ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Penguins had finally settled down in the initial stop on their California swing, playing a solid third period after a couple of wild ones, and looked on their way to securing at least a point at Honda Center on Tuesday.

Then Parker Wotherspoon dumped the puck over the glass.

Chris Kreider needed only seven seconds of power play time to score the game-winner with 1:27 remaining in regulation, giving the Penguins an excruciating 4-3 setback.

The delay of game penalty that lead to this PP goal by Parker Wotherspoon 🫣 https://t.co/YB4BBNIXZB pic.twitter.com/AWPxgTKPon

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 15, 2025

“I felt it’s a game we could have won,” Sidney Crosby said. “Did some good things. Tough break for Spooner there. We have to get the kill there.”

Officiating played a fairly massive role in this game, as Anaheim was awarded six power plays. The Penguins only received one, and that was the result of an unsuccessful Ducks’ offside challenge on Anthony Mantha’s goal, which automatically sent Anaheim to the box.

Crosby and Rickard Rakell were both displeased by penalties they received. Crosby’s hooking penalty in the first period was especially brutal, as replays showed he clearly lifted Olen Zellweger’s stick.

“I thought that, too,” Crosby said. “Yeah, it’s frustrating. But nobody is perfect out there. It’s part of the game. It was unfortunate timing. I didn’t think I hooked him. I didn’t think it had any bearing on the play.”

The first two periods were up and down, with both teams creating plenty of offense.

Justin Brazeau stayed hot by opening the scoring with his fourth goal of the season.

DAD STRENGTH FROM BRAZ 💪 pic.twitter.com/b8kbKZSBi4

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 15, 2025

Rakell then deflected Ryan Shea’s shot in against his old team to give the Penguins a two-goal advantage.

🫲 6️⃣7️⃣ 🫱 pic.twitter.com/qBtG65LRVe

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 15, 2025

 

The Ducks, however, roared back to even the game before the first 20 minutes had concluded.

Kreider got position on Matt Dumba and scored from in front of the net with Crosby in the box to make it 2-1.

🚨 Kreider 🚨

Leo finds him on the power play! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/maDFWt1zWI

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) October 15, 2025

Then, a Kris Letang turnover led to Cutter Gauthier’s one-timer that beat Tristan Jarry cleanly.

🚨 Cutter 🚨

Great pass by Minty and this game is tied! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/BfBOkU70xC

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) October 15, 2025

Drew Hellseson gave Anaheim a 3-2 lead in the second when he shot from the point floated past Jarry.

Crosby set up Mantha on a two on one to even the game later in the second.

MANTHA WITH HIS FIRST AS A PENGUIN! 🙌#UltraMoments pic.twitter.com/WnQM8FPUJL

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 15, 2025

The third period was probably the Penguins’ best of the night, as they settled down nicely in their own territory and owned the puck for the majority of the final 20 minutes.

Wotherspoon’s gaffe, however, led to the power play that decided the game.

“It was just a dumb play,” Wotherspoon said. “I was just trying to make the right choice and get it off the glass. Super unfortunate . I can’t be doing that.”

Penguins TV play by play broadcaster Josh Getzoff was taken to a local hospital following the game. He left the broadcast in between the second and third periods after having health issues.

Joe Brand, the team’s radio play by play man, took over on the TV side in the third period while color commentator Phil Bourque handled the radio play by play duties.

Sending nothing but good thoughts to Getzoff, who is one of the most talented broadcasters in the industry and one of its nicest people.

Ten postgame observations 

• This was a tough game to figure.

On one level, the Penguins did indeed do a number of things well in the 5 on 5 department. They out-shot Anaheim, 25-22, in a game where they did not receive six of seven power plays. So, on the surface, that would speak highly of how the Penguins performed.

I didn’t quite see it that way, though.

Yes, they started the game very well. And yes, they played a very sound third period.

However, Anaheim’s speed through the neutral zone gave them considerable difficult all night. The Ducks were able to get situated in Penguins’ territory early and often and were buzzing around Jarry most of the evening. I hardly felt like the Penguins were carrying play even if some stats may have suggested this to be the case.

• The Penguins were very poor on the penalty kill. Anaheim converted on two of six chances, but that doesn’t tell the entire story.

Let’s put it this way: The Penguins didn’t pass the eye test on the penalty kill. At all. The Ducks set up early in often and did an excellent job of caving in the Penguins’ penalty killers.

This is the second game in a row in which the Penguins were burned by very poor special teams work.

• Jarry allowed four goals on 21 shots.

Only the third Anaheim goal was a regrettable one for Jarry.

🚨 Helly 🚨

That 🚀 gives us the lead!!#FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/DsE6p5ulKE

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) October 15, 2025

It was hard to gauge his performance because the Penguins gave up a number of quality looks. Still, he didn’t come up big at the end of the game and surely would have liked having this one back.

He wasn’t a disaster by any stretch but it wasn’t his best performance.

• The shame for Wotherspoon is that I thought he was one of the Penguins’ better players in this game.

Full credit to him for facing the music and discussing the play.

He’s been a pleasant surprise in the early going. It was just a terrible time for a penalty.

• Harrison Brunicke was a healthy scratch for the first time in his brief NHL career.

This predictably produced an eruption on social media from fans who are understandably excited about the Penguins having a couple of teenagers in the lineup.

Dan Muse’s explanation, however, made perfect sense.

Let’s put it this way: Brunicke is basically on a pitch count this season. Muse said the Penguins have a plan and are going to be careful with just how much they deploy him. He has never played more than 49 games in a season since joining junior hockey. He’s only 19. He does have a history of dealing with injuries.

So, the more you think about it, the more it’s a perfectly understandable philosophy.

Also, this tells me that Brunicke is

• Dumba made his season debut after being a healthy scratch in his first three games.

It didn’t go well early.

Dumba received a holding penalty on his first shift of the season, and it was a pretty clear infraction.

Later in the period, when Crosby was in the penalty box, Dumba was positioned in front of the net but was unable to stop a pass to Kreider.

I did think Dumba improved as the game went on.

• Connor Clifton made his Penguins’ debut on the blue line and played well.

The team was credited with 16 hits. He was credited with eight of them.

There’s a number you don’t see very often.

• I thought Letang had a really tough evening. He was only credited with one giveaway, so I must have been watching a different game than the statisticians.

Letang just couldn’t get going at all in this game and made a number of bad decisions. It’s his second very poor game in a row. I don’t think he’s 100 percent healthy and it showed.

• I’m seeing very little in the way of positivity from Tommy Novak and Phil Tomasino. Ben Kindel was their center in this game and he showed some flashes. But his linemates aren’t bringing much to the table.

The top two lines were fine, but the third line never really got on track and those two are big culprits. They’ve been two of the more disappointing Penguins in the early portion of this season. Novak simply plays on the perimeter far too much. Tomasino was invisible most of the night.

• The Penguins are off on Wednesday before playing the Kings in Los Angeles on Thursday.