Rapid recap: Penguins win ugly against Kings thanks to Filip Hallander's first NHL goal

Matt Vensel, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Oct 17, 2025

Published in Hockey

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LOS ANGELES — They don’t ask how.

In terms of their energy and execution, Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena was probably the Pittsburgh Penguins’ worst of the young season. But they found a way to beat the Los Angeles Kings, 4-2.

It would be a stretch to say the Penguins rallied back from a 2-0 deficit. Yeah, sure, they did technically tie it up after trailing by two. But they did not play particularly well. They were just gifted two goals by Kings starter Anton Forsberg in the second period and found a way to win it in the third, snapping their losing streak at two.

Filip Hallander scored the winner with 13:10 left. It was his first goal in the NHL.

The Penguins sleepwalked through the first period and quickly fell in that 2-0 hole.

Warren Foegele outworked and outmuscled Blake Lizotte and Kris Letang on the first Kings goal. The second, scored by Kevin Fiala on a surgical 3-on-2 rush, came after Anthony Mantha nonchalantly turned over the puck near the Kings’ blue line.

Not to be outdone in what was certainly not a showcase for the goalie profession, Forsberg let a pair of second-period goals leak through him. Evgeni Malkin scored the first softie on a Penguins power play. Connor Dewar tied it up 41 seconds later.

Arturs Silovs let in two of L.A.’s first six shots but shook it off to earn his second win in three starts. He was at his best in the latter stages of the second period, after the Penguins had tied it. His key saves set the stage for Hallander’s game-winner.

Hallander scored his goal shorthanded. After Rickard Rakell hit the post, Hallander and he kept whacking away until Hallander banked it off Forsberg’s skate and in.

—It was over when ...

Silovs stopped Alex Laferriere with 4:45 left in the game. The Penguins were on a power play but gave up an odd-man rush to the Kings. Laferriere got a step on the defense and a clean shot off from the right circle, but Silovs coolly kicked that out.

—Stat of the game

3 — Penguins players who have scored their first career goal this season. They are Harrison Brunicke, Ben Kindel and Hallander, who finally got his first with Pittsburgh at age 25.

—Around the boards

—Ben Kindel was a healthy scratch in L.A. as part of the Penguins’ plan to manage their two teenagers, Kindel and Brunicke. Coach Dan Muse stressed that Kindel being scratched had nothing to do with performance. Meanwhile, Brunicke was back in the lineup Thursday after he was held out Tuesday against Anaheim.

—Veteran defensemen Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba were also scratched. Caleb Jones also returned to the lineup in L.A. He played on the third pair with Brunicke.

—Thursday was Silovs’ turn in net as Muse continued to rotate his two goalies early in the year. He stopped the last 26 shots he faced and finished with 30 saves.

—Sidney Crosby had a poor game that included two penalties and a bad giveaway in the second period. But he sealed a Penguins win with a late empty-netter.

—Malkin’s power-play goal was just his fifth since the start of the 2024-25 season.

—Thursday was Justin Brazeau’s 100th NHL game. Five have been with Pittsburgh.

—SportsNet Pittsburgh broadcaster Josh Getzoff attended Thursday’s game, but he was not on the TV call. He could be back on the air for Saturday’s game at San Jose.

—Thursday’s crowd was small, but Kings superfan Will Ferrell was in the building.

—Coming up next

The Penguins will practice Friday in the Los Angeles area, then fly out to San Jose, Calif. Their three-game California road trip concludes Saturday against the Sharks.