The Pittsburgh Penguins stormed out to a 2-0 lead against the Colorado Avalanche last night in Denver, looking like a team finally clicking. But then Colorado completely flipped the script, burying five unanswered goals to hand the Penguins a crushing 5-2 loss at Ball Arena. This one stings, big time.
That 2-0 Lead Feels Like a Lifetime Ago, Doesn’t It?
Honestly, the first period was probably the best the Penguins have played all season. Their four lines were finally connected, and they were flying, outshooting the Avalanche 14-5. The momentum was all theirs, and they made it count. Evgeni Malkin got things rolling, storming the offensive zone with a vintage outside-in move to the slot before whipping a wrist shot past MacKenzie Blackwood at 8:28 of the first period for his fourth goal of the season. Less than half a minute later, at 8:57, the Penguins kept the pedal down. Sidney Crosby snapped a pass from the left wing to an uncovered Bryan Rust, who drove to the net for a quick tap-in goal, his third. Ben Kindel even had a couple of chances right after for a third goal, but Colorado soon started to take back control.
Five Unanswered Goals Are Hard to Look Away From
The Avalanche quickly got back into it. Artturi Lehkonen had already snuck one past Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs at 11:01 of the first, capitalizing on a turnover by Elmer Soderblom and defensive breakdowns by Declan Carlile and Erik Karlsson. Then, just 25 seconds into the second period, Lehkonen struck again, stealing the puck behind the Penguins’ goal after a misplay by Kaedan Korczak and poking it past Silovs to tie the game. Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog then found himself uncovered for an uncontested tap-in. T.J. Hughes chipped in with his first NHL goal, and suddenly, the Penguins were staring down a 4-2 deficit by the end of the second period. Colorado outshot Pittsburgh 17-10 in that frame, and you could feel the game slipping away. Silovs stopped 27 of 32 shots before being pulled with 4:43 left, though he was reinserted for a late Colorado power play. MacKenzie Blackwood stopped 29 of 31 for the Avalanche.
Still Searching For a Power Play Goal, Aren’t We?
If the collapse wasn’t bad enough, the Penguins’ power play continues to be a total ghost town. They registered zero shots on their first two two-man advantages of the night and ended up going 0-for-3. That means they are now officially scoreless in their last 19 chances. That’s just brutal. The one bright spot in a dismal night was seeing captain Sidney Crosby hit another massive milestone. His first-period assist pushed him past Joe Thornton for seventh-most assists all time, now standing at an incredible 1110. A legendary accomplishment, but it’s tough to celebrate when the team is losing like this.
This kind of collapse, especially with a power play that just can’t get anything going, is a huge concern for this team. They’ve gotta figure out how to keep that early energy going for a full 60 minutes, and fast, or these early season losses are going to pile up. Pittsburgh needs to find some answers, and quick.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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