In their first game of 2025, the Pittsburgh Penguins took the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, to the limit. The game went into overtime, and the Penguins eventually lost in a shootout.
Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell scored for Pittsburgh, but both were unable to score in the shootout. Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell scored for Florida, winning the one-on-one contest. This marked the Penguins’ second consecutive loss, which is their first two-game losing streak since November 23.
Special Teams Played a Big Role The Penguins started the game down 1-0. Crosby tied the game in the second period with a power-play goal. In the third period, Matthew Tkachuk gave Florida a 2-1 lead with another power-play goal. However, Pittsburgh forced overtime when Rakell scored on a power play with 40 seconds remaining.
The Penguins earned a point thanks to their power-play unit, which went 2-for-7. They had two four-minute power-play opportunities but only managed to score once on one of those. Since December 1, Pittsburgh has had the second-best power-play in the NHL, converting at 31.8%. Their success on special teams has helped keep them tied with the Ottawa Senators for the second wild-card spot.
Concerns Without Tomasino Out of the 18 players in the Penguins’ lineup, only two played less than ten minutes—Kevin Hayes, who was playing his first game in nine games, and Philip Tomasino, who was injured after crashing awkwardly into the boards.
Tomasino, who has scored four goals and seven points in 15 games with the Penguins, has been an important player for the team. He has been dynamic on the power play and has been filling in well when needed. If Tomasino is out for a long period, it could hurt the team, as he has added a lot to their offense.
Changes to the Lineup? On Friday, Hayes replaced Anthony Beauvillier in the lineup. If Tomasino is out for the next game, it’s possible Beauvillier could return. There’s also the possibility of Jesse Puljujarvi getting another chance, despite the Penguins putting him on waivers this week and him clearing.
When Kris Letang returns from injury, there will be another decision to make about who will come out of the lineup. It could be Pierre-Olivier Joseph or rookie Owen Pickering, who recently returned from a concussion.
Earlier on Friday, the Penguins traded for defenseman Colton Poolman, who will play in the AHL for now. The Penguins may still make other moves.
Statistically, Pittsburgh continues to lead the league in goals against, which suggests there is still room for improvement.
