Despite having a pair of two-goal leads, including one in the third period, the Penguins suffered a 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday.

Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich scored the winning goal at 19:10 of the third period.

“We beat ourselves,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said to the Canadian Press service in Calgary. “In a number of different ways. We had complete control of the game. Played a really good game up until that point and we just made some egregious mistakes and it’s hard to recover.”

The result dropped the Penguins’ record to 27-23-8 (62 points) as the NHL’s trade deadline approaches Friday.

The Philadelphia Flyers hold third place of the Metropolitan Division with a 32-23-7 record and 71 points.

“We have no choice, we have to keep fighting,” Penguins forward Drew O’Connor said to the Canadian Press. “It’s a tough way to end that game. We know how important each game is, and we need a lot of them right now. To lose that one when we’re in control hurts a lot, but we have another one tomorrow we have to get ready for.”

Penguins rookie forward Jonathan Gruden opened the scoring 16:42 into regulation with his first career goal.

Tripping up Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin in the neutral zone in front of the home bench, Flames forward Andrei Kuzmenko took control of the puck and tried to pass it back to the defensive zone for defenseman Dennis Gilbert, who overskated the sequence and failed to accept the puck. That allowed Gruden to sprint off the visiting bench on a line change and claim possession in the left circle. Going deep toward the near corner, Gruden fired a bad-angle wrister that struck off the right hip of goaltender Jacob Markstrom and deflected into the net by the near post. There were no assists.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Jonathan Gruden with 03:18 remaining in the 1st period.

Calgary: 0Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsCGY #Flames #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/Z99LSH87Lq

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 3, 2024

The Penguins took a two-goal lead at 19:26 of the first period when forward Lars Eller scored his 12th goal of the season during a power-play sequence.

Accepting a pass in the right circle of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby surveyed his options and slid the puck low to the right of the cage for Eller, who one-touched a pass attempt to the slot. Penguins rookie forward Valtteri Puustinen jabbed at the puck but was unable to get a true shot off due to a stick check by Flames defenseman Rasmus Anderson. That caused the puck to hop up in the air, prompting Eller to baseball swing the rebound from the right of the crease by Markstrom’s left ear. The Flames protested the sequence as being batted in with a high stick but to no avail. Puustinen and Crosby had assists.

Watching this power-play goal on repeat ???? pic.twitter.com/tFw0vZpHin

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 3, 2024

Sharangovich scored his 22nd goal 3:37 into the second period.

In the neutral zone in front of the Flames’ bench, Puustinen forced an ill-conceived backhand pass attempt to defenseman Kris Letang at the center point of the Penguins’ zone. The puck rolled on edge past Letang’s grasp, allowing a sprinting Sharangovich to poke the puck past Letang. Reclaiming possession in the right circle, Sharangovich whipped a wrister through goaltender Tristan Jarry’s five hole. There were no assists.

Calgary goal!

Scored by Yegor Sharangovich with 16:23 remaining in the 2nd period.

Calgary: 1Pittsburgh: 2#PITvsCGY #Flames #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/KAArGiLIjD

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 3, 2024

The Penguins took a 3-1 lead 2:51 into the third period via forward Jeff Carter’s seventh goal.

After Penguins forward Noel Acciari missed a wrister from the Flames’ right circle, the puck hit off the end boards and rimmed to the left half wall where it was corralled by Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves. Leaning down to his left knee, Graves swiped a one-timer toward the cage which Carter, reaching out in the near circle with his stick, deflected past Markstrom’s glove on the far side. Graves and Acciari had assists.

Tonight's Penguins points recap:Gruden 1GEller 1GCarter 1GPuustinen 1ACrosby 1AGraves 1AAcciari 1A pic.twitter.com/z46HhpDWa7

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 3, 2024

A quick burst of goals by the Flames tied the game, 3-3.

First, Flames forward Nazem Kadri found his 22nd goal on a power-play opportunity at 10:09 of the third period.

Taking a pass in his own zone, Kadri dangled the puck through the feet of Acciari and took off up the right wing through the neutral zone. Gaining the offensive zone, Kadri surged past Letang, cut across the front of the crease and tucked a forehand shot by the right skate of an overwhelmed Jarry. Assists went to defensemen MacKenzie Weegar and Noah Hanifin.

Power play goal for Calgary!

Scored by Nazem Kadri with 09:51 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by MacKenzie Weegar and Noah Hanifin.

Calgary: 2Pittsburgh: 3#PITvsCGY #Flames #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/veXiuWNJfQ

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 3, 2024

Things were tied only 32 seconds later via Flames forward Blake Coleman’s 25th goal.

Winning a puck battle near the right corner of the offensive zone against Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson, Flames forward Mikael Backlund poked it past the stick of defenseman Erik Karlsson, rimming it along the end boards to linemate Andrew Mangiapane. From the left of the cage, Mangiapane swept a forehand shot immediately toward the slot. Despite the puck glancing off the right shin of Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, Coleman was able to claim it below the hashmarks and lifted a wrister by Jarry’s glove. Mangianpane and Backlund had assists.

pic.twitter.com/DSFZzeYiMG

— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) March 3, 2024

Sharangovich’s game-winning goal came at the last minute of regulation.

Taking a pass from Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves on his own right half-wall, Letang was swarmed by Backlund, who swiped the puck and sashayed his way to the slot. As Graves leaned down to attempt a pokecheck, Backlund left a drop pass for Sharangovich, who stroked a wrister by Jarry’s glove. The only assist went to Backlund.

Calgary goal!

Scored by Yegor Sharangovich with 00:50 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Mikael Backlund.

Calgary: 4Pittsburgh: 3#PITvsCGY #Flames #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/Gt8tHyV4hO

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 3, 2024

Jarry’s record fell to 17-19-4 after he unofficially made 16 saves on 20 shots.

Notes:

• Gruden became the 566th player to score a regular season goal for the Penguins.

• Gruden appeared in his first game since Feb. 15. Per the team’s X account, Gruden opened the contest on the third line. Logging 9:35 of ice time on 16 shifts (including 2:27 on the penalty kill), Gruden scored on his only shot attempt.

• The Penguins’ power play was 1 for 5.

• Penguins forwards Matthew Phillips, Jesse Puljujarvi and defenseman John Ludvig were healthy scratches.

• The Flames extended a winning streak to five games.

• Prior to the game, the Flames retired the No. 34 of former goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.

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