The Pittsburgh Penguins called upon their fourth line late in their loss to the Detroit Red Wings, leaving their third line on the bench once again. Heading into their fifth game of the 2023-24 season, changes have officially been made to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup. First, the Penguins placed Jansen Harkins on waivers and recalled Radim Zohorna; then it was announced that Ryan Shea would make his NHL debut in place of P.O. Joseph. With Tristan Jarry between the pipes, the Penguins looked to gain some lost ground and continue a pretty successful streak against the St. Louis Blues. The Penguins got off to a decent start by leading in shots on goal early, but a scramble in front of Jarry ended with the Blues taking a 1-0 lead. Nearing the end of the first period, Evgeni Malkin was assessed a two-minute minor for tripping; while the call was weak, he came out of the box with a purpose. The Penguins killed off the Malkin penalty and caught him behind the defense to give him a good breakaway. Malkin didn’t miss and continued his red-hot start to the season and knotted the game at one in the closing seconds of the period. In the early minutes of the second frame, the Blues notched a pair of goals to not only regain the lead, but tack on an insurance tally. Former Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen started things off by driving the net to set up Jake Neighbours for a tap-in; then Colton Parayko ripped a shot from the blue line. Head coach Mike Sullivan utilized the Penguins timeout to try and rally his team. Aside from a fair 24-17 lead in shots on goal, the Penguins struggled to put together any offense or good chances and entered the second intermission still down by a pair. Despite some valiant efforts from the Penguins, they remained behind well into the final frame. Pittsburgh native Brandon Saad scored the opening goal for the Blues but wasn't done with just one. Saad picked up his second of the night to give the Blues a 4-1 lead in the dying minutes of the game. In his season debut after being recalled to the NHL, Zohorna notched a tally to not only make it a 4-2 game, but give the Penguins' bottom six their first goal of the year. Thanks to Zohorna's goal putting the Penguins within two, Jarry was pulled for the extra attacker. It would prove to be no dice for the Penguins as the clock reached full time with no comeback mounted. The Penguins pick up their first set of back-to-back losses and drop to a 2-3-0 record in this early stage of the season. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Expectations Are High for Young Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/expectations-high-young-pittsburgh-penguins] Penguins Defenseman To Make NHL Debut Against Blues [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-ryan-shea-nhl-debut-blues] Penguins Forward's Start Could Help Contract Talks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-jake-guentzel-start-help-contract-talks] Changes Coming To Penguins Lineup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/changes-coming-pittsburgh-penguins-lineup] Penguins Recall Forward Radim Zohorna [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-recall-radim-zohorna] * undefined * undefined Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjUyMDAwNzM0MDYyMjIz/img_5742.jpg]
