Jeff Carter really liked how his team played in the final 20 minutes of regulation on Tuesday.

Especially since the veteran Penguins forward scored his team’s only two goals during that stretch.

But the first 40 minutes?

Ick.

The last five minutes weren’t terribly great either.

The result of such a disjointed effort was a 3-2 shootout loss for the Penguins to the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. The Penguins have lost five of their last six games.

Shootout goals by forwards Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat, a former Erie Otters star, secured victory.

“(The Blackhawks) were the better team for two periods,” Carter said to media in Chicago. “It’s just disappointing that we couldn’t put a full 60 (minutes) together.”

Neither team seemed to cobble together a strong first 20 minutes as the first period was scoreless despite a combined 25 shots.

The Blackhawks struck first 2:14 into the second period. Corralling a rim around the end boards of the Penguins’ zone, Toews swooped around the right side of the net. Fending off a backchecking Carter, Toews slipped a pass across the front of the crease to linemate Jujhar Khaira, who tapped in an easy forehand shot past goaltender Tristan Jarry’s right skate for his first goal of the season. Toews and forward Dominik Kubalik had assists.

It became a 2-0 contest at 15:53 of the middle frame. Taking a pass in the right circle of the offensive zone, Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones surveyed for a shot. Using an effective screen by Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach, Jones snapped off a wrister that was partially deflected by the stick of Penguins defenseman John Marino.

The puck fluttered past Jarry’s blocker on the far side then clunked off the upper post and rattled into the cage for Jones’ first goal. Assists went to forwards Patrick Kane and DeBrincat.

Something kicked into gear for the Penguins at the onset of the third period as they scored twice thanks to a 20-5 advantage in shots.

“That was a great response by our team,” assistant coach Todd Reirden said. “We weren’t overly pleased with how the first two periods went. Our urgency and desperation went to a different level (in the third), and that was one of our stronger periods of the year. I was really happy with our third period.”

Carter’s second goal of the season came at 5:34 into the third. From the right wall of the offensive zone, Guentzel fired a shot/pass to the slot. Carter wrestled Jones for position, reached forward with his stick and deflected the puck with his backhand through ex-Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury’s five hole. Guentzel and defenseman Mark Friedman netted assists.

Carter struck again late in regulation at the 15:43 mark to tie the game. From the left circle, Guentzel dished a pass to the right of the crease for Carter fired a wrister under the left foot of an outstretched Fleury. The net became dislodged during the sequence, prompting officials to review the video, only to uphold the score. Guentzel and linemate Bryan Rust tallied assists.

“We just had to come back to our identity,” defenseman P.O Joseph said. “I think that’s what we showed in the third, a lot of character. There’s a lot of positives from the third period.”

There wasn’t much positive for either team in overtime. After the Penguins mustered only two shots in the extra period (to the Blackhawks’ one), Jarry was beaten on two of three shots in the shootout while Fleury denied Guentzel and Letang on the only two shots he faced.

Jarry’s record fell to 4-2-3 after stopping 30 of 32 shots in regulation and overtime.

“They were just the better team in the first two periods,” Carter said. “We regrouped and started playing our game in the third period. When we do that, we’re hard to play against. We feel like we can play against any team in this league. We showed it in the third but I wish it was in all three (regulation) periods.”

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