Through the first two-plus months of the season, there are plenty of factors you could point to for any of the defeats the Pittsburgh Penguins have experienced.

• Injuries? Very much so. The Penguins largely have hobbled through the season with players of varying importance sidelined because of maladies ranging from lacerated tendons to minor illnesses.

• Execution? Absolutely. A power play that is converting at a lackluster 15.9% would confirm that notion.

• Goaltending? Indeed. The tabulation of a 1980s-quality .897 save percentage for Matt Murray validates any suspicion on that front.

But effort? Not very often. There have been very few instances when the Penguins were outworked by the opposition this season.

The second period of game 31 on the schedule appeared to be one of those rare occasions.

A three-goal effort in the middle frame by the Montreal Canadiens sank the Penguins in an unappetizing 4-1 loss at PPG Paints Arena.

“They outplayed us in the second period,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That was the difference in the game. We had some good looks in the third period. We didn’t finish. We didn’t have enough guys going tonight to get the job done.”

The Penguins took the game’s first lead 2 minutes, 59 seconds into the first period when forward Bryan Rust fed a pass to forward Jake Guentzel for his 17th score of the season.

After a delay of game minor for a faceoff violation at 10:21 of the first, the Penguins had an opportunity to double their lead but failed to put a shot on net during the ensuing two minutes.

The timing of that bland attack appeared to be crucial.

“We’ve got to try to create momentum for our team, even if we don’t score,” said defenseman Justin Schultz. “That’s what you’ve got to do on power plays. If anything, they got momentum off of that.”

The Canadiens converted their lone power-play chance to tie the score, 1-1, at 12:24 of the second period. Despite appearing to fan on the shot a bit, forward Tomas Tatar was able to put a wrister from the left of the cage past Tristan Jarry’s blocker on the near side for his 10th score of the season.

That goal snapped a 177:55 shutout sequence for Jarry, a franchise record. Tomas Vokoun previously held the mark with a sequence of 173:06 in the 2012-13 season.

Montreal took its first lead at 16:17 of the second. After Penguins defenseman Kris Letang fumbled a puck in the neutral zone, Canadiens forward Joel Armia hounded him into a turnover and pushed it into the offensive zone. Approaching the net on the right wing while fending off Letang, Armia lifted a wrister past Jarry’s glove on the near side for his 11th goal of the season.

The Canadiens claimed a two-goal late late in the second at the 19:45 mark. Off a pass in the neutral zone from from forward Artturi Lehkonen, Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber, an offensive force known more for a thunderclap of a slapper from the point than rushes deep into the offensive zone, zipped up the left wing behind the cage, caught defenseman John Marino and Jarry off guard and tucked a surprising backhander wraparound into the cage for his 10th goal.

Such an audacious offensive display is a rarity for Weber who suggested he hadn’t scored that way in over two decades, albeit in a more artificial realm.

“Since I played ‘NHL 95’ probably,” Weber quipped, in reference to a timeless but primitive — by today’s standards — video game.

An empty-net goal by forward Brendan Gallagher at 18:21 of the third period secured victory.

The Penguins appear to be confident their poor effort in the second period was an anomaly and not commonplace.

“That’s rare for us,” Guentzel said. “We’re playing well. For us to do this tonight, you just want to forget and move on tomorrow.”

Follow the Penguins all season long.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)