Penguins Grades: Murashov Brilliant; Team Struggling for Answers

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now argues that rookie goaltender Sergei Murashov delivered a brilliant performance despite the Pittsburgh Penguins falling 3-2 in a shootout against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Kingerski gave the overall team a "D" grade, noting that Pittsburgh struggled heavily with loose pucks, execution, and early shot attempts before Bryan Rust initiated a comeback in the second period.

While Kingerski praised Murashov and Evgeni Malkin, he criticized the team's power play alongside defensemen Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Coach Dan Muse and captain Sidney Crosby both acknowledged postgame that the Penguins were heavily outplayed and pinned in their own zone for long stretches of the contest.