The Penguins are developing a concerning trend. And now it’s costing them points.
Pittsburgh once again failed to score a first period goal Friday in a 3-2 shootout loss to Detroit, marking the fourth consecutive game in which the Pens didn’t get on the board in the game’s opening frame.
To make matters worse, they barely even threatened early, posting only five shots and showing noticeable malaise in their game through the first 20 minutes.
The good news? They did wake up offensively. It just wasn’t enough.
The Penguins outshot 33-21 over the final three periods and overtime, with Jake Guentzel netting two more goals for Pittsburgh, upping his total to 23 on the season.
But the Penguins fell for a second consecutive game to a sub-.500 team on home ice, following Thursday’s 2-1 loss to lowly Seattle.
The Penguins host the Kings Sunday at 1 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena.
Hear all of Mike Sullivan’s postgame press conference below.