Penguins conclude homestand with blowout loss to Oilers

Jason Mackey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Dec 16, 2025

Published in Hockey

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

PITTSBURGH — When the Penguins returned home after taking five of six points on a road trip through Philadelphia, Tampa and Dallas, they were brimming with optimism, their season seemingly steadied after a frustrating November.

Ten days later, they probably can’t wait to get out of dodge.

The worst homestand in franchise history ended with a 6-4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena, as Tristan Jarry got some measure of revenge against his former team and Edmonton's power play overpowered Pittsburgh's penalty kill.

Per team historian Bob Grove, the Penguins had never failed to win at least one game on a five-game homestand ... until this one. Among the madness that occurred before Tuesday:

— Being up a goal with 0.1 seconds left and losing in overtime to the Ducks.

— Getting badly outplayed by the Canadiens two days later.

— Blowing a four-goal, third-period lead this Saturday against the Sharks.

— Coughing up a three-goal lead, also in the final frame, Sunday to the Mammoth.

With Connor McDavid and Co. in town, the difference in this one was the power play. The Oilers scored three man-advantage goals, the first time this season the Penguins have given up that many in one game.

Tracing back further, the Penguins now have killed just 74.3% of penalties over their past nine games, a sizable departure from their 84.1% success rate over the first 23 games.

Right winger Zach Hyman, McDavid and defenseman Evan Bouchard scored on the power play for Edmonton, which has won nine of its past 11 games against Pittsburgh dating to the 2019-20 season.

After the Penguins made it a one-goal game for the second time in the middle period, Bouchard ripped a shot from the high slot over Stuart Skinner's blocker after a Connor Dewar turnover at 9:36, restoring the Oilers edge to 4-2.

Any momentum the Penguins might've gained with a late first-period goal from Tommy Novak was stymied when right winger Matt Savoie scored on a wrister from the left circle that snuck under Stuart Skinner's left pad. It’s a goal the Penguins netminder would absolutely want back, occurring at 4:35 of the second.

The Penguins answered with a power-play goal, this one coming from Erik Karlsson at 6:24 of the second. Sidney Crosby set up Karlsson, who blasted one from 45 feet to extend his point streak to five games (two goals, six points).

When Justin Brazeau unleashed a wicked wrister from the slot at 7:55 of the first period, it looked as if the Penguins had grabbed a 1-0 lead on an early power-play goal. But the Oilers challenged, and officials (correctly) ruled Ben Kindel was offside.

Responding appropriately to negativity has obviously been an issue for the Penguins recently, it happened again when they allowed two power-play goals in 14 seconds not long after the Brazeau goal was disallowed.

The first came 5-on-3, as Danton Heinen, Bryan Rust and Brett Kulak took penalties in quick succession. Hyman backhanded a puck through Skinner’s legs at 11:38 for his sixth goal in the past four games.

McDavid put his team in front, 2-0, with a tremendous individual effort at 11:52 of the first period, knifing through everyone and burying another backhander.

The Penguins were able to exact some revenge, as Tommy Novak made it a 2-1 game with his goal at 19:15. Novak knocked down a clearing attempt from Oilers defenseman Alec Regula and finished the rebound of Anthony Mantha’s shot.

It was over when …

Left winger Vasily Podkolzin finished the remnants of a two-on-one to extend the Oilers lead to 5-2 at 6:46 of the third period.

Stat of the game

6: The Penguins (0-5-1) have lost six in a row for the first time since the 2022-23 season.

Around the boards

— Crosby's second-period assist gives him 1,722 career points, one shy of tying Mario Lemieux.

— Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl notched the 1,000th point of his career on Hyman’s goal, becoming the fourth opposing player to reach that milestone against the Penguins. (Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Marleau and Joe Nieuwendyk are the others.)

—The Penguins scratched Ville Koivunen, Ryan Graves and Connor Clifton. It’s the first time this season for Koivunen and Graves.

— Per Grove, Tuesday marked the first time the Penguins have started four goalies for four consecutive games in the same season: Tristan Jarry Thursday, Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov over the weekend and Skinner Tuesday.

— With four more points Tuesday, McDavid has 14 points in his past four games played in Pittsburgh. Overall he has a seven-game point streak, with nine goals and 20 points during the run.

Up next

The Penguins will practice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex Wednesday before flying to Ottawa ahead of a game against the Senators Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre.

____