The Pittsburgh Penguins had all the ingredients for a clean Monday night win at PPG Paints Arena - a rested-looking opponent on tired legs, a backup goalie making an emergency start, and a chance to keep rolling after an unbeaten opening stretch. Instead, they came away with a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, undone by a flat third period and a pile of self-inflicted mistakes.
Pittsburgh (2-1-0) never looked fully in control, even when the game was scoreless. Winnipeg (2-0-1), coming in after playing in Detroit on Sunday, spent plenty of time in the Penguins’ end and forced Sergei Murashov into a heavy workload in his first action of the season.
The Jets ripped off eight straight shots late in the opening period, and Murashov had to come up with several big stops to keep the game tied. When the first horn sounded, Winnipeg owned a 12-11 shot edge and the better chances.
The Penguins were a little cleaner in the second period, but not by much. They outshot Winnipeg 10-8, killed off the game’s first power play, and got more sharp work from Murashov. He also had help from the post twice, with Jets shots ringing iron early and late in the period.
Pittsburgh finally broke through at 9:27 of the second period. Ben Kindel (2), working from the high slot, tipped in a Declan Carlile wrist shot from the left boards. The goal was waved off on the ice for a high stick, but video review overturned the call and confirmed Kindel’s stick was below the crossbar when it made contact with the puck.
That 1-0 lead held until the third, and that’s where everything came apart.
Winnipeg tied it at 4:43 when Murashov stopped an Isak Rosen slap shot with his right pad, but the rebound kicked out to Erik Karlsson, whose touch sent the puck directly to Alex Iafallo (1) at the right post for an easy finish. The Jets then took the lead at 7:08 after Nick Robertson was hit as he tried to carry the puck over the blue line, keeping the play onside. Iafallo collected the loose puck, drove in on Murashov, and left a rebound for Adam Lowry (1) to bury.
Pittsburgh answered quickly. At 8:53, Kindel set up Declan Carlile (2) with a one-touch pass in the slot, and Carlile snapped it past Clay Stevenson to tie the game. It was already Carlile’s fourth point of the season, a new career high.
But the Penguins barely had time to settle back in. Nine seconds later, Winnipeg won the faceoff, stripped Kindel near center ice, and turned the puck the other way in a flash. Josh Morrissey found Cole Perfetti (2) in perfect shooting position, and Perfetti hammered home a slap shot at 9:02 to put the Jets ahead for good.
It was a rough finish to a night that started with promise but quickly turned into a lesson in turnovers, missed details, and a lack of urgency from the Penguins.
The Penguins’ scratches were forwards Filip Hallander and Elmer Soderblom and defenseman Ilya Solovyov.
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