Penguins' losing streak reaches 3 after being beaten by Lightning

Having largely flirted with mediocrity most of the 2023-24 season — as indicated by a record that has orbited around .500 through the first 24 games of the season — the Pittsburgh Penguins profess resolve.

“You keep believing in it,” Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson said following practice in Cranberry last month. “We watch video every day. We’re getting looks.

“If we defend hard, we’re going to get looks.”

The Penguins looked like something that would invoke a four-letter word in their 25th game on Wednesday as they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-1, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. It was the Penguins’ third consecutive loss (0-1-2) and dropped their record to 11-11-3.

Amplifying the Penguins’ woes was the health of forward Bryan Rust. Per the team’s X account, coach Mike Sullivan told media in Tampa that Rust was being evaluated for an undisclosed injury. One of the team’s more consistent offensive threats, Rust did not record a shift beyond the 18:18 mark of the second period.

The Penguins failed to score a power-play goal for the 12th consecutive game as they were 0 for 5 — including a five-on-three scenario that lasted 39 seconds — with the man advantage Wednesday.

The Penguins’ most recent win was a 4-2 road victory against the Lightning on Nov. 30. In that victory, they had to overcome a two-goal deficit.

“They scored two goals (last week) and we start playing our game,” Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin said to the Associated Press in Tampa. “Tonight they scored three goals and we start to play our game. We need to control more of the game.”

The hosts opened the scoring 5:56 into regulation when forward Anthony Cirelli found his sixth goal of the season during a power-play sequence.

Pushing the puck up the right wing of the offensive zone, Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov flung a backhanded pass to the center point for defenseman Victor Hedman. Eyeing up a shooting lane, Hedman snapped a wrister toward the cage. Cirelli, stationed between the hashmarks, redirected the puck with the backhand side of his stick blade by goaltender Tristan Jarry’s left skate. Hedman and Kucherov had assists.

Lightning forward Brandon Hagel appeared to score only 39 seconds into the second frame, but the Penguins issued a coach’s challenge citing the sequence as being offside. A video review confirmed those accusations and wiped out the goal.

Kucherov scored a legal goal – his 17th of the season – on another power-play scenario at 8:31 of the second period.

After Lightning forward Nick Paul beat Penguins forward Jeff Carter on a faceoff in the Penguins’ left circle, Lightning forward Steven Stamkos banked the puck off the near wall to the left point. From there, Hedman smoothly slid a pass to the right circle, where Kucherov cracked a thunderbolt of a one-timer by Jarry’s glove on the near side. Hedman and Stamkos logged assists.

The Lightning went up by a field goal at 17:04 of the second period via forward Tanner Jeannot’s sixth goal.

Following a neutral zone turnover by Smith, Jeannot drove the puck into the offensive zone on the left wing but lost possession due to a poke check by Penguins defenseman John Ludvig. Lightning forward Michael Eyssimont picked up the errant puck and fired a wrister from the left circle that Jarry rejected with his glove. As Ludvig stumbled to the ice, Jeannot claimed the rebound and lifted a backhander by Jarry’s blocker. The only assist went to Eyssimont.

Penguins forward Jake Guentzel’s 10th goal of the season spoiled the Lightning’s hopes for a shutout late in regulation at 19:07 of the third period.

After Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy failed to corral a dump-in behind his own net, forechecking Penguins forward Sidney Crosby applied pressure and flicked a backhand pass to the left circle. Despite falling to the ice, Guentzel managed to shuffle the puck toward the crease, where it bounced off the right leg of Lightning forward Nick Paul and deflected into the cage. The only assist went to Crosby.

Jarry made 25 saves on 28 shots as his record fell to 8-9-2.

Notes:

• The Penguins have been successful on three of their four coach’s challenges this season.

• Guentzel (443 points) surpassed forward Martin Straka (442) for 11th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• The Penguins’ five-game winning streak against the Lightning was snapped. Their only longer active winning streak against another franchise is a 10-game stretch against the Arizona Coyotes.

• Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea took two penalties in the game, totaling four minutes. A first-year NHLer, Shea entered the game with one penalty this season, a minor infraction during 4-0 home win against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 26.

• Penguins forward Noel Acciari was scratched for the third consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury.

• Penguins forward Vinnie Hinostroza and defenseman Dmitri Samorukov were each a healthy scratch.

• Cirelli’s goal was his 200th career point.

• Kucherov set a franchise record by recording an assist in his 11th consecutive game. He previously shared the mark of 10 with former Lightning forwards Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis.

• Former Penguins forward Conor Sheary, currently designated to the Lightning’s injured reserve, missed his 14th consecutive game due to an undisclosed ailment.