The 2nd hog-leg of the road trip:

The Kings jumped out early, scoring twice in the first period. But in the second, Pittsburgh clawed their way back — Evgeni Malkin buried one on the power play to make it 2–1, and Connor Dewar followed up to tie the game. The momentum completely shifted in the third when Filip Hallander scored his first NHL goal — and it was short-handed. Be honest… can you even remember the last time the Pens scored a shortie?

To seal the deal, Sidney “I can’t stay out of the box” Crosby added an empty-netter late in the game, locking in a 4–2 win for the Penguins. Arturs Silovs was sharp once again, turning aside 30 shots to secure the victory.

Tonight, the Penguins head to San Jose to take on the Sharks — a team still hunting for their first win of the season (0-2-2). For San Jose, it’s another chance to get back on track after a rocky start, as they continue to iron out their defensive struggles.

For Pittsburgh, it’s about keeping the momentum rolling. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin continue to lead by example, both producing at a point-per-game pace. It’s refreshing to see some of the youngblood stepping up and finding the scoresheet. That said, the Penguins will need to tighten up defensively — there were simply too many breakaways against the Kings.

Players to Watch

Penguins

• Evgeni Malkin has been hot early this season
• Sidney Crosby needs to avoid the box
• Likely Silovs will play again

Sharks

• Goaltending and defense. Hopefully we can capitalize on San Jose’s defensive lapses
• Likely to score: Macklin Celebrini, Tomas Hertl or (heheheh) Logan Couture
• Never under-estimated them

LGP