Jets send skidding Penguins to 7th loss in past 9 games

Mike Sullivan has directed a blunt missive to his team in recent days.

“We’ve got to be harder to play against,” the coach said Wednesday.

That may leave some room for interpretation, but in practice Thursday, it translated into a physically demanding session.

Players hit the ice — literally — when teammates checked one another in a furious fashion along the boards while battling for pucks.

It was as intense a practice as the team has conducted all season, including training camp.

But all of those shoves, cross-checks and bellicosity Thursday were for naught as the Penguins suffered another loss Friday, this time falling to the imposing Winnipeg Jets, 4-1, at PPG Paints Arena.

The Penguins lost for the seventh time in their past nine games (2-4-3), while the Jets improved on their NHL-best record, boosting it to 17-3-0.

“We still have work to do in that area,” Penguins forward Bryan Rust said when asked about his team’s physical play. “Offensively and defensively, I think we can be harder on pucks. Win more puck battles in the (defensive) zone so we can spend less time (there) and then (be) in the (offensive) zone so we can have more time there.”

The Jets didn’t need much time to open the scoring as forward Nino Niederreiter scored his eighth goal of the season only 82 seconds into regulation thanks to some charity by the hosts.

Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry, who was booed when announced as the starting goaltender for the second consecutive home contest, received even less support from teammates who fumbled a puck in their own zone, allowing Niederreiter to strike.

Racing back for a loose puck near his own left corner, Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson rimmed it along the end boards, presumably for defensive partner Erik Karlsson in the opposite corner. Karlsson and forward Evgeni Malkin appeared to get their wires crossed on the sequence and Malkin batted the puck into the lower right circle. Jets forward Adam Lowry tried to backhand the puck but missed, allowing it to slide to Niederreiter, who tucked a backhander by the left leg of a sluggish Jarry. There were no assists.

Winnipeg goal!

Scored by Nino Niederreiter with 18:38 remaining in the 1st period.

Pittsburgh: 0
Winnipeg: 1#WPGvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/589wCZgfeJ

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 23, 2024

It marked the fourth time in six starts this season that Jarry has allowed a goal on the first shot he has faced.

“I don’t know what to really say about it,” Jarry said of the odd and clearly debilitating statistics. “It’s just tough. I think it’s more of a mindset, just defending a little bit harder in our zone and making sure we’re prepared for the first five minutes. I think it includes all of us, from the goaltender out. I think it’s tough when you’re starting games down 1-0 early like that. It’s hard to come back from that, especially when we play a good team like this.”

Sullivan was apoplectic when asked about the frequency with which the Penguins find themselves in a deficit following the first opposing shot of a game this season.

“It happens a million different ways,” Sullivan said. “For example, the first goal tonight. How do I explain that? Can you explain that? Because I can’t.”

Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov scored his sixth goal at 4:53 of the second period.

Gaining the offensive zone on the left wing, Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers slid the puck above the near circle for Namestnikov. As Rust slid to the ice to serve as an impediment, Namestnikov veered to his left and lifted a wrister on net. Jarry made the initial save but permitted a rebound that Namestnikov batted through Jarry’s five hole. Ehlers had the only assist.

Winnipeg goal!

Scored by Vladislav Namestnikov with 15:07 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Nikolaj Ehlers.

Pittsburgh: 0
Winnipeg: 2#WPGvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/RgT1WZZHV4

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 23, 2024

The Jets went up by a field goal at 19:01 of the second frame when forward Gabriel Vilardi found his eighth goal during a power-play sequence.

Accepting a pass above the Penguins’ right circle, ex-Youngstown Phantoms forward Kyle Connor maneuvered into the circle and dished a quick short-area feed to the upper right hashmark where Vilardi pumped a one-timer by Jarry’s glove on the near side. Connor and defenseman Josh Morrissey claimed assists.

Winnipeg goal!

Scored by Gabriel Vilardi with 00:59 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey.

Pittsburgh: 0
Winnipeg: 3#WPGvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/jtkxk8qjCa

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 23, 2024

The first ebullient moment for the sparse home crowd came only 38 seconds into the third period when Penguins captain Sidney Crosby fought Connor. Crosby landed a right cross before Connor wrestled him to the ice. In addition to fighting majors for each player, Crosby was charged with a cross-checking minor during the sequence.

Connor initiated the interaction a few moments earlier with a reverse hit on Crosby in the Penguins’ left corner.

“He didn’t like the hit apparently,” Connor said. “Was going to the net, saw a kind of cross-check there. Was going to regroup and came up to me, a couple of cross-checks. It just kind of happened. We’re not taking (stuff) from anybody. So that’s kind of where it transpired. It just kind of escalated.”

Sullivan appreciated the energy Crosby’s fight brought to his teammates but expressed some reservation over a 37-year-old who is as vital to this franchise as any athlete is to any team on earth.

“Obviously, we don’t want our captain and our best player in those altercations,” Sullivan said. “I just think Sid is a competitive guy. He was just trying to get our team going. But obviously, we would prefer it be other people, not Sid putting himself in those types of situations.”

With Crosby still in the penalty box, forward Michael Bunting replaced him on the top power-play unit and scored his fourth goal during a man-advantage scenario at 5:49 of the third frame.

After Malkin and Penguins forward Rickard Rakell won a puck battle in the right corner of the offensive zone against Jets defensemen Dylan DeMelo and Dylan Samberg, Rust claimed possession and fed a pass from the near circle to left of the crease where Bunting shuffled in a quick forehand shot by goaltender Connor Hellebuyck’s blocker on the near side. Assists went to Rust and Malkin.

Power play goal for Pittsburgh!

Scored by Michael Bunting with 14:11 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin.

Pittsburgh: 1
Winnipeg: 3#WPGvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/I9cfHdCx13

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 23, 2024

Connor capped the scoring and registered a Gordie Howe hat trick with his 13th goal on an empty net at 18:49. Forwards Cole Perfetti and Mark Schiefele had assists.

Empty net goal for Winnipeg!

Scored by Kyle Connor with 01:11 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Cole Perfetti and Mark Scheifele.

Pittsburgh: 1
Winnipeg: 4#WPGvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/T6BYqUO2ox

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 23, 2024

Jarry made 26 saves on 29 shots and his record fell to 1-3-1.

Coming off a come-from-ahead 3-2 overtime loss at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday in which they yielded a two-goal lead, the Penguins wanted to be harder to play against as they encountered the powerful Jets.

There was little evidence they accomplished that Friday.

“Right now, a loss is a loss,” Rust said. “And we’ve got to right the ship. Fast.”

Notes:

• Crosby (37 years and 107 days) recorded his ninth career fighting major. His last regular season fight was against former Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois on Oct. 5, 2019 during a 7-2 road win by the Penguins.

• Per Hockey-Reference, the last Penguins player over the age of 37 to record a fighting major was forward Brian Boyle (37 years, 36 days). He battled defenseman Nathan Beaulieu of the Jets – oddly enough – during a 3-2 home shootout win for the Penguins on Jan. 23, 2022.

• Crosby has been held without a shot for two consecutive games. It’s been nearly a decade since that last happened.

Crosby tonight held without a shot in consecutive games for the first time since Oct. 8+10, 2015 @ Dallas and @ Phoenix.

— Bob Grove (@bobgrove91) November 23, 2024

• Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk missed a shift or two in the second period after he blocked a shot by Jets defenseman Colin Miller at the 3:25 mark. Grzelcyk completed the game and reported being “good” in the dressing room but was hobbling a bit when he spoke with reporters.

• Penguins defenseman Kris Letang returned to the lineup after missing the three previous games due to an unspecified illness.

• Penguins defensemen Ryan Graves and Jack St. Ivany as well as forward Valtteri Puustinen were healthy scratches.

• In 42 career games against the Jets, Malkin has 54 points (20 goals, 34 assists).

• In 21 career games against the Penguins, Scheifele has 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists).