After an 8-2-2 start to the season during the month of October, all seemed to be going well and right for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
They were mostly healthy. Their goaltending and their shooters were putting up very high – even if unsustainable – numbers. They were holding onto leads – especially in the third period of play – and no lead ever really felt unsafe.
They seemed to be clicking on all cylinders. Then, November and a few other things happened.
Contrary to their hot October start, the Penguins are now 1-3-1 in the month of November so far. Their latest loss came in the form of a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday, and it was their third blown lead in the past four games. They are now 9-5-3 on the season.
No matter how things are sliced, it is still very early. The Penguins have played plenty of legitimately good hockey in the first month and a half of the 2025-26, and it stands to reason that they will go through some highs and lows throughout the course of 82 games – just as every team does.
But there are some concerning trends. On Nov. 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Penguins dominated the first 40 minutes and carried a 3-0 lead into the third period, then they squandered it in the first seven minutes of the final frame. In their next game against the Washington Capitals, the Penguins went up by the same score of 3-0 early in the second period and were tied with the Caps by the end of the period. They eventually did win that one despite the blown lead.
Takeaways: Penguins Fall To Kings, 3-2, For Third Loss In Four Games
After earning just one of four points on a back-to-back weekend set against the <a href=”https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils/”>New Jersey Devils</a> and <a href=”https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings”>Los Angeles Kings</a>, the <a href=”https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins”>Pittsburgh Penguins</a> may just welcome the brief Swedish vacation they’ll embark on starting Monday.
Then, in the L.A. game, the Penguins took a 2-1 lead into the third and allowed two unanswered goals en route to the loss.
But, in this case, it’s not just about the blown leads. It’s about how they are happening.
Despite winning only one of their last five games, the Penguins have been the better team on the ice for a large fraction of that time. They will dominate large stretches of games only to end up on the wrong side of the scoresheet. And the reason they’re losing these leads is because they have loosened up in their own zone.
Let’s be clear: This string of games is not because of a lack of effort. It seems like the Penguins just ran out of gas during the third period against the Kings, and – for most games – they’re largely controlling play. But defensive lapses here and there – as has been the case dating back a few years for the Penguins – are costing them dearly.
In the game against the Maple Leafs, the winning goal came as a result of blown coverage by young defensemen Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke in the defensive zone. During the Washington game, the Capitals kept pushing, and the Penguins’ net-front play kept failing them. Against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, the lone regulation goal by the Devils came as a result of an egregious defensive zone turnover by Kris Letang that directly resulted in a goal.
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Grits blew the roof off this place.
And it didn’t stop there. On the Kings’ second goal Sunday, Letang engaged in an ill-advised pinch, forward Anthony Mantha didn’t cover, and Ryan Shea was left hanging out to dry. And, on the game-winning goal by Kevin Fiala, Erik Karlsson simply got walked near the net front.
Prior to these last several games, the Penguins were generally limiting these Grade-A looks, even when momentum started swinging the other way. And they were scoring with more frequency, too, which isn’t surprising given some of the names they’re missing from the lineup right now.
All that said, there’s not reason to panic quite yet. Again, the Penguins are largely controlling play, they’ve been getting contributions from up and down their lineup, and the general process is much better. There is buy-in from both the team and the coaching staff, and that has shown itself on the ice.
These next two games in Stockholm, Sweden are big ones for the Penguins, and they represent an opportunity to get back on track and get closer to full health. As long as they simplify and hone the defensive details of their game, they should still be in pretty good shape moving forward.
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