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Pregame

The Penguins get Evgeni Malkin back from injury and scratch Andrei Kuzmenko. Arturs Silovs gets the start.

Boston shows up with this lineup and backup Michael DiPietro in net.

First period

The Bruins are the better team early, with it looking like David Pastrnak is in full ownership of the puck. It takes the Penguins nine minutes to get a shot on goal, which at least also comes with a goal. Justin Brazeau finds a soft spot to sit down in, Hendrix Lapierre finds Brazeau with a pass and the big man quickly whips the puck into the net. 1-0.

Scoring that early goal has the effect of kicking a hornet’s nest based on Boston’s response with three goals before the whistle. First up, the Bruins win a wall battle and the puck gets down low to Pastrnak. You could tell he was on the cusp of scoring or setting up a goal all night, and he does the latter with a beautiful sauce pass that Pavel Zacha elevates to the top of the net. 1-1.

A little later, Boston wins another puck battle, this time after a faceoff. They get the puck back to Frederic Brunet at the point and he puts a shot on net that Mark Kastelic expertly deflects down and to the other side of the net from where the puck was tracking. Bruins pull ahead 2-1.

Self-inflicted damage pops up for the third goal. Erik Karlsson tries to pass the puck right through Elias Lindholm, which Lindholm easily accepts the gift and is able to score on the forehand. Woof. 3-1.

To make matters worse, Sidney Crosby took a routine looking slash to the arm and immediately skated off the ice and walked right to the lockerroom about ten seconds before this goal. Earlier, Declan Carlile was injured when a Pastrnak shot attempt hit him somewhere around the jaw or chin.

Not great stuff for the Pens early on. Shots are 10-5 Boston.

Second period

Whatever was said in the intermission was effective for Pittsburgh, they play much better and start getting a lot of shots and chances. One such chance is turned into a goal when Nick Robertson tips a Kaedan Korczak shot in. 3-2 game.

It’s also helpful that Crosby and Carlile are able to return for the second period, which is perhaps more surprising for the latter considering he blocked a shot with his head.

The Pens keep pushing, the offensive machine Korczak almost helps generate another goal but the deflection goes off the post. Pittsburgh has all the momentum and just when it looks like they might tie it up, Boston gets a 2-on-1 rush and Zacha scores again. JJ Peterka sets Zacha up and it’s another great pass and shot combo directly to the top of the net and now 4-2. Crosby screams a vulgarity in frustration.

It doesn’t get any better, Ville Koivunen is the next to try a low-percentage pass, to predictable results. The Bruins pick it off and quickly spring Morgan Geekie on a clear breakaway. 5-2.

The shame is it actually looked like the Pens for a while were in serious contention to make it a 3-3 game for a while there. Turns out, that is not the direction this game took. Boston up 5-2.

Third period

Not too much really going on, a Penguin falls down and Boston is off a on a 2-on-1. Fraser Minten called his own number and ripped a wrister far-side on Silovs. 6-2.

Both teams play out the stretch, Boston is coasting and Crosby almost sets up Ben Kindel for a goal but the teenager hits the post hard since there will be no nice things for the Penguins on this night. Clock drains away to 0.

Some thoughts

• The Penguins had their hands full tonight, as I’m sure we all figured that they would. Sam Girard and Erik Karlsson were hanging on for dear life and loosing grip against the Pastrnak line (it’s a rough watch for both of them on the first and fourth Boston goal). Beyond that, it might have been Kuraly, Kastelic and Jeannot on the fourth line that was even harder to handle with their size and physicality.
• One player who is really coming into his own right now is Korczak. Two assists for the second game in a row puts him up to 10 on the year. Nothing overwhelming but good things are happening with him on the ice and the puck on his stick, which you can’t really say about too many players on the team these days.
• While staying briefly positive, it was good to see Brazeau hit the back of the net and get on the board in only his second game of the season. Getting some secondary scoring would be a nice new layer for the team’s attack if he can keep it going.
• Zacha is a player who always sneaks onto our annual summer Penguin killer list, he did some damage to start making his case for next year already by scoring two goals tonight. I don’t know if it’s even realized that since 2021-22, the players with more total points vs. PIT go Kreider (25), McDavid (24), Kucherov (23) then Zacha tied with MacKinnon with 22. I forgot myself for the preview this morning to point out Zacha’s propensity for production. Both his goals were supreme class starting with the setups made to him and then perfect shots. If he played against the whole league the way he does against the Pens, Zacha would be a superstar.
• Can’t really say much about Silovs tonight, he didn’t have a chance. No goalie anywhere would be able to keep the score down in front of a team that is giving up so many easy and clean looks to the opposition. No point to even analyze the goaltending in this one when he was so hung out to dry.
• You could sum this game up by a play in the third period when Lapierre got the puck on a 2-on-1. It was looking promising, not that the result was going to change with the score already at 6-2. But Lapierre couldn’t get a shot or pass away, Brunet a third pair defender ended up working hard to get back pressure and disrupt the play. The Bruins scored, what three or four goals on odd-man rushes and no Penguin was able to do the same. In a nutshell that tells the tale of each team’s drive/ability/determination whatever word you want to use there.
• Normally a note here would point out that going out on the road, like the Pens now will do, could be a galvanizing type of bonding experience to turn things around. Then you remember their last Western swing ended up being an 0-4-0 trip. (On the bright side, at least they’re going to play three teams that are not above .500 this time around..)
• Speaking of that, what are the odds of a players’ only meeting happening? Has to be pretty high, for having so many older and veteran players it sure seems like the right time now to shut the doors, yell and scream a little and let everyone vent it out and hopefully turn a fresh page.

It’s only early November but it sure feels like this is going to be the longest season in a while to endure. Boston out-classed the Penguins, which is one thing. Persistent mistakes and misplays are not going away, perhaps only increasing, which is a troubling sign for this team.