The Pittsburgh Penguins’ road trip went from tough to brutal last night, as the Vegas Golden Knights absolutely steamrolled them 6-2 at T-Mobile Arena. From the jump, Vegas was in total control, leaving the Pens playing catch-up in what’s quickly shaping up to be a difficult season.
First Period Firestorm
The Golden Knights wasted absolutely no time setting the tone. They activated their defensemen like madmen and ripped off two goals in the first 4:02 of the game. Rasmus Andersson got things going just 1:06 into the period, finding his spot and burying it. Not long after, Jack Eichel pulled all the attention on himself, leaving Noah Hanifin wide open to sneak into the vacant space. Eichel hit him with a pass that was just *chef’s kiss*, making it 2-0. Vegas then got on the power play and after trying a bunch of backdoor plays, it finally paid off. Mark Stone redirected a puck from right in front of Sergei Murashov, giving him his third point of the night and pushing the lead to 3-0. It was a tough, tough period for the Penguins, and honestly, it felt like a microcosm of their entire road trip, and maybe even their early season. Vegas absolutely flexed their muscles and had full control.
Faint Hope, Then More Horror
The Penguins finally got a glimmer of hope in the second period when they earned their first power play. And brace yourself, they actually scored on it! Tommy Novak fired a shot that hit Sidney Crosby right in front of the net, good for his 657th career goal, making it a 3-1 game. But that faint hope didn’t last worth a damn. A Crosby pass went sideways, and the Golden Knights were off to the races. Trevor Connelly, who’s been lighting it up, absolutely sniped Murashov to push it to 4-1. That kid is unreal, now leading all NHL rookies with four goals. Pittsburgh was about to take another penalty, and Sam Girard got tangled up, taking a heavy trip into the boards on his arm. The ensuing 4-on-4 action trickled away, but Vegas won the puck out of a scrum and fed Shea Theodore, who blasted a big shot to make it 5-1. Honestly, it’s spooky season, and this game was a house of horrors for the Penguins. With about 15 minutes left, there were some mild signs of life when Novak shot the puck and poked it around Adin Hill, with Ville Koivunen (or maybe Evgeni Malkin) getting the final touch to make it 5-2.
This loss just piles on for Pittsburgh, who are already on a rough road trip that’s quickly turning into a nightmare season. They gotta figure something out, and fast, because the Golden Knights just showed them what real control looks like.
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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