The Pittsburgh Penguins rallied from a two-goal deficit to force overtime, eventually dropping a 5-4 decision to the St. Louis Blues at the Enterprise Center on Thursday night. With the win, the Blues extended their current winning streak to 11 games, while the Penguins fell to 5-3-2 in their last 10.
Bryan Rust, Connor Dewar, Rickard Rakell (PPG), and Rutger McGroarty scored for the Pittsburgh Penguins. McGroarty’s first career goal was the equalizer with 25 seconds to go in the third period. Meanwhile, Robert Thomas got the game-winner for the Blues on the power play in overtime, with Jake Neighbours scoring twice. Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou got the other goals for the Blues.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the three least impressive Pittsburgh Penguins players from their overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.
3 least impressive Pittsburgh Penguins from OT loss to St. Louis Blues
#3 Kevin Hayes
Kevin Hayes’ role with the Pittsburgh Penguins has diminished to the point where he played 7:44 on Thursday night over 11 shifts. He did not register a shot on a goal.
Hayes, who was once a top-six forward, has now seen his role dwindle to a fourth-line grinder. Hayes, along with Danton Heinen and Phillip Tomasino all played under 10 minutes against the Blues as the Pens shortened their bench down the stretch.
#2 Kris Letang
Kris Letang skated in a team-high 24:39 of ice time over 31 shifts against the Blues. However, Letang wasn’t as effective as the Pittsburgh Penguins would have liked.
Letang notched three shots on goal, failing to generate high-danger scoring chances. Moreover, Letang ended the night on a minus 2 with two penalty minutes. Those two minutes were the backbreaker for the Pens as they came in overtime. In the ensuing power play, Robert Thomas ended the game, getting his 20th of the season.
#1 Tristan Jarry
Tristan Jarry, who was coming off a brilliant 31-save performance against the Ottawa Senators for his first shutout of the season on March 30, could not reprise his season-best performance.
Against the Blues, Jarry surrendered five goals on 19 shots, including the game-winner in overtime. While it’s hard to pin the loss on Jarry given how the Penguins played defensively, it’s worth pointing out that Jarry has struggled all season long.
However, Jarry could not bail his teammates out in the extra frame. Thomas’ overtime goal spoiled the Penguins’ comeback bid, leaving them with a loser point for their efforts.
The Penguins will be back in action on Saturday afternoon as they take on the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center.
Edited by Debasish
