Things were quite different for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2018.
Mike Sullivan was the coach. Jim Rutherford was the general manager. Matt Murray was the goaltender. Ben Kindel was 11 years old.
And they knew what it was like to win a game in the Tarheel State.
On Tuesday, a trend of futility continued as the Penguins lost a ninth consecutive road game against the Carolina Hurricanes, falling 5-4 in a shootout at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C.
Shootout goals by forwards Andrei Svechnikov and Jackson Blake were the difference.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner unofficially stopped a season-high 39 of 43 shots in regulation and overtime, then allowed two goals on three attempts in the shootout as his record slipped to 19-13-8.
Kindel, now an 18-year-old forward, scored the only goal on three shootout attempts for the Penguins, who are now 1-10 in games that go beyond overtime this season.
Tuesday’s loss came despite a stirring comeback attempt, which saw the Penguins score two goals late in regulation to force overtime.
The Penguins’ last triumph in the Piedmont was a 3-0 win at the venue formerly known as PNC Arena on Dec. 18, 2018. Since then, they have an 0-4-5 record as visitors against the Hurricanes.
Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven opened the scoring 7 minutes, 46 seconds into regulation Tuesday with his 12th goal of the season.
The Penguins tied it late in the first period when forward Anthony Mantha scored his 24th goal at the 19:04 mark with a wrister from the slot, beating goaltender Frederik Andersen.
Penguins forward Bryan Rust — a participant in that 2018 victory — supplied his team with its first lead of Tuesday’s contest by scoring his 22nd goal at 11:44 of the second period during a power-play sequence.
The Hurricanes regained a lead with a hiccup-up quick outburst of two goals to open the third period. Former Penguins forward Mark Jankowski tied the score 2:49 into the third period via his sixth goal, then forward Seth Jarvis struck with his 28th goal only 59 seconds later.
Hurricanes rookie defenseman Alexander Nikishin appeared to secure a regulation victory at 11:21 of the third frame by scoring his ninth goal during a five-on-three power-play opportunity to make it 4-2.
But the Penguins persisted and forced a tie with two scores late in regulation after pulling Skinner for an extra attacker.
Forward Noel Acciari’s seventh goal came at 17:52 of the third frame.
Off a give-and-go sequence with Penguins forward Egor Chinakhov in Carolina’s right corner, Rust fired a wrister toward the cage. Acciari, who won a draw in the right circle to establish possession in the offensive zone, was planted above the crease, establishing position against Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin, and had the puck strike off his left leg and deflect past Andersen’s blocker.
Rust struck again at the 19:24 mark.
Taking a pass from Chinakhov off the right half-wall, Karlsson golfed a one-timer toward the net. Penguins forward Rickard Rakell, stationed in the slot, deflected the puck on net and was denied by Hurricanes defenseman K’Andre Miller’s left skate. The rebound trickled to the left of the cage, where Rust immediately buried a wrister past Anderson’s blocker on the near side.
Notes: Penguins forward Justin Brazeau was scratched for the second consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury. On Tuesday, the team announced his status as “week-to-week” via social media. Previously, he had been labeled as “day-to-day.” … Penguins defenseman Sam Girard was also scratched due to an undisclosed injury and has been described as “day-to-day.” … Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves (healthy) and forward Kevin Hayes (undisclosed injury) were also scratched.