There are a variety of reasons the Pittsburgh Penguins\u2019 season-best six-game winning streak came to a conclusion on Saturday with a 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames at PPG Paints Arena.<\/p>\n
To wit, giving up the opening goal within the first three minutes of regulation and allowing a game-winning score on the first shift of the third period are generally bad habits not traditionally affiliated with the pursuit of winning a hockey game.<\/p>\n
Neither is going 0 for 3 on the power play.<\/p>\n
And being deprived of the services of your season-leading scorer \u2014 as was the case with the injured Bryan Rust \u2014 won\u2019t help the cause either. He was scratched due to an undisclosed ailment.<\/p>\n
Having a potential game-tying goal late in the third period waved off due to goaltender interference can be a factor as well.<\/p>\n
A would-be score by Penguins forward Tommy Novak at 12:59 of the final frame was euthanized after officials determined goaltender Devin Cooley was interfered with by Penguins forward Sidney Crosby.<\/p>\n
Crosby did not concur with the call, suggesting he was pushed by Flames defenseman Kevin Bahl and that Cooley employed theatrics upon contact.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it looks bad, but being in the play, I felt like I did my best to try to avoid the goalie and I got pushed into him,\u201d Crosby said. \u201cThe explanation had something to do with being in the crease, but you\u2019re allowed in the crease as long as you don\u2019t impede the goalie. I was trying to get through there and got pushed back into him. He did a good job of selling it. I grazed him and he went down pretty easy.\u201d<\/p>\n
To be certain, there\u2019s little to suggest the Penguins had enough to push their way to a win in this contest, regardless of the officials\u2019 decisions.<\/p>\n
They staggered through the majority of this game against a Flames squad that entered the day with a four-game losing streak, along with a 30th-place ranking in the NHL\u2019s overall standings.<\/p>\n
Penguins rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs suffered the loss, dropping his record to 8-6-6. But even in defeat, he offered one of his more valiant performances of the season as he stopped 23 of 25 shots.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw how many odd-man rushes he had to face,\u201d Penguins coach Dan Muse said. \u201cHe kept the game close for us. Early in the game, he had to make some huge saves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rust\u2019s absence may have been a sizeable factor in how this loss unfolded. A staple on the right wing of the top line, the top power-play unit and the penalty kill, he has generated 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 40 games this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon as you lose any player, it\u2019s kind of a hard thing,\u201d Penguins forward Anthony Mantha said. \u201cOther guys get chances and tonight, it didn\u2019t go our way. But it\u2019s not just one player that would have made a difference, necessarily. It\u2019s not easy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flames forward Connor Zary had an easy time opening the scoring with his eighth goal 2:33 into regulation.<\/p>\n
Claiming a puck at the left point of the offensive zone, Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea forced a pass attempt intended for ex-Flames forward Anthony Mantha at the center point. Zary read Shea\u2019s intentions like an instruction manual and swiped the pass at the blue line, creating his own breakaway. Chugging into the offensive zone, Zary snapped the puck from above the left hashmark through Silovs\u2019 five hole. There were no assists.<\/p>\n
Connor Zary picks off the pass then delivers on the breakaway ????<\/p>\n
????: Flames vs. Penguins LIVE on Sportsnet pic.twitter.com\/zFAVQAjEnw<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 10, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n The hosts tied the contest at 9:17 of the second period via forward Egor Chinakhov\u2019s fifth goal, thanks in part to a wild adventure of a shift by linemate Evgeni Malkin.<\/p>\n At the center red line, Malkin thumped Flames forward Adam Klapka to the ice with a shoulder check, jarring the puck free. Penguins rookie forward Ben Kindel claimed the puck and held onto it for a moment before Chinakhov essentially took it off him and raced up ice. Entering the offensive zone at the center point, Chinakhov offloaded a backhand pass to the left wing for Malkin. With defenseman Kevin Bahl the lone Flames skater defending, Malkin advanced to the left circle, then fed the puck back to the right circle where Chinakhov swiped a one-timer by Cooley\u2019s glove on the near side.<\/p>\n Assists went to Malkin and Kindel.<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/hphXpO9H3b<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EN Videos (@ENVideos19) January 11, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n As Malkin skated behind the net to celebrate with Chinakhov in the right circle, he put his left shoulder into Zary\u2019s chest, dropping him, resulting in a roughing penalty for Malkin.<\/p>\n Since arriving in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 29, Chinakhov has three points (two goals, one assist) in five games.<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime you\u2019re playing with new guys, it takes a little bit of time,\u201d Muse said. \u201cBut you can see they\u2019re working off of each other, looking to find each other there offensively. Guys learning each other\u2019s tendencies.\u201d<\/p>\n Flames forward Matt Coronato\u2019s 12th goal restored a lead for his team 42 seconds into the third period.<\/p>\n Accepting a centering pass in the neutral zone, Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson gained the offensive blue line at the center point and offloaded a backhand pass to the right wing for Coronato. As Andersson drove towards the net and tied up Penguins defenseman Brett Kulak, Coronato took advantage of Andersson\u2019s ploy, using both bodies as screens and fired a wrister to the far side past Silovs\u2019 blocker. Andersson and forward Mikael Backlund had assists.<\/p>\n Matt Coronato’s 12th of the season gives the Flames the lead early in the 3rd ????<\/p>\n ????: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com\/gmW7ZqMcAn<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 10, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Novak appeared to tie the contest late before officials made their ruling. On the sequence, Bahl shoved Crosby, whose right hip made contact with Cooley\u2019s head. As Cooley fell to his backside, Novak tucked a forehand shot under his arm from the right post.<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/0YIfIE5OH1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 GStar (@GStartari) January 11, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Muse decided against issuing a coach\u2019s challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, we did consider it,\u201d Muse said. \u201cBut didn\u2019t think that we had a chance. I felt like we\u2019d be just going on the penalty kill. They\u2019re not easy decisions. But that\u2019s what I felt at the time, that this was an extremely low chance of coming back for us based on what I\u2019ve seen in the league.\u201d<\/p>\n Crosby agreed with the sentiment but hardly the ruling.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a hard one to challenge,\u201d Crosby said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t look great, but just being part of the play, I know I was going to get around him if I didn\u2019t get pushed.\u201d<\/p>\n Notes:<\/p>\n \u2022 Penguins forward Kevin Hayes returned to the lineup in place of Rust, opening the contest as the third-line center. Hayes had been a healthy scratch for the previous six games.<\/p>\n \u2022 To replace Rust on the active roster, the Penguins recalled forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard from Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Harvey-Pinard was a healthy scratch on Saturday, along with defenseman Connor Clifton.<\/p>\n \u2022 Chinakhov absorbed a big hit from Flames defenseman Brayden Pachal at 2:46 of the second period. Chinakhov appeared fine after the collision.<\/p>\n Brayden Pachal delivers a big open-ice hit ???? pic.twitter.com\/wMg0CldyL1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NHL (@NHL) January 10, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n \u2022 The Penguins, aided by a Malkin bobblehead promotion, enjoyed their third sellout of the regular season (18,322).<\/p>\n Nov. 6: Washington Capitals (18,384)<\/p>\n Nov. 9: Los Angeles Kings (18,343)<\/p>\n Seated capacity at PPG Paints Arena is 18,187.<\/p>\n \u2022 The Flames had not won in Pittsburgh since claiming a 4-0 victory, Oct. 28, 2021<\/a>. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 45 saves in the shutout.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t