That's not exactly how you draw it up if you are the Pittsburgh Penguins. They are 2-1 after dropping their first game of the season to a Winnipeg Jets team who started a goaltender who they picked up from the waiver wire. That is embarrassing enough, but the fact that Pittsburgh's lineup failed to play at a high level to support Sergei Murashov's season debut only makes this loss more troubling.
Not only did the Penguins blow another lead during the third period, but they clearly got outplayed most of the game.
The defensive issues were a massive casualty for this club, and they relied on Murashov to make some fantastic saves just to keep this score as tight as it was. To be frank, it was more difficult to find the "winners" of this game from Pittsburgh's perspective as they didn't have many. When it came to the "losers" of this matchup, and the Black and Gold had too many to list.
Pittsburgh Penguins first loss of the season showed signs of struggle despite Murashov's debut
Winner: Sergei Murashov
No one had a better night for the Penguins than Murashov.
He found ways to make timely saves, especially early in the game to make sure this didn't turn into a blood bath. It's a real shame that his teammates didn't do him many favors throughout the contest. Perhaps one of the only bright spots coming out of this brutal loss was that Murashov showed that he should be the player they believe him to be.
Winner: Declan Carlile
Most of the defensive pairings were absolutely off their game against the Jets, but Declan Carlile proved to be the best of the bunch. He sunk in another goal, which already gives him the most during a single season throughout his career. That is impressive and he continues to show that he might not be the flashiest player, but he can do the dirty work and excel in a specific role in their lineup.
Winner: Ben Kindel
Since missing the season opener, Ben Kindel appears to be on another level at this juncture. The Penguins need him to become a legit top six center, and him emerging into that spot at his young age could increase his potential further. Kindel scored the Penguins other goal during this contest and was able to redirect the puck with his stick. He's off to a hot start to the campaign.
Loser: Erik Karlsson
There are some games where you just wonder what the heck is going on with Erik Karlsson. Sadly, for the home team in this battle, this was one of those moments in Karlsson's tenure that has you scratching your head. Hopefully he can turn things around in a hurry and the club can bounce back. It appears that this will be Karlsson's final season in Pittsburgh, so he needs to make it count.
Loser: Nick Robertson
You could throw blame at many of the forwards for this loss, but Nick Robertson didn't have a great outing.
He was responsible for a turnover that led to a Jets goal, which got them into a lead at that point in the game. Robertson has produced a strong start to the season, so this isn't a red flag for him yet, but out of all the forwards it's clear that he had one of the worst nights of the Penguins lineup.
Loser: Over 83% of the defense
There are six defenseman who suited up for Pittsburgh in this game, so if you subtract some of Declan Carlile from part of the blame, that means over 83 percent of the defense was terrible for most of the contest. Pittsburgh clearly struggled to handle Winnipeg's offensive attack throughout this matchup. It was disheartening to see their lack of effort knowing Murashov was working hard.
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