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Bad Penguins Lose to Worse Sharks; Collapse Nearly Complete

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Pittsburgh Penguins Game 2-1 Loss San Jose Sharks

SAN JOSE, Calif. — When two of the three worst defensive teams in the NHL collide, one might expect sparks. Yet when the Pittsburgh Penguins (20-24-8)  faced the San Jose Sharks (15-32-6) Tuesday, it was more like fingernails on a chalkboard.



The hockey gods will not boast about this one in the morning.

San Jose outlasted the Penguins 2-1 at SAP Center. The Penguins have lost three in a row, all to non-playoff teams. The Penguins have just three wins (3-7-3) in 2025.

Read More: (San Jose Hockey Now): Sharks Snap 6 Game Losing Streak, Pull Out 2-1 Win

The teams had trouble finding their rhythms in the first period, as errant passes, turnovers, and mistakes were more common than the better alternatives. There was more fumbling and uncertainty than a junior high dance.

The Penguins outshot San Jose 10-9, and the Penguins had several good chances, which future San Jose star goalie Yaroslav Askarov properly took away.

But the San Jose defensemen were hardly the Guardians of Askarov.

San Jose also had a few Grade A chances against Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, which he largely stopped. Midway through the second period, the Penguins suffered an absent-minded walkabout, even more so than the previous 25 minutes. After a couple of failed clearing attempts and passes to the wrong team, San Jose finally converted.

Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea fanned on a clearing attempt. Perhaps he meant to flutter the puck high in the air to center ice, but instead, he slid a perfect pass to San Jose’s Will Smith, who quickly fed bried Penguins forward Mikael Granlund in the left circle. Granlund (15) easily picked the low corner on Nedeljkovic at 7:41 of the second period.

The Penguins promptly responded by giving up a few more glorious chances in the following couple of minutes, which Nedeljkovic was able to stop.

The Penguins briefly tied the game in the third period despite their top line flubbing a three-on-two. San Jose defended the Penguins’ odd-man rush well, but Sidney Crosby (15) at 0:24.

However, Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson’s rough turnover feet from the Penguins net quickly put the puck on 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini’s stick. Celebrini (16) easily snapped it past Nedeljkovic to reclaim a San Jose lead.

Drew O’Connor piled on a few more frustrations to a season full of them. The Penguins forward had a shorthanded breakaway mid-way through the third period. He was stopped on the chance but hooked, so referees awarded him a penalty shot. Askarov made that save, too.

O’Connor is a pending unrestricted free agent but has gone ice-cold this season. He broke a two-month goal drought with a pair of goals on Dec. 31 against Detroit, then scored again on Jan. 9 against Edmonton, but is again on a nine-game goalless streak. After 16 goals last season, he has just six in 52 games this season.

The Penguins appeared to tie the game later in the third period when Michael Bunting’s centering pass deflected off Granlund into the net, but San Jose challenged for goaltender interference because Anthony Beauvillier was in the crease.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan doubled over in disbelief, then gallows laughter as players on the bench extended their palms upward in questioning.

We could tell you the defenseman guided Beauvillier into the blue paint, and Beauvillier couldn’t leave because he was blocked, much like Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle against the Penguins on Jan. 11 (the last Penguins challenge for interference), but that goal stood.

Still, it seems pointless to dissect a rule that exists more in the subjective than objective.

“Do you know what goalie interference is,” Sullivan rhetorically asked a reporter. “Neither do I.”

Refs assessed Cody Glass a cross-checking call with 2:37 remaining, then undid the San Jose power play with an interference call on San Jose defenseman Jake Wallman 20 seconds later.

Nedeljkovic made 26 saves on 28 shots. Askarov turned aside 31 of 32 shots.

Penguins Notes

An illness is going around the team. Blake Lizotte missed his third game, and Penguins TV play-by-play Josh Getzoff was the latest to get the bug. Radio play-by-play Joe Brand moved to the TV side. Radio color analyst Phil Bourque took over the main chair on the Penguins radio broadcast, flanked by Michele Crechiolo.

The team put center Evgeni Malkin on injured reserve Monday. He is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The team recalled Jesse Puljujarvi in his place. Boko Imama played in his second consecutive game.

The Penguins trail the second wild-card team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, by seven points, and Tampa Bay has four games in hand. Based on the winning percentage, the Columbus Blue Jackets would be the other wild-card team. The Penguins also trail them by seven points, and they have two games in hand.