"Move Jake Guentzel NOW!": Pens fans express concerns over forward’s future after crushing defeat to Panthers at home

Pittsburgh Penguins fans are expressing growing concerns over the future of forward Jake Guentzel following a disappointing defeat to the Florida Panthers at home. Despite earning an assist in the game, Guentzel's performance fell short of expectations, prompting fans to call for change.

The forward's lackluster play has been a recurring issue, particularly as the team struggles with a three-game losing streak.

This season, Guentzel has hit the ice 50 times. He's scored 22 goals and assisted 30 times. But, he's not always making big plays when it counts. This has fans worried. After he got hurt in the third period against the Panthers, these worries grew.

On the other side, Panther's forward Matthew Tkachuk was the star. He scored one goal and helped on two others, ending the game, 5-2. The way Tkachuk played compared to Guentzel's struggles stood out.

As Guentzel undergoes evaluation for his injury, fans were left pondering his future with the Penguins:

With the team aiming for success in the remainder of the season, the pressure is mounting for Jake Guentzel to elevate his game and silence the doubts surrounding his role in the lineup.

Panthers Pounce as Penguins Plight Continues: Jake Guentzel's struggles highlighted in 5-2 defeat

The game had lots of action. A power-play goal from Pittsburgh's Rickard Rakell got canceled in the second period after Florida's successful challenge. Lars Eller was charged with a high stick on the puck, so the goal didn't count. The momentum shifted to the Panthers.

Florida reacted fast after that penalty kill. Matthew Tkachuk and Jonah Gadjovich scored goals only 34 seconds apart, as the Panthers led 2-0 all of a sudden. Tkachuk made a killer wrist shot, while Gadjovich's goal came from a deflection off Brandon Montour's shot.

Florida didn't stop there. Aaron Ekblad took a great wrist shot from the right circle during a power play. It hit the target, making the score 3-0. Anton Lundell made sure Pittsburgh's troubles didn't end there. He scored off a redirect from Tkachuk, taking the score to 4-0.

The Penguins tried hard, with Bryan Rust helping a goal by deflecting Jake Guentzel's shot, making the score 4-1. Yet, Florida kept their edge. Lundell increased the Panthers' advantage in the third period. His shot bounced off Marcus Pettersson's skate, sneaking past the goalie, Tristan Jarry making it 5-1.

John Ludvig did score his first NHL goal for Pittsburgh though. This reduced their lag to 5-2. Still, they couldn't catch up to the powerful Panthers in the end.