Penguins win 10-2, hand Sharks record-tying eleventh straight loss to begin season

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Reilly Smith and Jake Guentzel every had two objectives and two assists, Evgeni Malkin additionally scored twice, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat San Jose 10-2 on Saturday evening, handing the Sharks their NHL record-tying eleventh straight loss to begin the season and second straight whereas permitting 10 objectives.

Smith set the tone with two first-period objectives because the Penguins – who had misplaced 5 of their final six – obtained again on observe towards the group with the league’s worst document. Guentzel’s aim early within the second that pushed Pittsburgh’s result in 3-0 was the 2 hundredth of his profession.

Bryan Rust had a aim and three assists, and Vinnie Hinostroza, Kris Letang and Matt Nieto additionally scored for Pittsburgh. Tristan Jarry had 24 saves.

For all of the desperation that the winless Sharks might need dropped at the rink, the Penguins mentioned they needed the win extra after a 3-6 begin.

“I don’t think we like where we are this early in the season,” Rust mentioned. “Don’t like our record, don’t like some of the results. So we knew that we had to come out here tonight, try and get the win.”

The Sharks fell to 0-10-1 to matched the 11-game winless begins by the New York Rangers in 1943 and the Arizona Coyotes in 2017 and 2021. The final time a group allowed 10 or extra objectives in consecutive video games was the Boston Bruins in 1965. The Sharks misplaced 10-1 to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.

PHOTOS: Penguins win 10-2, hand Sharks record-tying eleventh straight loss to begin season

San Jose has solely scored 12 objectives this season, and its minus-42 aim differential is the worst for an NHL group ever by means of 11 video games.

Sharks head coach David Quinn mentioned his group shouldn’t be a mentally robust group proper now.

“I liked our first period, and then all of a sudden we became a different team,” Quinn mentioned. “That’s what happened in the game. They kept playing the same way. We give up the third goal and we’re a fragile group.”

Anthony Duclair and Jacob MacDonald scored power-play objectives for San Jose.

“We’re losing way too many battles,” Duclair mentioned. “It’s way too easy for the opposing team coming in here. And in front of our fans … I think our battle level is just non-existent sometimes and it’s costing us.”

The recreation additionally noticed the return of Erik Karlsson to San Jose. The reigning Norris Trophy winner, who was traded to the Penguins within the offseason after 5 seasons with the Sharks, obtained an ovation after the video display screen performed a spotlight montage within the first interval.

It didn’t take lengthy for Karlsson to make an impression, helping on Smith’s power-play aim – a wrist shot from the left level – 90 seconds into the sport. Smith scored his second halfway by means of the primary, tapping in a feed from Marcus Pettersson at point-blank vary. The aim got here off a Penguins’ counterattack after Jarry stopped Mike Hoffman on a 2-on-1 break.

Penguins head coach Dan Sullivan mentioned it means a little bit additional for Karlsson and Matt Nieto – one other former Sharks participant now on the Penguins – to return to San Jose.

“I’m sure it felt good for those guys to come back,” Sullivan mentioned. “I know they have a lot of fond memories here in San Jose. They speak very highly of the city and the fans and the organization.”

Pittsburgh led 2-0 after the primary interval, and 7-1 after two. Sharks’ beginning goalie Mackenzie Blackwood was pulled after permitting his sixth aim, and Magnus Chrona entered within the second interval to make his NHL debut in web.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby performed in his 1,2 hundredth profession recreation, turning into the primary participant in franchise historical past and tenth energetic participant to succeed in the mark. Crosby assisted on Letang’s aim within the second interval.

“We felt like we’ve put stretches of games together where we think we’ve played well, and we haven’t gotten rewarded for it,” Sullivan mentioned. “Tonight we did, and it should be one that we can build on.”

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Penguins: At Anaheim on Tuesday evening.