Penguins make incredible comeback in Carolina before losing another shootout

King Jemison, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Mar 10, 2026

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

RALEIGH, N.C. — Trailing by two goals with just over two minutes left, the Penguins proved their mettle again.

The Carolina Hurricanes scored three unanswered third-period goals to put the Penguins on the precipice of their third regulation loss in five games. Pittsburgh’s rally started with an unbelievable glove save by Stuart Skinner on a 2-on-1.

Not long after, Noel Acciari scored a tip goal with the extra attacker on to bring the Penguins within one. Bryan Rust tied the game with another 6-on-5 tally in the final minute. It was Rust’s second goal of the game, and it secured them a much-needed point without Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.

The Penguins were yet again unable to get the second in the shootout. They fell to 1-10 in shootouts this season after Andrei Svechnikov and Jackson Blake scored on their attempts for Carolina. Ben Kindel was the lone successful Penguins skater.

The Hurricanes beat the Penguins, 5-4 in a shootout at the Lenovo Center. Skinner made 39 saves, unofficially, to keep his team in the game.

The Hurricanes dominated the early moments of the game as thoroughly as any Penguins opponent this year. Carolina outshot Pittsburgh 11-1 in the first 12 minutes and took a 1-0 lead on a Logan Stankoven goal.

But the line of Elmer Soderblom, Ben Kindel and Avery Hayes put together a great shift that eventually drew a penalty later in the period. The game turned from there.

The Penguins peppered Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen for an extended stretch before Ville Koivunen took control of the puck at the blue line and found Anthony Mantha all alone above the circles. Mantha’s rocket tied the game with 56 seconds remaining in the first period.

Pittsburgh kept applying pressure in the second. On their fourth power play of the night, Egor Chinakhov slid a beautiful feed to Rust in tight. Rust paid it off for a 2-1 lead about halfway through the game.

Chinakhov was everywhere in the first two periods. As was Soderblom, who had a number of Grade-A chances that Andersen managed to save.

But the Hurricanes stole the momentum in the early part of the third period. And pretty soon, they’d stolen the lead as well. After a strong push to start the period, Mark Jankowski located the rebound of his own shot and tied the game.

Less than a minute later, Connor Clifton let the puck get by him along the boards in the Carolina zone, and Seth Jarvis flew down the ice to retrieve it. He beat Ilya Solovyov to the puck and Skinner for the goal to take a 3-2 lead with about 16 minutes to play.

The Hurricanes continued to control play and ended up with about 30 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play after penalties by Ryan Shea and Parker Wotherspoon.

Carolina scored with one second left on that 5-on-3 to take a two-goal lead. Alexander Nikishin took advantage of a savvy Sebastian Aho pass.

And seconds later, the Penguins were facing a 5-on-3 again after a Kris Letang penalty. They fought off that one — and the game flipped again.

Pittsburgh got its second 4-on-3 opportunity in three overtime games but again wasn’t able to capitalize. Mantha saved a goal with a diving stop on a Hurricanes breakaway after the penalty expired.

It was over when …

Andersen stopped Mantha in a do-or-die shootout attempt.

Stat of the game

— 43-28: The Hurricanes’ shot advantage — and many of them were prime chances. Skinner made some incredible saves to salvage a point.

Around the boards

— Malkin served the third game of his five-game suspension for slashing Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin on Thursday.

— Crosby missed his eighth consecutive game with a lower-body injury suffered at the Olympics. He was on the ice for the team’s morning skate Tuesday, so he appears to be nearing a return. Penguins coach Dan Muse said they’re “going in the right direction” with Crosby, though his status has not yet changed.

— Winger Justin Brazeau missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. He is considered week-to-week. Defenseman Sam Girard, coming off his best game as a Penguin, also did not play with an upper-body injury. The Penguins said Girard is day-to-day.

— Karlsson extended his team assist lead with a secondary helper on Rust’s power-play goal. The defenseman is up to 37 this year — and has been incredible over the past few games.

— The Penguins last won in Raleigh on Dec. 22, 2018. Nine consecutive losses have followed.

Up next

The Penguins head west for the second leg of their season-long five-game road trip in Las Vegas on Thursday. Puck drop against the Golden Knights is set for 10 p.m.