CHICAGO — At the start of a challenging road trip, the Penguins played one of the worst teams in the NHL so far this season.

It seemed like a win they needed to get, and a lot went right — Sidney Crosby finally got going with a pair of goals, while Nick Robertson scored his fourth of the season.

But one of the Penguins’ strengths so far, goaltending, failed them late.

Coming off a brilliant performance in his last start, Sergei Murashov gave up a weak goal in the closing minutes, and the Penguins lost to the Chicago Blackhawks, 5-3, on Tuesday night at the United Center.

The Penguins are making a habit of giving up a goal on the first shift. After Washington scored 23 seconds in on Wednesday, it took Chicago all of 28 seconds to get on the board Tuesday.

Declan Carlile faced pressure from two Blackhawks and lost the puck in the corner behind his own net. Somehow, one of the other three Chicago skaters, Teuvo Teravainen, ended up wide open in the slot off the turnover and beat Murashov.

But the Penguins began to tilt the ice from there. Seconds after a faceoff at center ice, Sidney Crosby drove the Blackhawks’ net on a 2-on-1. Rather than dishing to Rickard Rakell, Crosby called his own number and scored for the first time this season to even the game.

The Great Crosby Goal Drought to start the season lasted all of six games.

But after a terrible Penguins power play, the Blackhawks got a chance on the man-advantage a couple of minutes later. Roman Kantserov finished a shot from the slot, set up by a feed from Connor Bedard, who was making his season debut.

That gave the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. The Penguins had another power play stretched across the end of the opening period and beginning of the second that was nearly as inept as the first.

The Penguins’ third power play early in the second period at least generated some chances. But still not a goal.

And Chicago extended the lead on Kantserov’s second goal of the game. He was parked in front of the Penguins’ net and tipped in a pass from Artyom Levshunov for a 3-1 advantage.

The Penguins’ top line nearly cut into the deficit on a pair of great looks for Rakell and Bryan Rust. But Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight had the answers.

He didn’t have an answer for the fourth line, though. Robertson brought the Penguins within one late in the second period on his fourth goal of the season, punching through a loose puck set up by a rush chance for Blake Lizotte.

Erik Karlsson picked up his second assist of the game and seventh of the season on the play.

The Penguins had multiple opportunities to tie it early in the third. Knight stopped Egor Chinakhov on a breakaway. Rust missed a nearly open net. The stacked shifts culminated in the Penguins’ fourth power play of the game, which still came up empty.

But shortly after the penalty expired, Crosby tied it with his second of the game, swiping in the rebound of a Connor Dewar shot.

The Penguins’ momentum was squelched with perhaps the worst goal Murashov has allowed in his young career. A seemingly harmless shot from Teravainen in the corner trickled through Murashov’s legs and in for a 4-3 Blackhawks lead.

Tyler Bertuzzi added an empty-netter to seal it for Chicago.

Around the boards

— Winger Andrei Kuzmenko returned to the lineup, playing on the third line with Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen. He had missed the previous three games as he got back up to speed following the sudden death of his father.

— Defenseman Ryan Johnson, acquired by the Penguins in a trade with Buffalo on Monday, joined the team for their morning skate Tuesday. He did not play.

— Defenseman Spencer Stastney was in the lineup for the second consecutive game, playing on the third defensive pair with Kris Letang, as Trevor van Riemsdyk was placed on injured reserve Monday.

Up next

The Penguins have a mini-break on the road before they play the Colorado Avalanche on Friday in the second leg of a four-game trip.

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