Penguins can't overcome slow start, fall to Senators in overtime

Andrew Destin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Dec 14, 2024

Published in Hockey

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An uniformed onlooker might have guessed incorrectly about which team flew overnight on Friday from Raleigh, N.C., to Ottawa, and which one took a two-hour train from Montreal.

The Penguins, fresh off a dominant 9-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, got off to a slow start and never successfully dug out of it before falling, 3-2, to the Senators in overtime on Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre. Brady Tkachuk scored the game-winner for Ottawa.

The visitors entered the evening having won six of their previous eight games, but such a fate was not in store with Linus Ullmark in the Senators’ net.

Ullmark, a Vezina trophy winner with the Bruins in 2022-23, stopped all but two of the Penguins’ 28 shots on goal. Twice, Ullmark made spectacular saves, first with his paddle on a rebound chance by Erik Karlsson in the first period, and then on Sidney Crosby late in the second period with his blocker.

The first exception came courtesy of Blake Lizotte, who netted his seventh goal of the year by pouncing on a rebound and flipping a backhand shot into the net. Kris Letang ensured the Penguins would secure at least a loser’s point with another tying goal later in the period.

Outside of those two goals, though, there weren’t particularly many scoring opportunities for the Penguins, especially in the opening period when producing just five shots on net. After the opening 20 minutes, Karlsson told SportsNet Pittsburgh it was a “sloppy period,” one in which the Senators took the lead.

Midway through the opening period, veteran forward Claude Giroux dangled long enough to prompt Tristan Jarry to come off his line, and leave the net vacant. Giroux located Thomas Chabot in the slot, and he finished with ease to give Ottawa an early advantage.

Jarry was otherwise solid, making 19 saves during his fourth straight start and seventh in nine games. But, the netminder’s steady performance wasn’t enough to compensate for a lackluster start from the Penguins in the offensive end, as well as some defensive shortcomings.

Drake Batherson netted the Senators’ second go-ahead goal with 13 minutes to go in regulation, and it wasn’t a particularly difficult one. Chabot skated toward the crease with ease, then flipped the puck to Batherson near the blue paint. Neither Ryan Graves nor Matt Grzelcyk were able to keep the net front clear, and the Senators took advantage.

Then on Tkachuk’s goal, the Senators caught the Penguins in the middle of a line change and took full advantage.

Ice chips

— Kevin Hayes was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Ryan Shea and Jesse Puljujarvi were the other scratches.

— Marcus Pettersson left the contest with four minutes to go in the first period, and did not return. He awkwardly tumbled into the boards after a light push by Batherson.

— The Penguins’ penalty kill, which had hit a rough patch the last few weeks, has stiffened recently. They’ve killed off 11 straight opposing power plays.

— Since returning from his second concussion of the season, Lizotte has nine points (four goals, five assists) over his last nine games. Lizotte’s seven goals this season equal his total from the 2023-24 campaign with the Los Angeles Kings.

— Letang has scored five times in his last seven games, and leads all NHL defensemen in goals since Nov. 30.

Stat n’at

9 — Games since Crosby has scored a goal. He last lit the lamp on Nov. 23 against the Utah Hockey Club.

Coming up

The Penguins have a scheduled off day on Sunday after they travel back from Canada. They’ll practice again Monday before hosting the Kings on Tuesday night.