Nedeljkovic disappointing, awful penalty kill, and more: 3 reasons why Pittsburgh Penguins lost 6-1 to Utah Hockey Club

The Pittsburgh Penguins dropped a tough 6-1 game against the Utah Hockey Club at the PPG Paints Arena on Saturday.

Sidney Crosby notched up his 600th NHL goal in the losing effort. Meanwhile, the Hockey Club got an offensive explosion, registering two goals by Dylan Guenther, with Jack McBain, Mikhail Sergachev, Nick Bjugstad and Alexander Kerfoot.

While the game was relatively close through 40 minutes, the Hockey Club got three goals in the third period to pull away from the Penguins. So, let’s take a look at the three reasons why the Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the Utah Hockey Club.

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Three reasons why Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the Utah Hockey Club

#3 The Hockey Club was too much for the Penguins

The Penguins looked slow and often out of place against the Hockey Club on Saturday night. The youthful Hockey Club played a strong 60 minutes of fast-paced hockey, while the Penguins seemed to run out of gas in the third period.

The Penguins kept up for about two periods but just couldn’t hold it together. Utah seemingly controlled the momentum in the third, negating the Penguins’ chances of getting back into the game.

#2 Nedeljkovic had an off-night

Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Alex Nedeljkovic struggled, surrendering six goals on 30 shots. While Nedeljkovic gave the Penguins a fighting chance during the first 40 minutes, the Penguins simply couldn't support Nedeljkovic in the third.

However, the blame can’t be solely pinned on Nedeljkovic. The Penguins failed to contain the Hockey Club’s offense, often giving second and third chances that ended up becoming goals. Dylan Guenther’s second goal of the game was a prime example of that.

The Penguins failed to pick up Guenther after a rebound came his way. Guenther had all the time and space to bury the puck from a difficult angle. Nedeljkovic was out of position. While he tried to get back, he had no chance to stop the shot.

#1 The penalty kill was awful

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ biggest letdown was their penalty kill, as they gave up power play tallies in four opportunities. In particular, Guenther scored both his goals with the man advantage in the third period, essentially putting the game away.

Had the two power play tallies been avoided, the Penguins could have had a fighting chance to get back into the game. Instead, the Utah Hockey Club skated away with an impressive win.

The Penguins will get a few days off until their next matchup against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.