Murashov Steals It in San Jose: Penguins Escape With a Shootout Win and Turn Toward Ottawa

The Pittsburgh Penguins did not make it easy, but they are flying home from California with a winning trip. On Wednesday night at SAP Center in San Jose, Pittsburgh built a 2-0 third-period lead, watched the Sharks erase it in the final nine minutes, and still walked out with a 3-2 shootout win — because rookie goaltender Sergei Murashov refused to lose. The victory closes the three-game California swing at 2-1 and moves the Penguins to 7-10-2 with 16 points. ## How it happened Samuel Girard opened the scoring at 8:57 of the first period, one-timing a feed from the high slot past Yaroslav Askarov, with assists from Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. After a scoreless second period, Ben Kindel doubled the lead at 3:28 of the third, scoring on the power play — his fourth goal of the season — from Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson. Then San Jose's present and future took over. Macklin Celebrini cut it to 2-1 at 11:32, a goal that made him the fifth-youngest player in NHL history to reach 200 career points, and Mason Marchment tied it 2-2 at 15:49 off a Celebrini feed. Pittsburgh survived overtime — Murashov made a kick save with the Sharks on a late power play — and then owned the shootout: Murashov stopped all three Sharks he faced, and Kindel, already the regulation power-play scorer, buried the only shootout goal for the winner. Murashov finished with 34 saves on 36 shots and First Star honors. Askarov stopped 33 of 35 for San Jose in the loss. ## What it says about this team The headline inside the headline: Sidney Crosby was held scoreless on seven shots, which ends his 10-game point streak against the Sharks dating back to January 2, 2022. Crosby stays at 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) on the season. And yet Pittsburgh won anyway — on the road, in a building where the finish could have collapsed after the tying goal. That is the kind of win this 7-10-2 team has not banked often enough: Karlsson's assist pushes him to a team-leading 19 points, Malkin's helper gives him 17, and the goals came from a defenseman and a rookie, not the top line. The honest caveat stays attached: blowing a 2-0 third-period lead is the same late-game problem that has cost Pittsburgh points all season, and the Sharks have now lost six of their last seven. A shootout win is two points, not a cure. ## Next up: Ottawa at home, Saturday night The Penguins come home Saturday, November 14, to host the Ottawa Senators at 7 p.m. ET at PPG Paints Arena (ESPN+). Ottawa is a step up in weight class: the Senators entered Thursday at 11-6-2 with 24 points, fourth in the Atlantic Division, led by Tim Stützle (23 points, 9 goals and 14 assists), Drake Batherson (18 points, 9 goals) and Shane Pinto (14 points, 7 goals). Ottawa hosted Colorado on Thursday night, with Linus Ullmark back in net for that game after missing time. The goaltending choice is Pittsburgh's biggest Saturday question. Arturs Silovs (5-6-1, 3.35 goals-against average, .873 save percentage before the San Jose game) has carried the heavier load, but after Murashov's star turn in San Jose, Dan Muse has a real decision — and two days of rest to make it. ## Injury updates Pittsburgh remains without Bryan Rust (lower body, on injured reserve, estimated return December 5) and Ryan Graves (knee, estimated return November 28). Elmer Soderblom (upper body) and Trevor van Riemsdyk (lower body) both carry estimated return dates of November 14 in ESPN's listings — treat those as estimates, not confirmations, until the team announces activations. For Ottawa, Nick Cousins is out (upper body), and Warren Foegele (knee), Andre Burakovsky (lower body) and William Eklund (ankle) are on injured reserve. ## Projection (clearly a projection, not a result) Projection: Saturday is a measuring game, not a gimme. Ottawa's top end — Stützle especially — will punish the defensive lapses that let San Jose back into Wednesday's game, so Pittsburgh's path is the one it just used: get goaltending, get secondary scoring, and do not ask Crosby to do it alone on a night when the Senators can key on him. If Murashov gets the net and plays anywhere near his San Jose level, the Penguins can make the homecoming a winning one; if the third-period wobble follows them home, Ottawa has the finishers to make it hurt.