Musings: Sweden Global Series Game 1

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – The No. 1 reason the Penguins got a point in their 2-1 overtime loss to Nashville in the first game of the 2025 Global Series was No. 37, Arturs Silovs. He stopped 28 of 30 shots.

“He made some big saves. They had some quality chances,” Sidney Crosby said. “He was really steady, really strong throughout the whole night.”

He did his best to help out a group that just didn’t have it for whatever reason, whether it was not playing since Sunday or the overseas travel that came with a six-hour time difference.

“I felt good. Confident,” Silovs said. “Just trusting my game, structure, and was trying to see the pucks in traffic.”

The Penguins were particularly discombobulated on the power play, getting an opportunity in the first period and again in the second. The NHL’s top-ranked unit entering the game didn’t generate much of anything.

“We just weren’t executing well. We weren’t in our spots. We were just disorganized,” Crosby said. “It’s just not what we've done all year. So, it's unfortunate.”

The middle frame was an opportunistic one for the Penguins, who got outshot 12-2, but still got on the board. Evgeni Malkin got a lucky bounce from behind the net off Michael McCarron’s stick, with the puck deflecting in off Juuse Saros.

Malkin had a smile on his face after Thursday’s practice at Avicii Arena, reminiscing about the last time he played there.

“But 2008’s a long time ago. It's a great year for the team, great year for me. And I remember I scored,” he said.

There was certainly some déjà vu for Friday’s game, with Malkin again finding the back of the net. It’s like no time has passed, as the 39-year-old is turning back the clock this season. It was his team-leading 22^nd point.

But from there, the Penguins couldn’t muster up enough to give Silovs more support. After Nashville called a timeout and pulled Saros late in regulation, Sweden native Filip Forsberg was able to tie it up. And while Silovs turned him aside on a Grade-A chance in overtime, Steven Stamkos won it on a snipe of a shot.

“There’s been games we played pretty good and not gotten any (points),” Crosby said. “So, when you have a lead going going into the third and late into the game like that, you got to find ways to close it out. And now it's been a few times now that we've lost those leads, and you got to find a way to close out games.”