Shootouts, challenges and other assorted thoughts
OTTAWA, CANADA - MARCH 26: Ben Kindel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores the game-winning, shoot-out goal against Linus Ullmark #35 of the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on March 26, 2026 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Penguins have had their struggles this season with the shootout, though the worm has turned in the past week with two straight victories in the game deciding gimmick. The problem has been two-fold in that their goalies can’t keep the puck out of the net (opponents are scoring a dreadful 54.
2% this season) and their shooters, as of a week ago were only scoring on 24. 2% of their attempts. That’s a losing formula on both ends.
As we wrote before, it was as simple as expecting the shootout woes to continue until Pittsburgh found better shooters than they had. Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust are a combined 5-for-19 on the year (26. 3%) and that low rate of converting isn’t going to lead to results, regardless of the goaltending woes on the other side.
The last week has been aces, the Pens have scored four times on six attempts and only allowed one goal on five opponent tries. Much of the success has been in shaking up the shooters, Ben Kindel took only his second shootout try of the season last night. Newcomer Egor Chinakhov is 3-for-7 on the year with the Pens (42.
8%) about doubling up the rest of the team’s percentage. They’ve found better players to take the shots and are now starting to win shootouts (it’s only two in a row, but hey that’s a start compared to the 1-10 record in shootouts at the start). Kindel is now 2-for-2 this season on shootouts.
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