Sharks erase 4-goal deficit as Penguins suffer another 3rd-period meltdown, lose in OT
Sidney Crosby shook his head.
Following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ squalid 6-5 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday — in which the home team fell despite holding a four-goal lead midway through the third period — the Penguins’ captain was asked if he could explain such a collapse.
“I mean, how do you?” Crosby asked rhetorically. “Really? I don’t think you can really.”
There probably are plenty of terms — many of the four-letter variety — that could be used to label this humiliating defeat, which extended a losing streak to four games (0-1-3).
But it might be hard to describe it as unique.
That’s to say it was the Penguins’ seventh loss this season in which they held a lead in the third period.
A goal by Sharks forward Tyler Toffoli tied the game at 18:22 of the third period. That set the stage for defenseman John Klingberg’s winning goal at 2:57 of overtime.
In total, the Sharks scored twice in the final 2:28 of regulation with an extra attacker after pulling rookie goaltender Yaroslav Askarov.
A similar scene unfolded Tuesday during a 4-3 home shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks when the visitors pulled their goaltender and scored a short-handed goal with one-tenth of a second left in regulation to force overtime.
“We’ve got to be better there in terms of structurally, the detail behind it,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said of his team’s methods in defending opponents with a pulled goaltender. “They have an extra attacker, but you can definitely limit the types of chances that you’re giving them.
“We have to be better.”
Another area in need of improvement is not giving up a quartet of goals in the final 12:27 of regulation, as occurred Saturday.
“There’s a lot more inappropriate words for how this game unfolded,” Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson said. “We play an unbelievable game up until 15 minutes left or so in the third (period). Then we start going through the motions, trying to kill time, and this league is too good for that, no matter who you play.
“We paid for it today.”
The result was taxing on Penguins rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs, who stopped 26 of 32 shots and saw his record fall to 4-4-6. He has lost six consecutive games (0-2-4).
“It’s not the best feeling,” Silovs said. “I just have to keep going.”
Toffoli got the scoring going with his eighth goal 10:27 into regulation.
Sharks forward Alexander Wennberg beat Penguins rookie forward Ben Kindel on a draw in the Penguins’ left circle and shuffled the puck to the near point. From there, Sharks rookie defenseman Sam Dickinson offloaded it to Toffoli. Taking the pass in the high slot and backtracking a bit toward the right point Toffoli tossed a wrister against the grain through traffic and past Silovs’ blocker on the far side. Dickinson and Wennberg had assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 14, 2025
Crosby’s team-best 19th goal came at 12:41 of the first period during a power-play sequence.
Penguins forward Anthony Mantha accepted the puck on San Jose’s right half-wall, sauntered in a bit and fired a low wrister to the far side. Askarov booted the puck out with his right foot as Penguins foward Rickard Rakell crashed in. The rebound deflected to the crease, where an alert Crosby immediately fired a wrister by Askarov’s skate. Mantha and Rust registered assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 14, 2025
The hosts took their first lead of the contest via rookie forward Rutger McGroarty’s first goal of the season 19 seconds into the second period.
After failing to keep a puck in the offensive zone at the right point, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang recovered it in the neutral zone near the benches and moved it forward to Kindel. Fending off Wennberg, Kindel chopped the puck up ice toward the offensive blue line where McGroarty accepted it. Racing into the offensive zone against Sharks’ defenseman Nick Leddy, McGroarty snapped a wrister through a stick check and past Aksarov’s blocker on the far side. Kindel and Letang logged assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 14, 2025
Penguins forward Kevin Hayes got in on the act with his third goal at 9:42 of the second frame.
Chasing down a rebound on the right half-wall of San Jose’s zone, Penguins forward Connor Dewar fired toward the cage that was blocked in the near circle by the left skate of Sharks forward Adam Gaudette. Penguins forward Noel Acciari collected the rebound and, with composure, slid a short-area pass to the left of the crease where Hayes lifted an easy forehand shot by Askarov’s right skate on the near side. Assists were accrued by Acciari and Dewar.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 14, 2025
The hosts went up by a field goal late in the second period at the 19:53 when forward Bryan Rust scored his 10th goal during a power-play scenario.
Settling a loose puck in the right corner of the offensive zone, Crosby considered his options at the seconds ticked down, then fed a pass to the top of the left circle, where Rust half-chopped a one-timer to the near side by the glove of a distressed Askarov. Crosby and Mantha merited assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 14, 2025
Mantha’s 10th goal came during a power-play opportunity 5:25 into the third period.
From the center point of the offensive zone, Karlsson slid to the lower left circle for Rust, who shuffled a forehand offering into the crease. Askarov kept the puck out of the cage initially, but couldn’t smother the bouncing rebound as Mantha barged in and chopped it by Askarkov’s glove. Rust and Karlsson collected assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 14, 2025
The Penguins seemed to be in a comfotable spot, but the Sharks had different ideas starting with Klingberg’s sixth goal on a five-on-three power-play chance at 7:33 of the third frame.
Taking a pass near the right point of the offensive zone, Klingberg leveled out in the high slot, surveyed for a shooting lane and ripped a wrister through traffic and by SIlovs’ glove. Toffoli and forward William Eklund had assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 14, 2025
The Sharks persisted as Eklund scored his fourth at 14:19 of the third period.
After Silovs made an acrobatic effort to deny Wennberg on a backhander from in tight off the left side of the crease, Silovs was unable to freeze the ensuing rebound. Gaudette and Wennberg each had subsequent shot attempts that were unsuccessful before Eklund crashed in and converted with a wrister. Wennberg and Gaudette
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 14, 2025
Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini pulled his team within one score with his 16th goal at 17:32 of the third with Askarov pulled for an extra attacker.
After Rust struck a post on the empty cage, the Sharks generated possession in the offensive zone. That led to Toffoli sliding a pass above the Penguins’ left circle, where Celebrini pumped in a one-timer. Toffoli and forward Collin Graf had assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 14, 2025
The Penguins called a timeout cauterize the bleeding, but that did little to stymie the Sharks as Toffoli tied it at 18:22
Controlling the puck at the center point of the offensive zone, Klingberg looked for an option then fed a pass to the top of the right circle, where Celebrini stroked a one-timer. Siovs made the save with his right leg but allowed a rebound to trickle free above the crease. After Wennberg briefly got a stick on the puck, Toffoli crashed in and fired a forehand shot past the blocker of a hapless Silovs. Wennberg and Celebrini collected assists.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 14, 2025
In overtime, Klingberg scored a beauty.
Entering the offensive zone on the right wing, Klingberg slowed play down, then darted past an uncharacteristically sluggish Crosby to create a two-on-one attack with Celebrini against Letang. Klingberg flicked a backhanded pass to the right circle for Celebrini, who then slid a forehand pass to the opposite circle, where Klingberg slammed a one-timer past Silovs’ right skate. Celebrini and Graf had assists.
Can we please all take a moment to appreciate @sharkvoice.
We are so, so lucky to have an all-time great calling these unforgettable moments ???? pic.twitter.com/Yry1jjEqBA
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) December 14, 2025
“We’ve just got to be better with their goalie pulled,” Crosby said. “We’ve got to close out games. There’s lots of ways to do that. We’ve got to be better there.”
This defeat came one day after the Penguins dealt away former starting goaltender Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers. Following the transaction, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas stated the team was capable of better performances.
It’s hard to envision any poorer performance than what the Penguins offered Saturday.
“We’ve got to find a way to be consistent,” Crosby said. “I agree with (Dubas). We’ve done a lot of good things here in the first 30 games. We’ve got to find a way to close out games.”
Notes:
• This was the first comeback victory in Sharks history in which they came back from a four-goal deficit in the third period.
• The Penguins’ last overtime loss to the Sharks was a 3-2 home defeat on Jan. 2, 2020. Defenseman Brent Burns scored the winning goal on Jarry.
BRENT BURNS IN OVERTIME! SHARKS WIN!#SJSharks pic.twitter.com/BhzndJsgMv
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) January 3, 2020
• The Penguins were 3 for 5 on the power play.
• Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea appeared in his 100th career game.
• Karlsson (131 points) surpassed Al McDonough (130) for 74th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.
• Penguins forward Tommy Novak’s five-game scoring streak came to an end.
• Rakell returned to the lineup after missing 20 games due to a left hand injury.
• Rakell opened the contest in his typical station on the left wing of the top line. Meanwhile, McGroarty and Kindel were promoted to the second line from the third line.
Novak was moved from left wing of the top line to center of the third line while Mantha dropped from the second line to the third line.
Hayes was demoted from the second line to the fourth line.
• Penguins forward Danton Heinen and rookie defenseman Jack St. Ivany were healthy scratches.
• Sharks forward Will Smith left the contest at 3:30 of the third period after appearing to be injured as a result of a shoulder-on-shoulder check into the boards by Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon. There was no immediate word on Smith’s status.
Macklin Celebrini IMMEDIATELY went after Parker Wotherspoon after he laid a vicious hit on Will Smith ???? pic.twitter.com/YY4G22w9T6
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) December 13, 2025
• Sharks defenseman Dmitry Orlov appeared in his 900th career game.
• Former Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic dressed as the Sharks’ backup.
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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