Penguins played better but still extinguished by Flames 4-3 in shootout

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost its third straight game on Tuesday night with a 4-3 result (in a shootout) to the Calgary Flames. The Penguins are now 3-4-1, and the Flames are 5-0-1.

Over the past week, fans and media have explained the Penguins' shortfalls countless times: starting slow, playing sloppily, getting behind, making the goalie be superhuman, and not playing good defense. That is not an exhaustive list but it includes the high points.

These same people have said that the Penguins have failed to play their best hockey, the brand of hockey the franchise is known for. On Tuesday against the Flames, they committed some of these same failings, especially in the first period but regrouped and played better overall. A bad puck bounce here and there ended up being the difference.

Are the expectations too high? Is this as good as it gets?

Eight games into the season, and some wonder if the Penguins are playing their best hockey. Is this as good as it gets for the 2024-2025 season?

It is early and a bit of an overreaction for fans to throw up their hands and think it will be doom and gloom this year, but tamping down expectations may not be a bad plan until we see the same mojo that lifted the team to an overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres a week ago.

What's working? What's not working?

The third and fourth lines are more prolific. The team addressed last season's lack of productivity. However, the stars have not been big factors yet. Beyond achieving their milestone moments, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have not been significant factors for the team.

Power play opportunities are not being fully capitalized upon. Against Calgary, the Penguins scored in one of four power plays.

In terms of goalie play, Alex Nedeljkovic played his second game of the season against Calgary. He came back from injury against Winnipeg and has done well facing some of the most talented teams the Penguins have played so far this season.

Biggest problem

The biggest problem may be an intangible one that is difficult to define and even harder to fix. Pardon the pun, but it is a lack of fire. The Penguins do not come out on the ice, aggressive and ready to take control of the game from the puck drop. Is that a confidence issue? It is hard to say or know at this point.