Shootout loss damages Pens’ playoff chances

The Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov scored the only goal in the shootout.

The Pittsburgh Penguins need a lot that is outside of their domain to go right if they are to even flirt with qualifying for the postseason.

As far as what they control with the remainder of the regular season, their approach is simple.

“We’re doing everything we can to try to find a way to climb into the playoffs,” coach Mike Sullivan said Saturday in Cranberry. “Until we’re mathematically eliminated, we’re going to approach it that way. We’re trying to win the game in front of us. Our guys are competing hard. We’re playing a spirited game.”

“We’re just competing hard. That gives you a chance when your competitive spirit is high.”

Their already limited chances were damaged further Sunday as they lost to the Florida Panthers, 4-3, in a shootout at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.

Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov scored the lone goal in the shootout.

With a 29-32-11 record and 69 points, the Penguins remain six points behind the idle Montreal Canadiens (3327-9, 75 points) of the final wild-card position in the Eastern Conference.

Dampening the already gloomy forecast for them further is the Penguins have fewer games remaining (10) than just about every other team in the NHL.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry unofficially made 27 saves on 30 shots in regulation and overtime as his record slipped to 12-9-5.

Panthers forward Sam Reinhart opened the scoring 11 minutes, 25 seconds into regulation with this 34th goal of the season.

Off a pass from his own end boards by Penguins defenseman Conor Timmins, Penguins forward Bryan Rust lost possession of the puck on his own left half-wall under pressure by Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling. Reinhart swooped in to accept the charity and ripped a wrister from the left circle by Jarry’s glove on the far side.

Rust made amends for the turnover by scoring a pair of goals to close out the first period. His 24th of 2024-25 came during a power-play sequence at the 14:26 mark.

Corralling a rebound off Florida’s end boards from a missed shot, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby backhanded a pass from low in the left circle to the near point. Accepting the puck, Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson backpedaled a bit toward the center point and snapped a forehand pass to Rust low in the right circle. Deking past kneeling Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt, Rust elevated an emphatic backhander by goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky’s blocker.

Rust struck again at 19:25. After a neutral-zone turnover by Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis, Penguins forward Rickard Rakell chopped the puck up ice, allowing Crosby to gain Florida’s zone on the right wing. Pulling up on the near half-wall, Crosby chipped the puck to the top of the slot, where Rust darted in and tapped a one-handed backhander by Bobrovsky’s blocker.

The Penguins scored on another power-play opportunity 6:51 into the second period when forward Evgeni Malkin registered his 15th goal.

As Panthers forward Nico Sturm operated without a stick, Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk accepted the puck above Florida’s right circle, maneuvered a bit to the slot and dished a feed to the lower-left circle for Rust. Backing up a bit, Rust onetouched the puck to the near dot, where Malkin dropped the hammer on a one-timer that burrowed its way through Bobrovsky’s five hole.

Reinhart found the back of the net again during a power- play scenario at 9:25 of the second frame.

Dashing into the offensive zone on the right wing, Reinhart deked past sluggish Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves and shuffled a wrister from the near hashmarks through Jarry’s legs.

Panthers forward Anton Lundell’s 16th goal tied the score at 14:29 of the third period.

From the Penguins’ slot, Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen dished a pass to the right circle, where Lundell leaned down and pumped a one-timer.

In the shootout, Rakell, Crosby and Rust were rejected by Bobrovsky. Jarry denied Lundell and Reinhart on their chances.