On Saturday night, when the Pittsburgh Penguins desperately needed a win, they allowed the San Jose Sharks to come back from a 3-0 deficit only to win with an Evgeni Malkin goal in the fifth round of the shootout. Rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist, optioned to the AHL on Thursday, has established himself as Pittsburgh's best goaltender. How can they open an opportunity for him? Despite the extra effort needed to win, captain Sidney Crosby scored his 599th goal, while one of Pittsburgh's top prospects, Owen Picking, made his NHL debut and earned an assist. Even though Alex Nedeljkovic secured the two points, he finished the evening with a .897 SV%, a statistic the Penguins must improve to get back in and remain in the wild card race. Let's discuss Saturday night's game, shall we? PENGUINS NEVER MAKE THINGS EASY The Sharks are one of the youngest and most inexperienced NHL teams, but somehow, they scrapped back into Saturday night's contest against the veteran Penguins after falling behind 3-0. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHAwpIuDh0s[/embed] Whether Pittsburgh let up on its attack or underestimated its opponent, this was the type of game in which the Penguins should have stomped out the Sharks but had to go to a shootout to win. Ultimately, this latest contest against the Sharks summarizes the first twenty games of the season since it's all about building leads, blowing leads, and being unable to recover from slow starts. Everyone will celebrate the victory, Crosby's 599th goal, and the highlight reel plays of shootouts, but it should have never gotten to that point, no matter how hot Mackenzie Blackwood was in relief. EXCITING DEBUT FOR PICKERING It was quite a week for Pickering, who scored his first professional hockey goal on Wednesday, only to earn a call-up for Friday's contest in Columbus. Even though he didn't play in that game, the rookie took his lap on PPG Paints Arena ice on Saturday night in a game built up a contest between former first-overall picks Crosby and Macklin Celebrini. As big as those marquee names are, Pickering, a former first-round pick himself, had a solid debut, picking up an assist in 13:40 of ice time. After spending four seasons in the WHL, Pickering is playing top minutes in the AHL. He earned the opportunity to make his NHL debut and didn't disappoint. Whether he sticks around will depend on injuries, but he proved in a limited opportunity that he'll be an NHL regular soon. IT'S THE SMALL VICTORIES THAT MATTER As mentioned, the Penguins should have dismantled the Sharks but needed five rounds in the shootout to secure a win. It wasn't perfect, and small victories within the game should be positive building blocks for future games. Crosby netted his 599th goal, Nedeljkovic made three stops in the shootout, and Jesse Pulpujarvi and Drew O'Connor got points. Malkin netted the shootout winner after having a goal called back earlier. Overall, Pittsburgh needed a win against a Western Conference opponent, as they have only beaten the Anaheim Ducks this season. The shootout victory gives the Penguins a little momentum for the homestand, which features some tough opponents in the coming days. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PENGUINS & SHARKS TRIVIA ANSWERS How did you score in our Game Day Trivia [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-stars-game-day-hockey-trivia-nov-11https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-red-wings-game-day-hockey-trivia-nov-13https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-blue-jackets-game-day-hockey-trivia-nov-15] quiz? Here are the answers. 1. undefined 2. undefined 3. undefined 4. undefined 5. undefined 6. undefined 7. undefined 8. undefined 9. undefined 10. undefined Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwNjYwNDIwMDI3OTUwOTI5/thnpitbanner.png]
