CHICAGO — Seven games into the season, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are still searching for consistency and battling big-time breakdowns. Those noisy mistakes fed an already energetic Chicago Blackhawks, who were lifted by the season debut of star center Connor Bedard.
The Penguins did enough to keep the game close, but did more to keep Chicago ahead, until the third period when Sidney Crosby scored his second goal of the game and season by burying a rebound to tie the game, 3-3.
But Sergei Murashov was fooled by Teuvo Teravainen and allowed a long, sharp angle goal at 15:42 of the third period. Chicago took the lead, and the Penguins got the fate they probably deserved, losing 5-3 at the United Center Tuesday.
Crosby had two goals and Erik Karlsson had two assists, but Chicago’s Roman Kansterov and Teuvo Teravainen each had a pair of goals.
Murashov stopped 15 of 19. Spencer Knight made 24 saves on 27 shots.
Goal Recap
1-0 Chicago: First shot, first goal. Declan Carlile gave up the puck on the end wall, and it was in the Penguins’ net moments later. Anton Frondell pounced on the loose deep dish and slipped the pie to Teuvo Teravainen in front. Teravainen easily snapped it past Murashov at just :28.
1-1: Hello, Sidney Crosby. The quick transition followed a center-ice faceoff, as Penguins D-man Erik Karlsson launched Crosby and Rickard Rakell on a two-on-one. Crosby (1) kept the puck and beat Spencer Knight with a wrister to the stick side at 6:57 of the first period.
2-1: Following a rough shift by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, who then took an interference minor, the Penguins gave up a power-play goal. The penalty kill broke down when both Declan Carlile and Kaedan Korczak collapsed to the net, leaving Roman Kansterov wide open in the low slot. Kansterov (2) whistled a wrist shot through Korczak’s screen and past Murashov at 17:50.
3-1: The Penguins’ hybrid defensive scheme, which is zone at the top and man-to-man down low, was turned inside out as center Ben Kindel was left to defend the net front. Kansterov (3) got inside position and neatly deflected a hard pass over Murashov at 10:32.
3-2: Karlsson and Robertson combined for a good breakout and transition, resulting in a two-on-one with Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar. Knight made the initial save on Lizotte, but Robertson beat his defender to the net to score on the rebound at 17:51 of the second period.
3-3: Hello again, Sidney Crosby. Penguins defenseman Sam Girard disrupted an outlet pass, beginning a Penguins transition that ended when Crosby (2) buried Connor Dewar’s rebound at 9:17.
4-3: Both Ben Kindel and Declan Carlile missed Teravainen on the left wall. It should have been a harmless play, but Teravainen’s long wrist shot dribbled through Murashov at 15:42 for the game-winner.
5-3: Tyler Bertuzzi scored the empty-netter with 10 seconds remaining.
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