Penguins' sloppy play continues in a road loss to Capitals

King Jemison, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Oct 7, 2026

Published in Hockey

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WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin suited up for his final home opener Wednesday. The Pittsburgh Penguins helped him celebrate by gift-wrapping the Washington Capitals multiple goals with turnovers.

Pittsburgh continued to play sloppy hockey and lost 5-3 to the Capitals at Capital One Arena.

Ovechkin announced Monday that he is retiring after this season. His children introduced him as part of the pregame festivities.

The Penguins played a putrid opening period. Washington grabbed the lead 23 seconds into the game, when former Capital Trevor van Riemsdyk couldn’t handle a pass from Sidney Crosby at the blue line, Anthony Beauvillier beat Kris Letang down the ice and whipped a backhand past Arturs Silovs.

Pittsburgh answered less than a minute later. In his first shift since returning from injured reserve, Bryan Rust drove the net and snapped a shot past Logan Thompson.

That didn’t steady the Penguins, who continued to look much like the sloppy team that surrendered three third-period goals to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.

Silovs was under siege. Pittsburgh successfully killed off 44 seconds of a 5-on-3. But a few minutes after the penalties expired, Letang tried to pass the puck behind the net to Sam Girard, who had vacated the premises. That turnover led to a wide-open look for Tom Wilson. He buried it for a 2-1 lead the Capitals deserved.

They outshot the Penguins 14-4 in the first 20 minutes.

Washington extended the advantage about five minutes into the second. Penguins forward Hendrix Lapierre, another former Capital, dumped the puck into his own zone. The Capitals pounced on the mistake, and Pierre-Luc Dubois made it 3-1.

The Penguins were gathering some momentum before Declan Carlile threw a pick-six. He fumbled the puck and then tried to pass across the blue line. Alex Tuch intercepted the ill-advised feed and finished a 2-on-0 on the other end.

That put the Capitals up 4-1, and it appeared the rout was on.

But Pittsburgh punched back. Tommy Novak cleaned up the rebound of an Evgeni Malkin shot on the rush. Novak’s third goal of the season brought the Penguins within two.

Four minutes later, Nick Robertson — demoted to the fourth line Wednesday after he started the year on the top trio — deftly deflected a Kaedan Korczak shot past Thompson.

Robertson’s third goal of the season made it 4-3 at the second intermission. The Penguins outshot the Capitals 13-5 in the second.

Van Riemsdyk’s tough night in his former home arena continued early in the third period, as he coughed up another turnover at the blue line of the Capitals’ zone. He hooked Beauvillier on the Washington rush chance, and Ryan Leonard scored on the ensuing power play to open up some breathing room again.

Around the boards

— Andrei Kuzmenko was granted non-roster status by the NHL on Wednesday as he continues to get up to speed following the death of his father. He will remain with the team. That allowed the Penguins to activate Rust from injured reserve without sending a player down.

— The Penguins dealt forward Filip Hallander to the Edmonton Oilers in return for defenseman Spencer Stastney on Wednesday.

Up next

The Penguins stay on the road against another Metropolitan Division opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. ET Friday. It’s the first night of a back-to-back, as a date with the Dallas Stars waits Saturday at PPG Paints Arena.

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