.
Anaheim goalie John Gibson settled in after some early wobbles. He robbed Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson with a toe save on a Penguins two-on-one.
Anaheim scored a pair of goals in the third period, and the first was bad luck. A dump-in caromed oddly off the back wall directly to Anaheim forward Mason McTavish, who scored his second goal of the night with a neat forehand deke at 2:06.
That was about the end of the Penguins.
And as sure as California sunshine, death, and taxes, Frank Vatrano also scored against the Penguins. Midway through the third period, it was Vatrano’s turn near the Penguins net to stuff the puck across the line at 6:52. That was Vatrano’s 11th goal in 22 career games against the Penguins–he’s not scored more against any other team in the league.
The Penguins managed just five shots on goal in the first 15 minutes of the third period despite a power play.
Nedeljkovic stopped 26 of 30 before being pulled for the extra attacker with more than five minutes remaining. Killorn potted the empty net goal at 18:00. Gibson stopped 32 of 33 shots.
Penguins Notes
Rust left the game late in the second period with a lower-body injury.
The Penguins have just two wins all season when Sidney Crosby doesn’t score. Crosby was held without a point Friday and without a shot on goal.
Only one Penguins forward had more than two shots: Michael Bunting had three.
Blake Lizotte was a scratch due to illness.
McTavish missed the hat trick by an inch–he hit the post with the empty net under pressure from Rickard Rakell.