Penguins feel like 'broken record' after blowing another lead

PITTSBURGH -- Dan Muse was left bewildered on Sunday.

A day earlier, the Pittsburgh Penguins coach watched his team surrender a four-goal lead in the final 12:27 of the third period before losing 6-5 in overtime to the San Jose Sharks.

"First of all, not in a million years did I think we'd be back here 24 hours later having the exact same conversation,” Muse said.

Yet there he was, sat at the podium after Pittsburgh (14-8-9) let a 3-0 lead slip away in the third period of a 5-4 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins have blown a lead in the third period in four of their past five games (0-1-4), have lost eight times after leading in the third period this season, and are 1-9 when a game reaches overtime.

“Probably sound like a broken record,” Muse said. “It has been a little bit different each game.”

He’s right.

On Dec. 7, the Penguins held a 2-1 lead until Miro Heiskanen tied it at 18:11 of the third period for the Dallas Stars, who would go on to win 3-2 in a shootout.

Two days later, Anthony Mantha scored the go-ahead goal at 16:05 of the third period against the Anaheim Ducks, putting the Penguins in line for a 3-2 win. However, Erik Karlsson accidentally gloved the puck into his own net with 0.1 seconds remaining in regulation for the tying short-handed goal, which was credited to Beckett Sennecke. Anaheim then won 4-3 in a shootout.

“We all know the repercussions that it can bring after it’s all said and done,” Karlsson said on Sunday. “But then, at the same time, we can’t be too afraid of what’s going to happen in the future and what ifs. We’ve got to stay a little bit more in the moment.

“We’ve got to go back a little bit to a game-to-game basis and not look too far ahead and not worry about what could be. Just play our game, because I think we’ve shown, for the majority of the season so far, that when we play the way that we want to we’re a capable team of playing and beating anyone.”

But then there was Saturday. After trailing 5-1 in the third period, the Sharks scored five straight goals in what became the fifth-latest four-goal comeback win in NHL history, behind the Los Angeles Kings (rally started at 12:46 of the third period on Nov. 10, 2007), Buffalo Sabres (11:25 of the third on March 10, 1976), Dallas Stars (10:01 of the third on Oct. 21, 1993) and New York Islanders (8:21 of the third on March 14, 1987).

How do you explain that?

“I mean, how do you, really?” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said Saturday. “I don’t think you can, really.”

It culminated on Sunday.

The Penguins led the Mammoth 3-0 after two periods despite being outshot 19-10.

Nate Schmidt quickly began the comeback just 1:07 into the third. Michael Carcone added another goal 15 seconds later, cutting it to 3-2.

Sean Durzi tied it with his first of the season at 5:35. Pittsburgh unsuccessfully challenged the play for goalie interference, resulting in a delay of game penalty. Carcone put the Mammoth ahead 4-3 on the ensuing power play at 7:06.

Justin Brazeau provided a lifeline, though, tipping a shot from Karlsson at 14:06 to even it 4-4.

Dylan Guenther didn’t let it last, scoring 42 seconds into overtime.

“The same thing pretty much happened yesterday,” Crosby said. “So, I think it was in the back of our mind, for sure, but I don't think that affected how we approached it. I thought that we approached it OK.”

To Karlsson, this can’t keep up.

“You would have thought after yesterday that it would change a little bit,” Karlsson said. “But it didn’t. Even though I think they’re completely different situations, we’re still up three and let up four within (the first 7:06 of the third period). Those are the things that we can’t let happen. The other teams are going to score goals on us. We just can’t, when we let in one, let them get two or three. It’s a little bit of a dagger.”

Pittsburgh's woes have been wrapped around a notable trade. Goalie Stuart Skinner and defenseman Brett Kulak, along with a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft, were acquired on Friday from the Edmonton Oilers for goalie Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin.

Skinner and Kulak have yet to report. They were granted nonroster status on Saturday due to ongoing immigration issues.

“I think we’re capable of more than we’ve shown,” Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said after the trade on Friday. “That’s my expectation every day. Everyone in the room here has seen it, when we’re at our best, that we can not only play but carry play against the very best teams in the League. We’ve left points on the table that I think everyone in the room regrets and laments.”

Tuesday presents another chance to get it right, when Jarry returns to Pittsburgh along with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the Oilers (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TruTV, TNT, SNW, SNO, SNE).

“I mean, we’ve just got to find a way to get over the hump,” Crosby said. “We've done enough to win games and just haven't closed it out. So, I think we just need some plays that are going to do that. So, those can be a lot of different things, but we've got to get through a game here where we have a lead and close it out.”