The Pittsburgh Penguins had an opening to forget on Friday night against the New York Rangers, and the bad news started before the game even started. Evgeni Malkin, who participated in the morning skate, was a late-announced scratch from the game due to a non-COVID illness. That left the Pens out of sorts before the first puck dropped, down to just 11 healthy forwards with the team, with Mark Friedman dressing as an extra.
That disjointed feeling bit early, with the Rangers scoring three times in the first 4:16 of the game. The first two goals had a common theme — missed chances going back on the rush to bite the Pens.