PITTSBURGH — The Winnipeg Jets rallied for a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh to hand Pittsburgh its first loss of the season, overcoming a sloppy, giveaway-filled night from the hosts with a four-goal flurry in the third period. Winnipeg scored three times in the final frame to erase a 1-0 deficit and held on after Pittsburgh pulled goaltender Sergei Murashov late.
Pittsburgh rotated Ville Koivunen back into the lineup with Filip Hallander out and gave Murashov his first start of the season, while Winnipeg countered with Clay Stevenson making his first appearance for his new team and ex-Penguin Jack St. Ivany debuting against his former club. The first period ended scoreless despite Pittsburgh's defensive miscues, with Murashov denying Gabe Vilardi on the doorstep after a failed clearing attempt by Connor Dewar and again after an Erik Karlsson turnover that rang off the post. Shots were 12-11 Winnipeg after 20 minutes. Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the second when Ben Kindel won an offensive zone faceoff, went to the net and deflected a fluttering shot from Declan Carlile past Stevenson, a goal initially waved off but overturned on video review after officials confirmed Kindel's stick was below the crossbar. Shots were 22-21 Pittsburgh after two.
Winnipeg tied it at 1-1 with 15:17 remaining when Murashov kicked out a rebound on a rush shot and Karlsson could not corral it, leaving Alex Iafallo to slam it home. The Jets took their first lead when Dylan DeMelo jammed Nick Robertson at the blue line, Pittsburgh failed to clear, and Iafallo drove hard to the net before Adam Lowry buried the loose puck in the crease to make it 2-1. Pittsburgh answered quickly as Kindel knocked down a Winnipeg pass, Koivunen collected it and fed Kindel low, and Kindel set up Carlile for a blocker-side finish to tie it 2-2 for Carlile's second goal in two games.
The tie lasted nine seconds. Josh Morrissey moved a pass to Cole Perfetti and Perfetti beat Murashov to restore Winnipeg's lead at 3-2, the third lead change in a rapid third-period sequence. Pittsburgh pulled Murashov for the extra attacker with about two minutes left and called timeout with 1:21 remaining but could not solve Stevenson. Earlier, Pittsburgh had killed a boarding minor to Blake Lizotte and failed to convert on two power plays, including one after Morrissey was called for tripping, while Murashov added a glove robbery on Mark Scheifele after Kyle Connor hit the iron.
The night was defined by Pittsburgh's puck management. The Penguins were credited with 12 official giveaways in the first half of the game, a charitable number, with Karlsson, Tommy Novak and Sam Girard combining for seven. Winnipeg started checking center Lowry against Pittsburgh's top line, prompting Pittsburgh to hold Karlsson off the opening shift to match him against the Scheifele line instead. Murashov was sharp throughout to keep the game scoreless early, but Winnipeg's pressure on failed clears and turnovers eventually decided it.