The St. Louis Blues handed the Pittsburgh Penguins their second straight loss.
The Pittsburgh Penguins dropped their second straight game on the road, losing 4-2 to the St. Louis Blues. While they outshot the Blues 33-21, the Penguins never truly got to Jordan Binnington, allowing him to remain composed and swallow up rebound opportunities.
Meanwhile, the Blues took advantage of several odd-man rush opportunities they were given by the Penguins. This game showed what many feared about the Penguins in the summer. All offense and no defense, except the offense wasn't that threatening.
Goal Recap
(STL 1-0) Brandon Saad (1): Robert Thomas (2) & Jordan Kyrou (1)
(TIE 1-1) Evgeni Malkin (4): Kris Letang (4)
(STL 2-1) Jake Neighbors (1): Kasperi Kapanen (1) & Justin Fault (1)
(STL 3-1) Colton Parayko (1): Alexey Toropchenko (1) & Oskar Sundqvist (1)
(STL 4-1) Brandon Saad (2): Kasperi Kapanen (2) & Robert Thomas (3)
(STL 4-2) Radim Zohorna (1): Lars Eller (2) & Drew O'Connor (1)
Three Stars
3. Radim Zohorna
Zohorna made his season debut for the Penguins, bringing a jolt to their lifeless bottom six. His performance led the third line to their best performance of the season, outchancing the Blues 7-1 when on the ice.
The 6'6" winger led by example, forechecking well and forcing turnovers in the offensive zone. He, and the rest of the third line, was rewarded for his hard work with a goal in the game's waning moments. It didn't lead to a victory, but Zohorna's presence could mean good things for the Penguins' third line.
2. Kasperi Kapanen
Hockey is a business. The players all know that, especially Kasperi Kapanen, who suited up against the Penguins for the first time since being placed on waivers by them last season. Kapanen picked up his first points of the year, gaining the primary assist on two Blues goals.
Kapanen was maligned in Pittsburgh for his refusal to drive the net with the Penguins, electing to pull up instead while entering the zone. Well, he drove to the net well on the Blues' second goal of the game, dancing around Ryan Shea to set up a tap-in goal for Jake Neighbors. It was the second straight game that a former Penguin notched two assists against them.
1. Brandon Saad
Saad opened and closed the scoring for the Blues in this game, and he could've easily had more. The Pine-Richland native was all over the ice in this one, creating and capitalizing on several chances against the Penguins.
He finished with six of the Blues' 22 shots on the night.
Final Thoughts
You just had to know that the Penguins first bottom-six goal would come in a losing effort. Regardless of the outcome, the Penguins saw positive signs from their third line in this game.
The Penguins will hope Zohorna and O'Connor look more like they did in preseason as that line continues to build chemistry. It's a step in the right direction for a team that desperately needs more balance moving forward, but the rest of the Penguins will need to bounce back.
The Penguins will try to get on the winning track as they open a four-game homestand on Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars.
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