In a game full of challenges — two literal ones, to be precise — the Pittsburgh Penguins conquered their most vexing challenge this season – the shootout – and defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 5-4, Saturday at PPG Paints Arena.

Shootout goals by forwards Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell were the difference.

It was only the second shootout win for the Penguins this season (2-10).

“Oh, it feels awesome,” Rakell said. “Going into a shootout, it’s been on top of everyone’s head that it hasn’t gone great. But we kind of worked on some shootouts yesterday in practice. And just said that we were just going to try to turn the page and try to go out there with confidence.

“That’s what we did.”

A pair of coach’s challenges — one successful, one unsuccessful — issued by the Penguins dictated the flow of the contest. Their unsuccessful challenge for goaltender interference was the latest entry into a season-long debate over the NHL’s seemingly unspecified definition of the rule.

“I don’t know what they’re looking for,” Penguins rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs said. “What is goalie interference? What’s not goalie interference? … It’s frustrating. Give (the Jets) an easy goal for no reason.

“But we battled through and we managed to win the game.”

Silovs stopped 21 of 25 shots in regulation and overtime, then did not allow a goal on two shootout attempts as his record improved to 16-9-8.

The victory extracted a bit of a toll, however, as Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea did not finish the game because of an apparent facial injury. He left the contest late in the second period, then emerged from the dressing room to open the third period with a full shield to protect his face but did not record a shift in the final frame.

Following the contest, there was no substantive update on Shea, one of five players who have appeared in 69 of the team’s games this season.

Another defenseman, Erik Karlsson, maintained his prolific pace as of late as he scored two goals, including one that tied the contest relatively late in regulation.

Since Feb. 28, Karlsson has 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in his past 12 games.

“There’s not too many guys in the league who can do what he does, especially when he’s at the top of his game,” said Penguins forward Bryan Rust, who appeared in his 700th career game. “He’s been a catalyst for us, obviously, offensively. He’s making really good plays defensively, too. And he’s helping, being a calming presence, both on the ice (and) on the bench, too.”

The Penguins wasted little time in taking a lead. To be precise, they wasted 66 seconds before forward Egor Chinakhov recorded his 100th career point with his 15th goal of the season.

Off a short-area backhand pass from near the penalty boxes by linemate Evgeni Malkin, Chinakhov raced into the offensive zone on the right wing, made a dashing deke past Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo in the near circle, then fired a lightning bolt of a wrister from the slot through goaltender Connor Hellebuyck’s five hole. Malkin and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, who made a challenging pass out of the defensive zone to initiate the sequence, had assists.

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Only 56 seconds later, Rakell registered his 14th goal.

DeMelo had trouble again, this time trying to settle a bouncing puck between his skates at Winnipeg’s blue line. Rust took advantage of DeMelo’s mishap and swiped the puck before driving it up ice. From just below the left circle, Rust slipped a backhand pass past the stick of Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey to the front of the slot, where an onrushing Rakell directed a forehand shot past Hellebuyck’s glove. Rust and defenseman Sam Girard had assists. For Girard, it was his first point since the Penguins acquired him via trade Feb. 24.

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The Jets got on the scoreboard under disputed circumstances when forward Morgan Barron scored his 11th goal.

After blocking a slapper by Wotherspoon at the left point of Winnipeg’s zone, Jets rookie forward Brad Lambert chased down the ensuing rebound in the neutral zone, gained the Penguins’ zone on the right wing and fired a wrister from the near circle to the far side. Silovs punched the rebound to the slot, where Barron chipped the puck forward, only to have it partially blocked by Karlsson’s stick. As the puck became airborne, the ample Barron (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) crashed into Karlsson, who then collided with Silovs as the puck fluttered into the cage. Lambert logged the lone assist.

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The Penguins issued a coach’s challenge on the basis of goaltender interference. Following a lengthy review, officials found no evidence of malfeasance, and the Penguins were issued a delay of game penalty as they fell to 0 for 8 on challenges related to goaltender interference.

The NHL issued a brief statement on the decision, simply noting “video review confirmed no goaltender interference infractions occurred prior to Morgan Barron’s goal.” No substantive details were provided on the decision.

Penguins officials were so agitated by the outcome that a staffer distributed printed copies of page 101 of the NHL’s rule book to media in the press box. The final paragraph of rule 69.1 was highlighted. It states:

“If a defending player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by an attacking player so as to cause the defending player to come into contact with his own goalkeeper, such contact shall be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, and if necessary a penalty assessed to the attacking player and if a goal is scored it would be disallowed.”

A Pittsburgh Penguins staffer distributed a printed copy of Rule 69.1 in the NHL's rulebook, which details goaltender interference, during a game against the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena, March 21, 2026. (Seth Rorabaugh | TribLive)  

The contest was tied at 6:10 of the second period via forward Cole Koepke’s sixth goal, which came while short-handed.

After a puck caromed fortuitously in Winnipeg’s zone, Jets forward Adam Lowry claimed it near the left point and generated a two-on-one rush with Koepke against Karlsson. Gaining the Penguins’ zone on the right wing, Lowry slipped a pass past Karlsson’s skates to the lower right hashmark. Koepke took the pass on his forehand, deked to his backhand, undressed Silovs and deposited a backhander into a mostly vacant cage. The only assist went to Lowry.

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It was the 11th short-handed goal the Penguins have surrendered this season. Entering the day, only the Colorado Avalanche (12) have allowed more.

Karlsson reclaimed a lead for the hosts at 15:22 of the second frame with his 10th goal.

Off a feed from Chinakhov, Wotherspoon advanced from the left point to the near circle, then fed a seam pass across the ice to Karlsson. Surveying his options, Karlsson zipped a far-side wrister to the far side past Hellebucyk’s blocker. Wotherspoon and Chinakhov claimed assists.

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Jets defenseman Neal Pionk struck with his third goal 4:04 into the third period.

Accepting a pass at the left point of the offensive zone, Pionk gripped and ripped a wrister through a phalanx of bodies near the crease and beat Silovs’ glove on the near side. Linemates Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist negotiated assists.

Neal Pionk from long range! ???? pic.twitter.com/1b9iBFEcu5

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The Jets appeared to take their first lead of the contest only 31 seconds later when forward Mark Scheifele fired a wrister from the Penguins’ left circle. But after the Penguins took a timeout, they issued another coach’s challenge, claiming the play should have been halted because Jets forward Alex Iafallo played the puck with a high stick earlier on the sequence. A review confirmed those suspicions and euthanized the goal.

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Oddly, the Penguins are now 4 for 4 in coach’s challenges for scenarios not involving goaltender interference.

A valid goal was scored by Lambert at 8:36 of the third frame, his second of the season.

After Penguins defenseman Connor Clifton was unable to cleanly play a puck in the neutral zone and was thumped away by Barron, Lambert took possession, gained the offensive blue line and utilized Girard as a screen in the high slot and fired a wrister that glanced off Girard’s right leg and sailed past Silovs’ glove. There were no assists.

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The Penguins did not relent as Karlsson tied the score again at 12:45 of the third period.

Racing into the offensive zone on the right wing, Rust left a drop pass near top of the circle for Karlsson. Lining up Jets defenseman Haydn Fleury as a screen, Karlsson ripped a wrister past Hellebuyck’s blocker on the far side. Rust and Crosby claimed assists.

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With that score, Karlsson became the first defenseman in the 58-year history of the franchise to score multiple goals in consecutive games.

During a 6-5 road overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, Karlsson scored twice.

“He’s doing so much for us,” Rakell said. “And it’s not just scoring goals. It’s the way he breaks out pucks and keeping a close cap on their entries and just dictating the game. Then, obviously, everybody knows his game. When he’s confident, he’s one of the best defensemen in our league still. He shows that he can do it all.”

After failing to score in overtime despite a four-on-three power-play opportunity, the Penguins secured victory in the shootout.

After Chinakhov was denied on the opening attempt, Crosby and Rakell beat Hellebuyck. For the Jets, Toews hit a post while Nyquist was rejected by Silovs.

“Everyone felt pretty confident in shootouts,” said Silovs, who is now 2-6 in shootouts this season. “And I think we executed on both ends.

“It was a confident win in the shootout.”

Notes:

• Rakell has an eight-game scoring streak, totaling 10 points (three goals, 10 assists).

• Penguins forwards Kevin Hayes and Blake Lizotte were scratched because of undisclosed injuries.

• Penguins defensemen Ryan Graves, Ilya Solovyov and Jack St. Ivany, as well as forward Ville Koivunen, were healthy scratches.

• Graves was formally activated from injured reserve prior to the game.

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