3 least impressive Pittsburgh Penguins players from loss to New York Rangers feat. Joel Blomqvist

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Feb 24, 2025 00:14 GMT

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The Pittsburgh Penguins lost a challenging 5-3 game to the New York Rangers on Sunday evening at the PPG Paints Arena. The result - a third straight defeat - kept the team at the bottom of the Metro Division standings.

Ryan Shea scored twice for the Pittsburgh Penguins, with Evgeni Malkin adding the other tally for the Pens. Meanwhile, J.T. Miller scored twice for the New York Rangers, with Will Cuylle (PPG), Jimmy Vesey and Adax Fox getting the other tallies.

So, here’s a look at the three least impressive Pittsburgh Penguins players from their loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday evening.

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3 least impressive Pittsburgh Penguins from loss to New York Rangers

#3 Michael Bunting

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Michael Bunting had a quiet game against the Rangers. He failed to get on the scoresheet in over 15 minutes of ice time on 17 shifts. While Bunting registered four shots on goal, he wasn’t the usual troublemaker that generated offensive opportunities for the Pens.

Bunting has had a commendable season amid a struggling Penguins team. Still, the team anticipates more from him as he aims to maintain his position in the top six.

#2 Erik Karlsson

Erik Karlsson registered an assist against the Rangers but was a minus-3 for the game in a team-high 27:54 minutes over 28 shifts.

Matt Grzelcyk left the game after just five minutes, leading Karlsson to play extra time with Kris Letang. The partnership struggled against the Rangers' attack, and it became evident that Karlsson and Letang ran out of gas in the final minutes.

#1 Joel Blomqvist

The Penguins’ goaltending struggles persist as Joel Blomqvist had a difficult game against the Rangers.

Blomqvist was constantly under pressure on Sunday, giving up four goals and 15 shots. In particular, the Pens held a 3-2 lead early in the third period but gave up two goals to fall behind 4-3.

While the goaltender can’t bear all the blame, he wasn’t there to make key saves for his team, considering the Penguins outshot the Rangers 39-16.

The Penguins will look for a turnaround as they open a home-and-home series with the Philadelphia Flyers next Tuesday and Thursday.