On Saturday night, when the Pittsburgh Penguins desperately needed a win, they allowed the San Jose Sharks to come back from a 3-0 deficit only to win with an Evgeni Malkin goal in the fifth round of the shootout.
Despite the extra effort needed to win, captain Sidney Crosby scored his 599th goal, while one of Pittsburgh’s top prospects, Owen Picking, made his NHL debut and earned an assist.
Even though Alex Nedeljkovic secured the two points, he finished the evening with a .897 SV%, a statistic the Penguins must improve to get back in and remain in the wild card race.
Let’s discuss Saturday night’s game, shall we?
Penguins Never Make Things Easy
The Sharks are one of the youngest and most inexperienced NHL teams, but somehow, they scrapped back into Saturday night’s contest against the veteran Penguins after falling behind 3-0.
Whether Pittsburgh let up on its attack or underestimated its opponent, this was the type of game in which the Penguins should have stomped out the Sharks but had to go to a shootout to win.
Ultimately, this latest contest against the Sharks summarizes the first twenty games of the season since it’s all about building leads, blowing leads, and being unable to recover from slow starts.
Everyone will celebrate the victory, Crosby’s 599th goal, and the highlight reel plays of shootouts, but it should have never gotten to that point, no matter how hot Mackenzie Blackwood was in relief.
Exciting Debut for Pickering
It was quite a week for Pickering, who scored his first professional hockey goal on Wednesday, only to earn a call-up for Friday’s contest in Columbus.
Even though he didn’t play in that game, the rookie took his lap on PPG Paints Arena ice on Saturday night in a game built up a contest between former first-overall picks Crosby and Macklin Celebrini.
Tonight, Owen Pickering, who was drafted 21st overall by Pittsburgh in 2022, will become the fourth-youngest defenseman in the Sidney Crosby era (since 2005-06) to make their NHL debut with Pittsburgh at 20 years and 294 days old. pic.twitter.com/YvMofAbNsH
— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) November 16, 2024
As big as those marquee names are, Pickering, a former first-round pick himself, had a solid debut, picking up an assist in 13:40 of ice time.
After spending four seasons in the WHL, Pickering is playing top minutes in the AHL. He earned the opportunity to make his NHL debut and didn’t disappoint.
Whether he sticks around will depend on injuries, but he proved in a limited opportunity that he’ll be an NHL regular soon.
It’s the Small Victories That Matter
As mentioned, the Penguins should have dismantled the Sharks but needed five rounds in the shootout to secure a win.
It wasn’t perfect, and small victories within the game should be positive building blocks for future games.
Related: Sidney Crosby Career Goal Tracker: How Close Is The Penguins Captain To 600 Goals
Crosby netted his 599th goal, Nedeljkovic made three stops in the shootout, and Jesse Pulpujarvi and Drew O’Connor got points. Malkin netted the shootout winner after having a goal called back earlier.
Overall, Pittsburgh needed a win against a Western Conference opponent, as they have only beaten the Anaheim Ducks this season. The shootout victory gives the Penguins a little momentum for the homestand, which features some tough opponents in the coming days.
Penguins & Sharks Trivia Answers
How did you score in our Game Day Trivia quiz? Here are the answers.
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Kris Letang
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Martin Straka
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Kevin Stevens
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Tom Barrasso
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Jake Guentzel
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Evgeni Malkin
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Johan Hedberg
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Mario Lemieux
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Matt Nieto
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Bryan Rust, Evan Rodigues
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