EditorsNote: 11th graf, to clarify that Sheary previously played for Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins took too long to solve rookie goalie Cal Petersen on Wednesday night and lost their season-high fourth straight game 2-1 to the Kings in Los Angeles.
Petersen made 35 saves in his fifth start of the season and 15th of his NHL career.
Blake Lizotte had a goal and an assist and Trevor Lewis also scored for the Kings, who are 4-2-1 in their past seven games following a 2-12-1 stretch.
Bryan Rust scored, and Tristan Jarry made 20 saves for the Penguins, who remain four points behind the Washington Capitals for the Metropolitan Division lead.
Pittsburgh forward Evgeni Malkin, playing in his 900th career game, centered a pass to Rust for a redirection that made it 2-1 at 6:42 of the third period.
Petersen made eight saves the rest of the way to preserve the lead.
Lizotte, another rookie for Los Angeles, tipped in a slap shot from Sean Walker on a power play to give the Kings a 1-0 lead at 2:34 of the first period.
Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby was briefly awarded a goal late in the first period after the puck went off his skate, hit the crossbar and came straight down. A review of the play showed the puck never crossed the goal line, however.
Lewis made it 2-0 with 32 seconds left in the second period, driving down the left side, making a move around Pittsburgh defenseman Jack Johnson at the goal line and pushing his own rebound across the goal line.
Malkin joined Crosby and Mario Lemieux as the only players in team history to appear in 900 games.
Pittsburgh's lineup also included three forwards, Patrick Marleau, Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues, making their team debut. All three were acquired at Monday's trade deadline. Sheary played for the Penguins previously, from 2015-16 through 2017-18.
Pittsburgh center Jared McCann, sixth on the team with 32 points, did not play because of an upper-body injury.
--Field Level Media
