PITTSBURGH — The last few days had not been kind to the Penguins. They lost all four games of a Western Conference road trip, lost Bryan Rust for at least six weeks and endured a terrifying medical situation with Ben Kindel.

They channeled that tough stretch into a determined effort Thursday night. The Penguins beat the Florida Panthers, 4-0, at PPG Paints Arena.

Arturs Silovs delivered his second shutout of the season with 25 saves unofficially. Nick Robertson had two goals to continue his hot start in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins dominated the early moments but couldn’t beat 6-foot-9 Panthers goalie Cooper Black, who made his NHL debut as the tallest netminder in league history.

It didn’t help that the Penguins fumbled away 21 seconds of a 5-on-3 without a shot.

But late in the opening period, Nick Robertson rifled in his fifth goal of the season on a rush chance set up by Connor Dewar, who moved to center in Ben Kindel’s absence. That gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead they deserved at the first intermission.

The Panthers started to apply some pressure late in the first and early in the second. Silovs had the answers, including some smooth glove snags.

In the first half of the second period, Silovs played some of his best hockey of the season to preserve the lead.

Hendrix Lapierre, making his return to the lineup after he was scratched the past four games, then extended it when he buried a rush chance off a perfect pass from Ville Koivunen.

Silovs high-sticked Sam Bennett as the Panthers forward circled the net. Silovs was given a double-minor that ate up the final minutes of the second period. But it didn’t eat into the Penguins’ lead — Pittsburgh’s penalty kill controlled the puck for long stretches and generated some shorthanded chances. Most importantly, they didn’t let the Panthers generate much at all.

The Penguins led, 2-0, entering the final frame.

Florida nearly halved the deficit seconds into the third period, as Matthew Tkachuk got a look from on top of the crease. But Silovs made one of his toughest saves of the night.

And moments later, Evgeni Malkin made it a three-goal advantage with one of the Penguins’ prettiest goals of the year. Lapierre launched Malkin on the rush with a touch pass off the boards. Malkin then pulled the string on Gustav Forsling and fired a shot past Black.

Robertson sealed the game with an empty-netter from long range. He tied Malkin for the team high with six goals.

Around the boards

— Egor Chinakhov missed the game with a lower-body injury, though he participated in the morning skate Thursday. The team designated him as day to day.

— Rust will be reevaluated in six weeks after he suffered a lower-body injury Monday.

— Kindel was also placed on injured reserve Thursday, but Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas gave a very encouraging update on the 19-year-old before the morning skate.

Kindel collapsed on the team plane Tuesday and was hospitalized. It was diagnosed as a vagal response, and Kindel could return to practice soon.

Up next

The Penguins play the second leg of a three-game homestand at 7 p.m. Saturday against the Nashville Predators.

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