Penguins, Arturs Silovs fall to Jets; point streak stopped at eight games
In their 13th game of the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins weren’t terribly lucky as they were grounded by the Winnipeg Jets, 5-2, at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
It was only the third regulation loss of the season for the Penguins, who had an eight-game streak (6-0-2) of gaining at least a point snapped.
“Losing always stinks,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said to reporters in Winnipeg via audio provided by the team’s media relations department. “Anytime there’s an opportunity to get points and you don’t do it, you’re not going to be happy.”
Rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs made 29 saves on 33 shots as his record fell to 3-2-2.
It took Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi all of 15 seconds to open the scoring on the game’s first shift with his fifth goal of the season.
Off a pass at the left point of the offensive zone, Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey clapped a one-timer, which Silovs stopped with his left leg. The rebound trickled to the lower-right circle, where Vilardi claimed it, then swooped below the goal line before shuffling the puck into the back of Silovs’ left skate, causing it to deflect into the cage. Morrissey and forward Mark Scheifele had assists.
Vladislav Namestnikov - Winnipeg Jets (6) pic.twitter.com/GIEGTwpOzz
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) November 1, 2025
Jets rookie forward Brad Lambert scored his first career goal shortly after at 2:43 of the first period.
After Penguins rookie defenseman Owen Pickering and forward Noel Acciari failed to cleanly connect on a pass at their own blue line, Jets forward Cole Koepke accepted the charity and one-touched a forehand pass to linemate Parker Ford. Motoring into the Penguins’ zone on the left wing, Ford fended off Penguins rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke, curled around the back of the cage and shoveled a back-hander into the crease. The puck skidded across the blue paint, and Lambert was able to slam in an easy forehand shot by Silovs’ right skate. Ford, also a rookie, and Koepke collected assists.
BRAD LAMBERT HAS HIS FIRST NHL GOAL‼️ pic.twitter.com/BAzyilSyzm
— NHL (@NHL) November 1, 2025
“It’s maybe tough for us letting two goals early and climbing the mountain,” Silovs said. “It’s a challenge.”
The Jets went up by a field goal only 77 seconds into the second period via forward Vladislav Namestnikov’s sixth goal of the season.
Following an offensive rush by Penguins forward Blake Lizotte, a rebound off a blocked pass attempt kicked out to the left point of Winnipeg’s zone. Jets forward Jonathan Toews poked the puck past a flat-footed Pickering and raced through the neutral zone, generating a two-on-one rush with Namestnikov against Penguins defenseman Kris Letang. As Acciari made a valiant effort to catch up, Toews pulled up in the Penguins’ left circle and slipped a backdoor feed to Namestnikov, who — despite sound positioning by Letang — tapped in a forehand redirection past Silov’s right leg. Toews and linemate Alex Iafallo integrated on assists.
Vladislav Namestnikov - Winnipeg Jets (6) pic.twitter.com/GIEGTwpOzz
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) November 1, 2025
Former Youngstown Phantoms forward Kyle Connor inflated the hosts’ lead by scoring his seventh goal on a penalty shot while short-handed.
After Silovs was penalized for throwing his stick to defend a scoring chance, Connor was granted the shot. Approaching the cage, Connor brilliantly flipped a back-hander by Silov’s glove to find twine.
Kyle Connor - Winnipeg Jets (7)
Penalty Shot pic.twitter.com/7McAEJ8Wif— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) November 1, 2025
Penguins forward Sidney Crosby broke the dam and got his squad on the scoreboard by tallying his team-best ninth goal during a power-play sequence late in the second frame at the 19:48 mark.
Off a bit of give-and-go with Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson smacked a one-timer from the center point of Winnipeg’s zone. The puck appeared to be going wide, but with Crosby positioned to the right of the crease, the puck hit his stick and deflected in behind goaltender Eric Comrie’s glove. Karlsson and Malkin merited assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) November 2, 2025
The Penguins’ fourth line got in on the act when Lizotte logged his second goal at 10:46 of the third period.
After Acciari won a puck battle against Morrissey in Winnipeg’s right corner, Lizotte claimed possession. Hustling to the near half-wall, Lizotte pulled up and spun away from Scheifele to attack the cage. Upon arrival, Lizotte lost the puck, which wound up hitting off of the right skate of Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo, then deflecting under Comrie’s right leg. As Comrie attempted to reach back with his right arm to smother the puck in the crease, he inadvertently jabbed it into the cage with the butt end of his stick like a pool cue. Lizotte was credited with the goal off assists from Acciari and linemate Connor Dewar.
Blake Lizotte - Pittsburgh Penguins (2) pic.twitter.com/HcjBvpnrcz
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) November 1, 2025
Connor capped the scoring at 18:39 of the final frame on an empty net. Vilardi and Scheifele had assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) November 2, 2025
Notes:
• Penguins forward Justin Brazeau missed his first game of the season. According to one of the team’s social media accounts, Brazeau is day-to-day due to an undisclosed injury.
• To open the game, Brazeau was replaced on the second line by forward Philip Tomasino, a healthy scratch for the previous three games.
• Penguins defensemen Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba were healthy scratches on Saturday.
• Jets defenseman Luke Schenn, who was briefly a member of the Penguins in March (but never played for the club), was scratched.
• The Penguins have lost four consecutive games (0-4-0) against the Jets. It is their longest active losing streak against any one opponent.
• The last penalty shot goal by the Jets against the Penguins came nearly a decade ago on Dec. 27, 2015. Forward Bryan Little scored the only goal in a 1-0 home win at what was then called the MTS Centre. Penguins goaltender Jeff Zatkoff made 27 saves on 28 shots that day.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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