Penguins mauled by Minnesota in 1st game back from Sweden trip

The Pittsburgh Penguins went four days between games following a taxing trek to Sweden to spread the gospel of the NHL in Europe.

On Friday, they looked as though they might have needed a fifth day — or five weeks — to get past lingering jet lag.

In fact, one might have suspected they missed their flight and rowed their way back from Scandinavia based on how ramshackle they appeared Friday.

Hosting the Minnesota Wild at PPG Paints Arena, the Penguins were romped 5-0 in perhaps their most squalid performance of 2025-26.

The Wild — who entered the contest on a 7-1-1 surge — needed only 10 shots to score the game’s first four goals.

Rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs opened the contest for the Penguins but lasted only 21 minutes, 6 seconds of ice time after he was torched for that initial quartet of scores. His record fell to 4-3-4 after he made six saves.

He was replaced by another rookie, Sergei Murashov, who stopped 10 of 11 shots.

Murashov was not the goaltender of record, but he offered a remarkable pledge going into Saturday’s home contest against the Seattle Kraken.

“First of all, I would like to say thank you to all the fans who stayed for the third period and stayed to the end and everyone who stays with his or her spirit with (the) Penguins,” Murashov said. “Sometimes they celebrate big wins. But sometimes it’s a game like this.

“We have to stay honest. It’s the NHL, and one thing I learned pretty quickly is you don’t have much time to think (about) what’s wrong. You just have to reset and be ready for the next night. We’re a group of professionals. It’s going to be a really good response tomorrow.”

It marked the first time this season the Penguins have changed goaltenders during a game. They were also on the wrong end of a shutout for the first time this campaign.

The Penguins — who split a pair of games against the Nashville Predators in Stockholm — lost for the sixth time in their past eight games (2-4-2).

Any suggestion of fatigue from their overseas trip was turned away far more efficiently than most of the 21 shots the Wild fired.

“I’m not looking at that,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “We had practices. We weren’t ready. I’m not looking at that as an excuse at all for a second.”

Wild forward Matt Boldy’s 12th goal of the season opened the scoring 3:57 into regulation.

Claiming a puck off the right corner boards of the offensive zone, Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek dealt a pass to the top of the right circle for defenseman Brock Faber, who whipped a wrister on net. Silovs made the initial save but surrendered a rebound to the left of the crease, where Boldy claimed it. Going forehand to backhand, Boldy got Silovs to slide out of position and pushed the puck past his left skate and into the cage. Faber and Eriksson Ek had assists.

#Wild 1 @ #Penguins 0 [P1-16:03]:

Goal: Matt Boldy (12)
9' Lead-Taking Backhand

Assists: B.Faber (7), J.Eriksson Ek (11)#MNWild #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/glHKbVoCBz

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalsVideo) November 22, 2025

The visitors went up by a pair when Eriksson Ek found his fourth goal during a power-play sequence at 9:39 of the first period.

Off some puck movement around the perimeter of the Penguins’ zone, Wild rookie defenseman Zeev Buium took a pass near the left point, maneuvered toward the high slot and snapped a wrister toward the cage. Outmuscling Penguins forward Joona Koppanen for position just inside the left hashmarks, Eriksson Ek deflected the puck downward through Silovs’ five hole. Batches of assists went to Buium and Boldy

#Wild 2 @ #Penguins 0 [P1-10:21]:

Goal: Joel Eriksson Ek (4)
20' Power-Play Tip-In

Assists: Z.Buium (8), M.Boldy (12)#MNWild #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/rPlwaIjaHn

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalsVideo) November 22, 2025

Wild forward Marcus Johansson’s eighth goal put the Wild up by a field goal (on only seven shots) at 11:42 of the opening frame.

Taking a pass at the left point of the offensive zone, Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin slid a pass to the top of the right circle, where a mostly unguarded Johansson swatted a one-timer by Silovs’ glove on the near side. Brodin and Faber finagled assists.

#Wild 3 @ #Penguins 0 [P1-8:18]:

Goal: Marcus Johansson (8)
37' Deep Slapshot

Assists: J.Brodin (4), B.Faber (8)#MNWild #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/aNtnhg3F8K

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalsVideo) November 22, 2025

Silovs was pulled after giving up Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov’s 12th goal only 69 seconds into the second period.

Corralling a rebound behind the Penguins’ net, Wild forward Mats Zuccarello fed a pass to the high slot for defenseman Jake Middleton. Sashaying his way to the top of the right circle, Middleton snapped a wrister, which Kaprizov deflected from the slot by Silov’s blocker. Assists went to Middleton and Zuccarello.

#Wild 4 @ #Penguins 0 [P2-18:51]:

Goal: Kirill Kaprizov (12)
20' Tip-In

Assists: J.Middleton (3), M.Zuccarello (6)#MNWild #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/fRQkDQZIox

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalsVideo) November 22, 2025

After the game, Muse defended Silovs far better than most of his teammates did on the ice.

“We made the change,” Muse said. “(Silovs) has been really strong for us throughout the course of the year.

“It was everybody. Everybody is included in a loss like that. It’s across the board. Myself included. There was a lot of bad tonight. It wasn’t just one thing or one person by any means.”

The Wild did not relent as Boldy struck again at 17:46 of the middle frame.

Following a defensive zone turnover by Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea, Kaprizov chased down the loose puck on the left half wall and chopped a one-timer at the cage. Boldy beat Shea to the left of the cage and deflected the puck by Murashov’s glove. Kaprizov had the only assist.

#Wild 5 @ #Penguins 0 [P2-2:14]:

Goal: Matt Boldy (13)
7' Tip-In

Assists: K.Kaprizov (14)#MNWild #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/m4Qa31dDA8

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalsVideo) November 22, 2025

Shea and defensive partner Kris Letang were on the ice for all five goals.

“I’ve got to be better,” Shea said. “It’s pretty frustrating. I’m just lucky I didn’t break every stick I had after a game like that.”

Former Penguins goaltending prospect Filip Gustavsson earned his second shutout this season after stopping 19 shots. His mark improved to 6-7-2.

The Penguins won’t have much time to ruminate as their next game will happen in approximately 24 hours.

“Everybody in here understands tonight wasn’t good enough to have a chance to win a hockey game,” Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson said. “We know that. The only positive is that we don’t have much time to dwell on it. We play again tomorrow. We know we’re a good team in here. Tonight was obviously not our best effort.”

At least one of them expects that to change by Saturday.

“I think everyone knows what he can do better,” Murashov said. “I’m pretty sure everyone will show it tomorrow.”

Notes:

• Penguins defensemen Harrison Brunicke and Matt Dumba, along with forward Philip Tomasino, were healthy scratches.

• The Penguins went more than 11 years since the last time they were shut out by the Wild. Late in Dan Bylsma’s last season as the Penguins’ coach, goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov made 20 saves in a 4-0 home win, April 5, 2014.

• The Wild are one of two active NHL franchises that the Penguins have never shut out. The Utah Mammoth are the other.

While the Mammoth franchise — which came into existence last season as the Utah Hockey Club — was largely composed of assets from the defunct Arizona Coyotes franchise, the NHL does not consider the Mammoth as a continuation of the Coyotes’ history (which includes the first incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets).

• Penguins rookie forward Sam Poulin made his season debut at the NHL level. Primarily moored to the left wing of the third line, Poulin logged a career-high 15:48 of ice time on 16 shifts. He had one shot on four attempts.