Penguins' losing streak reaches 6 after falling to Golden Knights

Like most people, Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy is aware of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ star power, specifically luminaries such as forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang.

But Cassidy offered a more nuanced observation when asked to explain the Penguins while speaking with media in Las Vegas on Thursday.

“Team defense,” Cassidy said. “Over the years, you’re always used to Crosby, Malkin, Letang, run and gun … them outscoring you. Their penalty kill is second in the league. That’s not something that you usually associate with Pittsburgh. The last three or four years, they’ve really done a good job with that. They used to maybe want to outscore you. That was my feeling. … Whereas now, they’re comfortable in those 3-2, 2-1 games.”

“They’ve changed a little bit of how they’ve created offense and they’ve changed how they can win those games.”

On Thursday, nothing changed for the Penguins as far as results were concerned as they were thumped by the Golden Knights, 5-2, at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena and suffered their sixth consecutive loss, one short of their season-worst streak of seven they suffered in late October and early November.

Former Penguins forward Phil Kessel opened the scoring 1 minute, 52 seconds into regulation. From near the benches at the center red line, Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak chipped the puck onto the Penguins’ end boards, causing it to deflect to the left of the cage. Golden Knights forward William Karlsson out-raced Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel for possession and swept a quick short-area pass to linemate Paul Cotter low in the left circle. Cotter appeared to attempt a one-timer but fanned on the shot with the heel of his stick and wound up sliding an unintentional pass to the right of the crease where Kessel was parked. From there, Kessel one-touched an easy goal past helpless goaltender Casey DeSmith for his seventh goal of the season. Cotter and Karlsson had assists.

It became a two-goal game at 5:17 of the first period. After Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson pinched in on the right wing of the offensive zone, that allowed Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy to push the puck up ice and create a two-on-one. Near the penalty boxes, Penguins defenseman Jan Rutta pressured Roy and left Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel alone at the Penguins’ blue line. Roy sensed his linemate was unguarded and shoved a backhand pass to him. Eichel gathered the puck and from the right circle, he rocketed a wrister past DeSmith’s blocker on the far side for his 14th goal. Roy and forward Reilly Smith registered assists.

The Golden Knights went up by a field goal with a power-play goal by forward Chandler Stephenson at 11:20 of the opening frame. Corralling a loose puck at the left point of the offensive zone, Eichel slid it to the left of the cage for forward Mark Stone who one-touched it to the slot above the hash marks where Stephenson leaned down and uncorked a one-timer that toasted DeSmith’s glove for his 11th goal. Assists went to Eichel and Stone.

The Penguins offered a spirited effort in the second period and even controlled shots 20-12 in the middle 20 minutes but all they had to show for that surge was another goal against just prior to the second intermission at the 19:49 mark.

An offensive zone turnover by Penguins defenseman Ty Smith led to a transition opportunity for the Golden Knights. After gaining the Penguins’ zone on the left wing, Eichel pulled up on the half wall and meandered above the left circle before tapping a backhand pass to advancing Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb. Accepting the pass, McNabb fired a wrister from the left boards toward the cage. Positioned to the left of the cage, Stone slightly deflected it into DeSmith who allowed the puck to leak through his gear and into the cage. Stone was credited with his 17th goal off assists from McNabb and Eichel.

Smith’s first goal of the season and first as a member of the Penguins broke up the shutout bid of goaltender Adin Hill 4:04 into the third period. After hounding Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo into a turnover in front of the home bench, Crosby backhanded a cross-ice pass to linemate Jake Guentzel who gained the offensive zone on the right wing. From just above the right circle, Guentzel left a drop pass and drove to the cage. Taking the puck, Smith surveyed for a shooting lane and lasered a far-side wrister past Hill’s blocker. Guentzel and Crosby collected assists.

Any notion of a comeback was euthanized with a goal by Cotter at 12:05 of the final period. Pushing the puck up the left wing from his own zone, Kessel generated a two-on-one rush with Cotter against Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson. From the Penguins’ left circle, Kessel drew in Pettersson and slipped a pass to the right circle where Cotter leaned down and stroked a one-timer past the glove of a sprawling DeSmith. Kessel and Karlsson had assists.

Crosby capped the scoring at 18:30 of the third period with his 20th goal. Chasing after a puck in the right corner of the offensive zone, Crosby thumped Golden Knights defenseman Ben Hutton to the ice with a hip check, allowing Guentzel to claim possession. Turning to his left, Guentzel fed a pass to forward Rickard Rakell in the right circle. From there, Rakell whipped a pass to the far side of the crease where Crosby was able to one-touch the puck past a scrambling Hill. Assists went to Rakell and Guentzel.

DeSmith made 26 saves on 31 shots as his record fell to 4-8-2.

Notes:

• Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Ryan Poehling were scratched due to undisclosed injuries.

• Penguins defenseman Mark Friedman was a healthy scratch.

• Smith became the 553rd player to score a regular season goal for the Penguins.

• The Golden Knights remain one of three active NHL franchises the Penguins have never shut out. The others are the Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken.

• Kessel’s most recent goal against the Penguins came just over nine years ago on Nov. 27, 2013. As a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kessel scored on goaltender Jeff Zatkoff during a 6-5 shootout win by the Penguins at what was then known as Consol Energy Center.

• Eichel returned to the lineup after missing 11 games due to an undisclosed injury.

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