After delayed start, Penguins stumble vs. Canadiens for 3rd straight loss

The start of Thursday’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens at PPG Paints Arena was delayed because of an accident on I-279 that snarled traffic entering the city, including several players who live in the north suburbs.

The contest started approximately a half-hour later than originally scheduled, and, in reality, the Penguins looked as though they never truly arrived at the arena as they were defeated 4-2, extending a losing streak to three games (0-1-2).

Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry’s record fell to 9-3-1 as he unofficially made 25 saves on 29 shots.

In the other net, Canadiens rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler, a star at the junior level with the Youngstown Phantoms, made his NHL debut and largely stymied the Penguins, stopping 36 of 38 shots.

The Canadiens wasted little time staking out a lead as they scored on their second shot of the contest when forward Alexandre Texier tallied his first goal of the season 2 minutes, 54 seconds into regulation off an ugly and lengthy shift for Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.

After Letang iced the puck from his own end boards, Penguins forward Kevin Hayes won the ensuing draw in the right circle, but the Penguins were unable to get it out of the defensive zone. Hayes wound up blocking a shot attempt at the left point by Canadiens rookie forward Owen Beck and the rebound trickled loose to the near half-wall where it was claimed by Letang, who attempted a centering pass intended for Penguins forward Anthony Mantha. Letang fanned on the pass, however, and it was scooped up by Texier, who snapped a wrister from above the left hashmark to the far side by Jarry’s glove. Letang wound up registering a shift of 2:20 leading up to the goal.

Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher’s second goal came 4:37 into the second period.

Collecting a rebound in his own slot, Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky transitioned into the neutral zone and dealt a pass to the right wing, allowing Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson to gain the offensive zone. Pulling up on the near point, Hutson slid a cross-ice pass to the left circle, where Gallagher gripped and ripped a wrister over Jarry’s right shoulder on the near side.

The visitors went up by a field goal when forward Cole Caufield collected his 17th goal at 10:18 of the second frame during a power-play sequence.

Off some perimeter passing around the offensive zone, Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki slid a pass from the left half-wall below the goal line on the near side. Gallagher accepted the offering and fired a bad-angle wrister into Jarry’s left skate, banking it into the cage.

Beck appeared to get his first career goal at 16:21 of the second, but the Penguins called a timeout, then issued a coach’s challenge that was ultimately successful and euthanized the score.

Penguins forward Bryan Rust got his team on the scoreboard with his ninth 44 seconds into the third period.

Off the right wing wall, Penguins forward Tommy Novak circumnavigated his way off across the top of the offensive zone to the opposite boards and flicked a forehand pass to the slot. Penguins forward Sidney Crosby accepted the feed, then calmly flicked a backhand pass to the right of the crease, where Rust chopped a forehand shot that clunked off Fowler’s glove and bounced into the cage.

It took the Canadiens a mere 15 seconds to respond with rookie forward Oliver Kapanen’s 10th goal.

Gliding into the offensive zone, Slafkovsky ventured into the left circle and drew in Letang, who offered a stick check. Slafkovsky was able to avoid that impediment and slipped a clever pass to the bottom of the right circle, where an on-rushing Kapanen deposited an easy forehand shot by a sprawling Jarry.

Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson found his second goal during a power-play sequence at 15:07 of the final frame after Jarry was pulled for an extra attacker.

Note: Before the game, the Penguins activated rookie defenseman Jack St. Ivany from the season-opening injured non-roster list. He was given that designation as a result of a suspected right foot injury he suffered during a preseason contest on Oct. 1.