Crosby, Malkin cold, Jarry outing wasted and more: 3 reasons why Pittsburgh Penguins lost 3-2 in OT to Tampa Bay Lightning

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost an exciting 3-2 game in overtime at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

Brayden Point got his 10th of the season in overtime to end the game at 3:58 of the extra frame. Anthony Cirelli scored with Point getting the Bolts on the board early in the third. Meanwhile, Jesse Puljujarvi and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins.

Here's a closer look at three reasons why Pittsburgh lost to Tampa Bay in overtime.

3 reasons why Pittsburgh Penguins lost in overtime to Tampa Bay Lightning

#3. Penguins were outplayed

A concerning trend for the Penguins has been their inability to sustain efforts for a full 60 minutes. The Pens have gotten off to strong starts this season but run out of steam as the game winds down.

On Tuesday night, the Penguins ran out of steam once again. They got off to a strong start, taking the lead on Puljujarvi’s tally. Then, Rakell got his seventh on the power play midway through the second.

However, the Bolts gradually outplayed the Penguins. A good example is the shot count. The shots were even in the first period, 19-9 in favor of the Bolts. But in the second and third periods, it was all Tampa. The shots were 12-6 and 12-4, respectively.

In overtime, the Pens could not get a shot on goal, with Tampa taking advantage of its lone shot to end the game.

#2. Pens wasted a good start from Tristan Jarry

Tristan Jarry has had an up-and-down season this year. He was recently demoted to the AHL but has since returned. Jarry stopped 32 shots, keeping the Penguins in the game, especially during the third-period onslaught by the Lightning.

In the end, the Penguins’ inability to hold the lead wasted a wonderful performance from Jarry. It’s a shame that the Pittsburgh Penguins could not sustain a strong defensive effort to support their goaltender. Still, Jarry’s performance should boost his confidence moving forward.

#1. Big guns went silent once again

Another recurring theme has been the lack of scoring from the Penguins’ big guns. Sidney Crosby registered one assist with Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Bryan Rust failing to get on the scoresheet.

While it’s encouraging to see depth scoring, it’s alarming to see how the Penguins’ main weapons have been consistently silenced. The Penguins will need their top guns to fire at will to turn things around before it’s too late.

The Penguins will be back in action when they host the Winnipeg Jets next at PPG Paints Arena on Friday.