After a disappointing effort in a 5-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Friday, Pittsburgh Penguins' young goaltender Sergei Murashov declared that the team would come out much better on Saturday.

Well, it was a much better effort from the Penguins against the Seattle Kraken. 

But, unfortunately, it wasn't enough. 

The Penguins fell to the Kraken, 3-2, with just 49.6 seconds left in overtime on a Brandon Montour goal despite Pittsburgh dominating much of the extra frame. They are now 0-2-3 in overtime and shootouts this season, and they fell to 10-6-5 overall. 

And - with an Ottawa Senators win Saturday - the Penguins have officially fallen out of playoff contention. 

There was no score after one, and the Kraken went up early in the first when Mason Marchment used a screen to capitalize off of a defensive zone turnover by Penguins' forward Ben Kindel. Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby tied the game late in the middle frame off of a gorgeous feed by Connor Dewar from the left wall, as he was perched at the net-front and got on one knee to put it home.

Then, five minutes into the third period, Evgeni Malkin put the Penguins ahead on the power play with his sixth goal of the season by burying the loose change at the net front. However, the Penguins could not hold on, as Matty Beniers sniped a perfect shot past Murashov in the back half of the third to tie the game and force the overtime. 

The Penguins are in a bit of a slide, and they need to find a way to come out on top of these close games in order to find their footing again. The response in general was good, but - according to head coach Dan Muse - it wasn't good enough. 

"I'm not going to keep coming in here and saying that one point is good enough. It's not," Muse said after the game. "And I think we're better than that. Our standard needs to be better than that."

Takeaways: Penguins No-Show In 5-0 Loss To Minnesota WildWell, there certainly wasn’t much to write home about in this one. 

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Here are some thoughts and takeaways from this tough loss:

- I had seen former Penguins' head coach Mike Sullivan get angry a few times last season. Sullivan was very much reactive to the results of each game. 

However, Muse was angrier Saturday than I've seen a Penguins' head coach in quite a while. 

You could practically see steam coming out of his ears at the podium. He is typically such an even-tempered guy, but not Saturday. He couldn't stop saying how the Penguins simply haven't been good enough and that the results right now aren't good enough. 

I'll just let you read this one.

"Our game was better. But we just came out of this weekend with one out of four points. That's not good enough. So, was our process better? It was. But we need to get points. We had an opportunity to, so, it's a fine line. Those little details, the little things, they make a difference here. Finding a way to get another opportunity. Finding a way to take away one of theirs. And so, I'm not going to sit here and say that that's good enough. It's not. We're past that. We need points right now, and we have a weekend here where the game was no good yesterday, it was much better today, but if you go through this month, it's been too many games here where we've said there's positives to take from. 

So, I liked our game more. I thought we did a lot of things that we need to do on a consistent basis. I think we did a lot of things that are going to lead to success. But one out of four points on the weekend is not good enough."

- - Penguins' head coach Dan Muse on Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken

Frustration is starting to boil over for both coaches and players. The Penguins need to stop the bleeding fast, even if they feel they're getting the better of most of these games. They need to find a way to finish and shut things down like they were able to do at the beginning of the season. 

- I thought Murashov was really solid for most of this game. However, I didn't like the overtime goal. It was a shot from distance that he was off-angle for and was simply beat on.

It's hard to blame him for this loss at all, and I'm not. He's also a 21-year-old rookie who has largely been a positive since his recall. But I think he'd tell you - after watching it - that he'd like to have that one back.

Still, this kid's confidence really is something. He makes himself as big as possible in net and challenges shooters at the top of the crease. There's no panic in his game whatsoever. It's impressive.

Penguins' Forward Hits MilestoneThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> always seem to be hitting milestones, especially with all-time greats in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson on their team.

- At this point, I'm not convinced that having Matt Dumba or Connor Clifton in the lineup is any more a net positive than simply letting the rookie in Harrison Brunicke get some runway.

I realize he's probably headed for an AHL conditioning stint right before getting loaned to Team Canada for the World Junior Championship. But if the Penguins' bottom pairing on the right side continues to be an issue, you reach a point where you just let the kid play.

It's been three weeks since he's seen a game. Not ideal for anyone, honestly. 

And if it's not going to be Brunicke again at any point this season for the Penguins - it's becoming doubtful at this point - Jack St. Ivany should be given a look as soon as he returns from injury. 

- The lack of production from Bryan Rust on the top line is starting to become a problem. 

After a stretch of five points in three games, Rust has no points in the last five. With Rickard Rakell out of the lineup, he needs to be dependable in terms of putting the puck in the back of the net. And he has only registered 10 shots on goal in the last five games. 

He needs to get more pucks to the net, and if he doesn't, the Penguins need to start thinking about shifting things around. This team is having a hard time scoring without two top-six players in its lineup, and sooner or later, they simply need to score more goals.

I'd give it one more game before a shakeup.

Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby Hits New Milestone Sidney Crosby hit a new milestone on Saturday night.

- Speaking of, I really think it's time for the Penguins to give some of their youngsters a shot.

It's tough to expect the team to bring up Rutger McGroarty from the AHL after just two games in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but he has two goals in those two games - and they were both beautiful skating plays, with the latest being a shorthanded tally that he carried almost 200 feet in a 1-0 win over the Providence Bruins. He doesn't look a step behind in the slightest over that two-game sample.

Tristan Broz centered McGroarty and Avery Hayes - who also just returned from a short-term injury - on Saturday. Broz, especially, has stood out this season, as he has eight goals and 13 points in 18 games and continues to play solid two-way hockey.

The Penguins need some help scoring goals right now, and they could use some young legs. It can't hurt to give these guys a look until the Penguins start getting healthy again. Pull the trigger. It's time. 

MCGROARTY SHORTY 🚨

For every shorthanded goal we score, Borland and Borland will donate $250 to the Penguins GOALS foundation. This is shorty #3 on the year! pic.twitter.com/TNDBeOvRCu

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) November 23, 2025

- The Penguins are 2-4-3 since Justin Brazeau left the lineup due to injury. 

Am I saying Brazeau is the MVP of this Penguins' season so far? No. But that's no coincidence. He was the second top-six player to go down, and - with Noel Acciari exiting at the same time - this team has not been the same ever since.

Of course, injuries are usually not an excuse. But there comes a point where they do start to actually become a bit of an excuse. 

I think the Penguins are at that point. They can't tread water much longer as is. If some of these guys don't come back soon - or if they don't attempt to shake things up by trying some younger players in their lineup - things could get ugly very quickly, especially with a gauntlet of a schedule in the month of December. 

Rakell, Brazeau, and Acciari are all skating. While Rakell probably still won't be back until the end of December, hopefully the other two make their way back as soon as possible. There is only so much a team can do and only so much depth a team has when an injury situation is as bad as the Penguins.'

They need a jolt. And they need it fast. 

For Pittsburgh Penguins' Olympic Goaltender Artūrs Šilovs, No Stage Is Too BigPittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs - acquired from the Vancouver Canucks over the summer - has proven he can perform when the stakes are highest and will get another chance with Team Latvia at the 2026 Olympic Games.

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Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Rutger McGroarty played in his second AHL game for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday night since returning from an undisclosed injury. 

The injury kept McGroarty out of training camp, the preseason, and the first month of the regular season before he returned to action in WBS on Nov. 15. He scored his first goal of the year in that game off a wicked deke in front of the net. 

WELCOME BACK RUTGER pic.twitter.com/2d3C3eUsk3

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) November 16, 2025

He played his second game of the season on Saturday and scored his second goal of the year. The goal came while the WBS Penguins were shorthanded, and it was a beauty. He was skating down the left side before cutting to the middle and making a beautiful move around a Providence Bruins skater. He finished the play off with a gorgeous move in front of the net. 

It ended up being the game-winner as WBS secured a massive 1-0 win over the Bruins. 

MCGROARTY SHORTY 🚨

For every shorthanded goal we score, Borland and Borland will donate $250 to the Penguins GOALS foundation. This is shorty #3 on the year! pic.twitter.com/TNDBeOvRCu

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) November 23, 2025

McGroarty made that look so easy, and he's carrying the momentum that he had at the end of last season into this season. He had his second stint with the big club at the end of the 2024-25 season, and it went much better than his first stint did at the beginning of the season. He scored his first NHL goal with the Penguins on Apr. 3 against the St. Louis Blues and added two assists down the stretch. 

McGroarty didn't look out of place with Penguins captain Sidney Crosby last year, but even if there's not a spot for him on the top line when he eventually comes up later this year, he could still slot into a spot on the third line. First-round pick Benjamin Kindel is still the third-line center and has been carrying his own line in just about every game he has played in so far. 

Getting to see him and McGroarty play together would be a ton of fun. Heck, Penguins head coach Dan Muse could even opt to put Ville Koivunen in the other winger spot to have an all "kids" third line once he gets healthy. 

McGroarty looked NHL-ready going into the year before he got hurt. Now, he's working his way back, and if he keeps this up, it won't be long until he's back playing meaningful NHL minutes with the big club. 

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A costly lapse of 15 seconds in the game haunted the Nashville Predators in their 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena. 

The Predators were chasing the lead nearly the entire night, as Brent Burns picked the puck up off the boards and sniped a shot past Juuse Saros just 15 seconds in. Nashville's offense poured it on, outshooting the Avalanche, 35-26, but couldn't find the back of the net. 

Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Drury added empty net goals in the final two minutes of the game.

"You feel really good with the effort, and I thought we dictated the pace of the game against a fast team," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "We had our opportunities. 
They didn't go in, but overall I really liked our game.

"It's a little bit redundant. We've said this many times here in this room, and all you can do is keep doing what you're doing and believe." 

Here are three takeaways from the Predators loss to the Avalanche. 

"Keep working"

It took Brent Burns exactly this long to score in Nashville. pic.twitter.com/6qq12c8XHW

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 23, 2025

Being down is nothing new for the Predators, but they have not been chasing a lead 15 seconds into a game. However, Brunette was straightforward, saying the team just needed to "stick with it" to turn things around.

The Predators had nearly 20 shots in the first period and put the puck on net 35 times against the top team in the NHL. It also successfully killed off three penalties and won the face-off battle, winning 32-of-56 draws. 

It was a game that, at the end of the night, felt frustrating for the Predators. Both Roman Josi and Jonathan Marchessault said it was another game in which they felt they played well but came up short again. 

"I feel like I keep saying the same things, but the first period I thought we played really well," Josi said. "They got the first one, but after that, I thought we had so many looks and grade A chances." 

Marchessault went so far as to say he's working as hard as he can but isn't generating the offense the Predators need. 

"I feel like I'm personally working as hard as I can," Marchesault said. "I feel like I create stuff, and you just don't get the bounces that we're looking for." 

In response, Brunette said he needs to "stick with it" and that the offense will come, feeling that the Predators will eventually round a corner. Nashville had an impressive outing against the Avalanche, but it's going down as yet another loss. 

"Keep working. It's not gonna go, if you stop working, it's not gonna come," Brunette said on Marchessault. "That's all you can do in these situations when you go through something like that...I believe he's (Marchessault) really working. It's not going to be easy for him, and the only solution for me is to keep working." 

Josi returns 

Josi's status was in flux all week after returning to the practice, but it was announced Saturday morning that he would play against the Colorado Avalanche. His presence was missed, as he was able to open up the ice a bit more for the Predators and spark their game. 

"There was a big difference having Jos (Josi) back in the lineup," Marchessault said. "It opened up a lot of things on the offensive side and it's definitely great to have him back." 

He took 24 shifts and played 19:40 minutes, recording four shots and a block. Josi finally got to play with Nic Hague on the second pairing, which has been the plan since the preseason, but had never come to action due to injuries from Josi and Hague. 

"I felt good," Josi said. "It felt nice to be back. I've been skating for a while now, which has been good to get my legs going. When you're injured, it's tough watching from afar." 

Needing another strong performance 

While the Predators lost to the Avalanche, it was arguably one of their best games of the season. Outside of the first 15 seconds, the Predators were the better team for the majority of the night. 

Saros had a strong night as well, making 25 saves on 26 shots against one the top lines in the NHL. 

The Predators will need a similar performance on Monday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. They are coming off a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, but have been paced by Brad Marchand, who has 23 points in 19 games this season. 

Up next: Florida Panthers (11-9-1) at Nashville Predators (6-11-4) on Monday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. CST at Bridgestone Arena 

Mackenzie Blackwood has insisted in recent weeks that all he needed was steady minutes and a consistent rhythm to rediscover his form. On Saturday night in Nashville, he proved it, delivering a commanding performance in Colorado’s 3–0 shutout of the Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

Blackwood made 35 saves in a heroic performance, while Brent Burns, Jack Drury, and Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche, who extended their winning streak to eight games to improve their NHL-best 15-1-5 record.

It wasn't a perfect game. The Predators outshot the Avalanche 35-26 and Colorado struggled with puck control at points in the game, but Blackwood stood tall and made incredible saves throughout the game.

Nashville's Juuse Saros made one mistake 15 seconds into the game and that decided the game. He stopped 23 of 24 shots in an otherwise great performance.

First Period

The Avalanche needed only 15 seconds to seize a 1–0 lead. Burns gathered a loose puck at the point and rifled a shot through traffic, a blast Saros never picked up. Just like that, Colorado was in front. But from that moment on, the first period belonged almost entirely to Nashville.

BRENT BURNS LIGHTS UP THE BOARD JUST 15 SECONDS INTO THE GAME 🚨 pic.twitter.com/TzIOalkxo5

— NHL (@NHL) November 23, 2025

Despite striking first, the Avs were on their heels for long stretches as the Predators dictated the tempo, outshooting Colorado 7–2 at one stage. Still, Colorado found ways to manufacture key moments. Burns delivered again later in the frame, laying out for a sliding block on a Steven Stamkos chance to disrupt what looked like a dangerous rush.

Luke Evangelista nearly broke through with nine minutes left, snapping a shot off the short-side post as Colorado continued to struggle exiting its own zone. Moments later, with under six minutes remaining, the Avalanche were staring down a delayed penalty when Nashville kept possession long enough for Roman Josi to hammer a one-timer off the rush. Blackwood, however, delivered a stellar save to preserve the lead—before Martin Nečas was sent off for holding.

After a successful kill, Blackwood produced an even more dazzling moment, robbing Filip Forsberg from point-blank range with a spectacular glove save that left the crowd gasping.

Second Period

The middle frame opened with a scare, as a turnover at the blue line gifted Forsberg another prime opportunity. But Blackwood—now fully settled in—stonewalled him yet again.

Devon Toews was whistled for tripping shortly after, though replays showed Evangelista actually stepping on Toews’ stick. Nevertheless, Nashville returned to the power play. Colorado’s penalty killers handled their business, and soon after the Avs earned their own man advantage when Forsberg slashed Cale Makar’s stick clean out of his hands.

It was the first look at the reconfigured top power-play unit featuring Gabe Landeskog in place of Victor Olofsson. They generated a few sequences, but nothing found the net.

As the period progressed, the Avs flipped the script. Unlike the opening 20 minutes, Colorado controlled possession and pace, while Blackwood continued authoring his best performance of the season.

Olofsson nearly doubled the lead with under four minutes remaining. He burst onto a loose puck in Nashville’s zone and got a shot off despite being hacked on the hands by Spencer Stastney, but no penalty was called.

The period ended scoreless, and after 40 minutes, the Avalanche still held a 1–0 edge behind Blackwood’s brilliance.

Third Period

Nashville earned another power play less than four minutes into the third when Toews was penalized for interference after losing his stick. Colorado’s penalty killers, perfect to that point, remained flawless once more.

The Predators then handed the Avs another opportunity when Michael McCarron took an interference penalty on Drury, but Colorado’s power play came up empty again. At that stage, the two teams were a combined 0-for-5 with the man advantage.

Midway through the frame, the Avalanche generated multiple grade-A looks, but Saros kept them alive. He denied Drury on a net-front jam attempt and then robbed Brock Nelson with a sharp glove save on a backhander.

OMG Mackenzie Blackwood...what a save.

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) November 23, 2025

Blackwood promptly delivered the save of the night at the other end, kicking out his pad to stone Erik Haula. Colorado surged back with MacKinnon slicing through the neutral zone, though his attempted feed to Landeskog didn’t connect.

With fewer than two minutes left, Nashville pulled Saros for the extra skater. MacKinnon promptly found the empty net to extend the lead to 2–0, and Drury followed with a second empty-netter to cement a 3–0 victory.

Shutout for Mackenzie Blackwood. Welcome back, King.

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) November 23, 2025

Mackenzie Blackwood, sensational from start to finish, earned the shutout.

Next Game

The Avalanche have no time to rest as they have another game tomorrow against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks, losers of their last two games, come into the game with a 10-7-4 record. Coverage from United Center kicks off at 5 p.m. 

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