The Pittsburgh Penguins fell 4-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks on opening night.

The new era of the Pittsburgh Penguins was ushered in by a familiar pitfall as they blew a 2-1 third-period lead to the Chicago Blackhawks. Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks spoiled the Penguins' opening night party, defeating Pittsburgh 4-2.

Bedard grabbed everyone's attention early in this game, showing off his unique wrist shot and playmaking abilities. The 18-year-old phenom followed up a strong first period with his first career point, grabbing a secondary assist on the Blackhawks' first goal.

On the Penguins side, Erik Karlsson made his Pittsburgh debut. The 33-year-old defenseman performed as advertised in his debut, creating multiple scoring chances in the offensive zone, sometimes at the expense of defensive positioning.

Goal Recap

(PIT 1-0) Bryan Rust (1): Kris Letang (1) & Lars Eller (1)

(PIT 2-0) Sidney Crosby (1): Jake Guentzel (1) & Marcus Pettersson (1)

(PIT 2-1) Ryan Donato (1): Alex Vlasic (1) & Connor Bedard (1)

(TIE 2-2) Cole Guttman (1): Andreas Athanasiou (1) & Seth Jones (1)

(CHI 3-2) Jason Dickinson (1): Correy Perry (1) & Nick Foligno (1)

(CHI 4-2) Nick Foligno (1): Correy Perry (2)

Three Stars

3. Bryan Rust

Besides scoring the first goal of the Penguins season, Rust contributed on the penalty kill unit that went 4-4 in the opening game. He also created multiple opportunities in the offensive zone, including a quick neutral zone pass shortly after his goal that sent Sidney Crosby in on a partial breakaway.

2. Connor Bedard

Bedard looked the part of an 18-year-old phenom from very early in the game. There's a sense of anticipation when he carries the puck into the offensive zone. His quick release forced Tristan Jarry to make multiple awkward saves in the first period, and he led the Blackhawks with five shots on goal.

1. Petr Mrazek

Similar to the last time these two teams faced off, Mrazek stole the show for the Blackhawks. He stopped 38 of the 40 shots he faced, including several grade-A opportunities for the Penguins' top-scoring threats.

Final Thoughts

The Penguins tied for the NHL lead in blown leads last season, dropping 12 games after holding a third-period lead. That trend continued into the opener of this season. They'll look to get their first win of the season on Friday against the Washington Capitals.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogucq3i3eCI[/embed]

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