The Pittsburgh Penguins kept the reigning Stanley Cup champions honest but failed to capitalize in the shootout, falling to the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Friday.

In the first game of 2025, the Pittsburgh Penguins took the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, to the limit, forcing overtime in the final minute before losing in a shootout.

The Penguins got goals from Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell, both of whom failed to score in the shootout, while Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell beat Tristan Jarry in the one-on-one competition. 

Pittsburgh lost for the second consecutive game for the first time since Nov. 23, when they dropped three straight. 

Special Teams: The Name of the Game

The Penguins fell behind 1-0, and Crosby scored a second-period power-play goal to tie things up at 1-1. Then, once Matthew Tkachuk tipped home a power-play goal to give Florida a 2-1 lead in the third, Pittsburgh would force overtime with a Rakell power-play tally with 40 seconds left. 

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Ultimately, the Penguins secured a point on Friday night thanks to a power-play unit that went 2-for-7, a consolidation prize considering they had two four-minute power-play opportunities to bury the Panthers but only scored once on one of the double minors. 

Since Dec. 1, Pittsburgh has had the second-best power-play statistics in the NHL at 31.8%, with 14 power-play goals, led by four from Michael Bunting and three from Rakell. Their special teams are one reason they remain tied with the Ottawa Senators for the second wild-card spot.

Penguins May Be In for Tough Times Without Tomasino

Of the 18 skaters in the lineup for Pittsburgh, only two played less than ten minutes; one was Kevin Hayes, making his first appearance in nine games, and Philip Tomasino, who left the game after crashing awkwardly into the boards.

Since joining the Penguins, he's scored four goals and seven points in 15 games while averaging 14:04. Tomasino has been a dynamic forward who gets time on the power-play and takes turns with the legends Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

If the 23-year-old misses any extended time, longer than his previous upper-body injury in late November, the Penguins could be in trouble since he's become a spark plug for the offense, someone who fills in the holes confidently when called upon. 

What's the Next Lineup Card Going to Look Like?

On Friday night, veteran Hayes returned to the lineup, replacing Anthony Beauvillier. Now, if Tomasino misses the next game, will Beauvillier come back? Could Jesse Puljujarvi get a chance even though the Penguins placed him on waivers this week, and he cleared?

When Kris Letang returns from injury, which player drops out of the lineup? Will it be newly acquired Pierre-Olivier Joseph or the rookie Owen Pickering, who just returned from a concussion?

Earlier in the day, the Penguins traded for a defenseman, Colton Poolman, who will play in the AHL in the foreseeable future. But are there any other moves coming down the pipe? 

Statistically, Pittsburgh continues to lead the league in goals against, so there is room for improvement. 

Penguins & Panthers Trivia Answers

How did you score in our Game Day Trivia quiz? Here are the answers.

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