Evgeni Malkin was the sole scorer for the Penguins in a 6-1 defeat against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, March 3rd, at Rogers Place. This loss marked Pittsburgh’s third consecutive defeat following a three-game winning streak, which was broken by a 2-0 loss against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, February 29th. During his streak, Connor McDavid accumulated 26 points, comprising two goals and 24 assists.
The Oilers took the lead 1-0 at 5:53 of the first period through Zach Hyman’s goal, assisted by Connor McDavid. Hyman’s goal extended his streak to nine consecutive home games with goals, matching McDavid’s feat from the previous year and falling just short of Wayne Gretzky’s record from the 1981-82 season.
Corey Perry increased the Oilers’ lead to 2-0 with his eighth goal of the season, followed by Zach Hyman’s goal to make it 3-0, assisted by Leon Draisaitl. Ryan McLeod and Cody Ceci further extended Edmonton’s lead to 4-0 and 5-0 respectively. Connor McDavid then scored his 23rd goal of the season to give the Oilers a commanding 6-0 lead.
Evgeni Malkin finally put the Penguins on the board at 7:37 of the final period, preventing a shutout with the scoreline ending at 6-1.
Sidney Crosby commented on the loss, expressing frustration at missed opportunities and the team’s inability to recover after conceding goals. Despite some promising early moments, the Penguins couldn’t capitalize, and Crosby acknowledged the team’s struggle to move past such defeats.
In terms of individual performances, Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, Zach Hyman scored twice, Ryan McLeod contributed a goal and an assist, and Leon Draisaitl recorded three assists. McDavid’s home streak extended to 25 games, with 14 goals and 45 assists, placing him alongside Nathan MacKinnon in terms of active streaks. Hyman showcased impressive form with 10 goals in his last eight games, while Draisaitl accumulated 10 points in the last six games.
Warren Foegele achieved a career-high 31 points this season, comprising 13 goals and 18 assists. Calvin Pickard made 22 saves for the Oilers, while Alex Nedeljkovic made 31 saves for the Penguins.