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Erik Karlsson stays positive after Penguins dominate shots but lose 2-1 to Bruins in Boston
Photo credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Erik Karlsson scored 42 seconds in, but the Pittsburgh Penguins still lost 2-1 to the Boston Bruins after two goals against in 50 seconds.
That swing happened in the first six minutes, and it decided the night.
Karlsson's opener was his fifth of the season, a point-shot that snuck through traffic after Bryan Rust worked a turnover behind the net.
It should have set a tone.
Instead, Marat Khusnutdinov tied it at 5:10, then Casey Mittelstadt made it 2-1 at 6:00.
You could feel Pittsburgh chasing the game from there.
Jeremy Swayman stopped 34 shots, and Boston played the kind of tight third period that makes you swear at your TV.
Karlsson didn't sugarcoat the start, but he also didn't torch the whole effort.
He pointed at the simple truth, the Penguins gave themselves a chance all game, and the goalies were terrific when it mattered.
Erik Karlsson sets the tone for Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins fans are tired of "good process" losses, but Karlsson's calm felt like a veteran trying to keep the room from spiraling in March.
His key line was the one that stings.
"It's unfortunate we couldn't have a better first five minutes."
- Erik Karlsson
- Erik Karlsson
That is the game in one sentence.
Boston didn't need to open up after that.
They sat back, clogged lanes, and let Swayman swallow anything that stayed outside the home plate.
Pittsburgh pushed in the second and third, but it was mostly pressure without chaos.
That is where Karlsson's glass half full approach actually matters.
If you are going to lose, lose with a repeatable push, then fix the start before the next one.
The Penguins are now 31-16-13, and their five-game point streak is done.
Thursday against Buffalo is the test, not the quote.
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Kyle Dubas balances Penguins playoff push and future rebuild with $10.54M cap space at trade deadline
Kyle Dubas balances Penguins playoff push and future rebuild with $10.54M cap space at trade deadline
Previously on HockeyUnplugged
| POLL | ||
MARS 4|117 ANSWERS Erik Karlsson stays positive after Penguins dominate shots but lose 2-1 to Bruins in Boston Did Erik Karlsson's "glass half full" approach match what you felt after Penguins vs Bruins? | ||
| Yes | 84 | 71.8 % |
| No | 33 | 28.2 % |
| List of polls | ||