The Pittsburgh Penguins had plenty to say to the officials who oversaw their 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at PPG Paints Arena.
They just didn’t have much to say about the officials, at least publicly.
Throughout a contest in which the Hurricanes were granted five power-play opportunities while the Penguins operated with only two, the second of which came with only 48 seconds remaining in regulation, the Penguins regularly engaged in discussion — disputes, to be certain — with referees Justin Kea and Kelly Sutherland.
At one point, Penguins coach Dan Muse could be seen on a television screen barking at the officials, seemingly offering a two-word idiom, only the second portion of which — “you” — is suitable for publication.
Dan Muse was asked about the officials today.
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) March 22, 2026
He largely declined to address them and placed fault on the team and himself.
"I’m not going to paint a picture that I’m coming in here and I’m placing the blame on anyone other than us, including myself.pic.twitter.com/yL0voEAaeR
Muse acknowledged his disagreements with those in the stripes but declined to cite that as a reason for Sunday’s clunker of a performance. The Penguins did more than enough to earn this loss.
“We weren’t good today,” Muse said. “So, I’m not going to paint a picture that I’m coming in here and I’m placing the blame on anyone other than us, including myself. I’m not going to go down that road.”
The Penguins’ typically sturdy penalty kill hit some rough trails on Sunday as the Hurricanes diced them up for three power-play goals.
Entering the day, the Penguins led the league with a conversion rate of 84.2% on the penalty kill.
“Not our best,” said forward Noel Acciari, one of the team’s leading penalty killers. “We need to be better for (goaltender Stuart Skinner). … Can’t give up three goals on the penalty kill. We’re better than that. We’re going to shake that one off. Kind of forget about it.”
Skinner offered a valiant but hardly perfect performance while under regular duress, stopping 21 of 25 shots as his record fell to 20-14-9.
“(The Hurricanes) don’t give up too much,” Skinner said. “When you get down on these guys, they shut it down really well. Not only that, they keep on putting themselves in a good spot for forechecks and making it hard on us.”
Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho opened the scoring only 47 seconds into regulation with his 25th goal during a power-play situation.
The power-play opportunity came into existence after Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves, back in the lineup for the first time since Jan. 21, was sent to the penalty box for tripping Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers 25 seconds after the opening faceoff.
Nikolaj Ehlers draws a crucial early penalty from Ryan Graves early on to give the Hurricanes the man advantage
— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) March 22, 2026
He did appear to be in some discomfort after going hard into the boards, though#CarolinaCulture #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/o3FmusLUXe
After the Hurricanes firmly established possession in the offensive zone, Aho accepted a pass above the left circle, surveyed for a shooting lane and zipped a wrister. Penguins forward Connor Dewar deflected the puck slightly with his stick, causing it to carom off the ice, then hop past Skinner’s blocker. Former Penguins forward Jordan Staal offered a stout screen on the sequence. Forward Seth Jarvis had the only assist.
Put big bodies in front of the net and good things will happen! Jordan Staal robbed Stuart Skinner of his eyes and Sebastian Aho squeaked in a delightful little wrister!#CarolinaCulture #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/XDQC01MhYB
— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) March 22, 2026
Then at 6:24 of the second period, Ehlers struck with his 21st goal during another power-play sequence.
Off perimeter passing in the offensive zone, Jarvis slid a pass from the high slot where Ehlers dropped the hammer on a one-timer that beat Skinner’s glove. Penguins forward Noel Acciari knelt down to block the shot but wound up being an inadvertent screen on the sequence. Jarvis and rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin negotiated assists.
Nikolaj Ehlers gets the Hurricanes a power play goal!
— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) March 22, 2026
Seth Jarvis with back-to-back primary assists ????#CarolinaCulture #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/dnl0pYAPkn
“Give them credit, they had a good game plan,” Penguins forward Bryan Rust said of Carolina’s power-play success. “I don’t think we executed. We’ve had a really good (penalty) kill all year. Obviously, there will be nights when you’re not great. It was definitely a difference today.”
That was followed by Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield’s second goal at 9:15 of the middle frame.
Following a defensive zone turnover by Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, Hurricanes forward Eric Robinson claimed the puck in the right corner and fed it to the near point. Accepting the offering, Chatfield chucked a wrister through traffic and past Skinner’s blocker on the far side. Hurricanes forwards Mark Jankowski and William Carrier cluttered Skinner’s view of the shot. Robinson registered the lone assist.
Jalen Chatfield gets the Hurricanes ahead by three!#CarolinaCulture #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/7kroMg6HNo
— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) March 22, 2026
Jarvis’ team-leading 29th goal came during another power-play opportunity at 17:20 of the second.
Taking a pass low to the left of the Penguins’ cage, Ehlers held, held and held on to the puck for several seconds before slipping a short-area pass past Wotherspoon’s stick to the slot where Jarvis swiped a wrister past the glove of a distressed Skinner. Ehlers and forward Andrei Svechnikov secured assists.
Nikolaj Ehlers made an INSANE pass to Seth Jarvis for the power play goal#CarolinaCulture #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/bDLJDZMr6X
— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) March 22, 2026
Skinner estimated the Hurricanes have run this play against the Penguins “two or three” times this season.
“It’s a really good lesson learned for us as a group and it’s a really good lesson learned for me,” Skinner said. “We’re just going to grow from that and make sure we get better at that.”
Penguins forward Egor Chinakhov broke up the Hurricanes’ ambitions for a shutout by scoring his 16th goal at 14:56 of the third period.
Stealing a puck at the defensive blue line, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby sent a cross-ice pass to Rust racing up the left wing into Carolina’s zone. Pulling up near the half-wall, Rust drew in Chatfield, then slipped a pass to the slot for a streaking Chinakhov, who attacked the cage and snapped a wrister past goaltender Fredrik Andersen’s glove. Rust and Crosby claimed assists.
Egor Chinakhov gets the Pittsburgh Penguins on the board with some help from Bryan Rust and Sidney Crosby#CarolinaCulture #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/gV3aGnxGTo
— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) March 22, 2026
Jankowski capped the scoring at the 18:56 mark with his eighth goal on an empty net off assists from forwards Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven.
Mark Jankowski gets the Hurricanes goal #5 with the empty netter#CarolinaCulture #LetsGoPens #NHL pic.twitter.com/iyP65JDszN
— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) March 22, 2026
In total, the Penguins were limited to only 19 shots during one of their dullest efforts of the season.
“I just don’t think that energy was there today,” Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson said. “At the same time, this time of the year, we’ve got to figure out a way (of) how to manage that without feeling our best. And today, we didn’t do much of anything.”
And they didn’t have much of anything to say about those who officiated the game.
“No,” Penguins forward Bryan Rust said when asked if he would reveal the details of a lengthy discussion he had with Sutherland following Ehlers’ goal. “That says it all.”
Notes:
• Penguins forward Rickard Rakell had an eight-game scoring streak snapped.
• The Penguins’ season-low for shots of 16 was established during a 5-4 overtime home loss to the Utah Mammoth on Dec. 14, then matched in a 3-2 home loss to the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 2.
• Sunday’s contest matched the season-high for power-play goals against for the Penguins. They previously allowed three goals on four power-play opportunities during a 6-4 home loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 16.
• Penguins forwards Kevin Hayes and Blake Lizotte, as well as defenseman Ryan Shea, were scratched due to undisclosed injuries.
• With Shea scratched, the only members of the Penguins who have appeared in all 70 games this season are forwards Anthony Mantha and Tommy Novak as well as Dewar and Wotherspoon.
• Penguins defensemen Ilya Solovyov and Jack St. Ivany were healthy scratches.
