Disciplined defense drives the Penguins to a shootout win over the Stars

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

Published in Hockey

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PITTSBURGH — After three consecutive losses consisting of mostly poor hockey, the Penguins came home on the second night of a back to back to face one of the top teams in the NHL.

It was not a promising outlook.

But Pittsburgh put forth its most disciplined defensive effort since the season opener, and shootout goals by Sidney Crosby, Ben Kindel and Rickard Rakell provided the difference in a streak-snapping 2-1 shootout win for the Penguins over the Dallas Stars on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena.

Arturs Silovs allowed shootout goals to two of the four Stars skaters he faced, but that was enough, as three of the Penguins’ four shooters found the back of the net.

After horrific starts in each of their last three games, the Penguins were much sharper in the first period Saturday. They didn’t allow a shot for nearly seven minutes. Pittsburgh only had one shot at that point, but it was still progress.

The Penguins weren’t getting hemmed in as they did the night before in Columbus and generated some good chances on Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger.

One of those chances looked like it gave Pittsburgh the first goal in the final minute of the frame, as Kris Letang scored down low on a power play. But the Stars successfully challenged for a high stick by Hendrix Lapierre earlier in the play.

That was the Penguins’ second man advantage of the game. They got two more in the second period, with one carrying over into the opening minute of the third. Both power play units were moving the puck well on all four chances. But the Stars clogged up shooting lanes, and Oettinger stopped everything that made it through.

Dallas had 19 blocked shots through two periods.

Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs didn’t have to do much, but he was sharp when Dallas got opportunities. Silovs stretched across his crease for a kick save to deny Tyler Seguin in tight late in the second period.

That came just after Declan Carlile laid out to break up what might have been a tap-in for the Stars.

The low-event game was scoreless at the second intermission, with the Penguins holding a 14-13 shots advantage. It was a far cry from the barrage Sergei Murashov faced in Columbus the night before.

Pittsburgh controlled the opening moments of the third, and Crosby nearly broke his scoreless streak this season, but Oettinger gobbled up the shot from the slot.

But he couldn’t stop Connor Dewar. The Penguins’ fourth-line winger carried the puck up the ice in traffic on a play that looked like it was going nowhere. But Dewar flipped a backhand over Oettinger for the opening goal two minutes into the final frame. Dallas defenseman Lian Bichsel inadvertently deflected Dewar’s otherwise harmless try.

Pittsburgh protected the lead with the team’s second strong penalty kill of the game moments later.

After they fought off another Stars man advantage late in the game, it looked like the Penguins would secure a much-needed regulation win.

But Seguin evened the score with Oettinger out of his net with 30 seconds to go, tipping in a shot from Jason Robertson.

The Penguins had the much better looks in overtime, including two great chances for Evgeni Malkin in the final minute. But Oettinger had the answers.

Around the boards

— Defenseman Spencer Stastney made his Penguins debut Saturday, playing alongside Letang in the third defensive pair. Stastney came in for Trevor van Riemsdyk, who the team said is day to day with a lower-body injury.

— Forward Elmer Soderblom reentered the lineup Saturday, taking Ville Koivunen’s place on the third line. Soderblom hadn’t played since the season opener.

— Forward Andrei Kuzmenko missed his third straight game. He’ll continue to practice with the team. Muse said the Penguins are looking to get “him to the point where he was at coming into training camp,” before he returned to Russia following the sudden death of his father.

Up next

The Penguins have a couple of days before their next game, a road tilt Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. That’s the first leg of a challenging four-game road trip.

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