Penguins Stumble At Home Against Red Wings, Lose 5-2
PITTSBURGH (AP) --- The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered a rare loss on home ice Sunday, falling to the Detroit Red Wings, 5-2.
Pittsburgh, which could've equaled a season-high 10-game points streak, had points in 13 of its previous 15 contests. But it missed a chance to move closer than five points behind Washington for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division; the Capitals lost to the New York Rangers earlier in the day.
"We didn't execute well, so we didn't play well," Crosby said. "Some penalties we took, some penalties we were looking for. You look at all those different things and it added up to one of those days, but you still have to find a way to win games like that sometimes."
The teams combined for three goals in the first 2:23 of the third period.
Tatar scored his 14th for a 3-1 lead 27 seconds into the period. Vanek, who scored Saturday in the shootout against Washington, extended the Red Wings' advantage 1:49 later when he beat Murray with a wrist shot from the slot.
Crosby made it a 4-2 only 7 seconds later with a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot, his league-leading 32nd goal, but the Penguins couldn't complete the comeback.
"I thought we had some power plays to maybe get ourselves back into it," Crosby said. "But probably if you look at the whole game, I think we didn't deserve this one."
Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley rang a shot off the crossbar and Mrazek stopped Phil Kessel on a breakaway in the first three minutes of the game. That allowed Jensen to open the scoring when he faked a slap shot and worked around an outstretched Murray on a partial breakaway. Kuhnhackl responded later in the period with a short-handed goal, but Ott put Detroit back in front on a backhander from the slot.
Mrazek kept it a one-goal game entering the third period with a sharp blocker stop on Ian Cole and a sprawling glove save on Nick Bonino later in the second period.
Matt Murray stopped 19 shots.
The Penguins visit Carolina on Tuesday before Saturday's outdoor Stadium Series game against Philadelphia at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
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