Rapid recap: Parker Wotherspoon's late-game gaffe costs the Penguins in loss to Ducks

Matt Vensel, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Oct 15, 2025

Published in Hockey

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Parker Wotherspoon got off to a fine start with the Penguins. But the defenseman’s critical error late in Tuesday’s game cost his new team.

Wotherspoon was penalized for putting the puck over the glass with 1:34 to go in the third period. He wasn’t under much duress when he made that costly mistake.

The Ducks capitalized with a power-play goal from longtime Penguins nemesis Chris Kreider and took a 4-3 lead at Honda Center. It ended up being the winning goal.

In the loss, the Penguins blew a two-goal lead for the first time under Dan Muse.

The Penguins grabbed an early lead on deflection goals steered in by Justin Brazeau and Rickard Rakell. For Brazeau, it was his team-high fourth goal in three games.

The Ducks rallied to tie it up before the end of the first. Chris Kreider scored with Sidney Crosby in the box. Then in the final minute of the period, the Penguins let a seam pass get through and Cutter Gauthier rocketed a one-timer past Tristan Jarry.

Defenseman Drew Helleson scored on a 61-foot slap shot to put the Ducks in front, 3-2, in the second period. It seemed as if the home team would run away with the game from there. But Anthony Mantha’s fluky first Penguins goal tied it up again.

His shot on a 2-on-1 hit Jacob Trouba’s stick, snapping it in half. Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal lost track of the puck as it popped in the air and dropped in over his head.

After they were sloppy in first two periods, the Penguins were much more solid in the final frame. But after Wotherspoon’s gaffe, they lost their second straight game.

It was over when...

Troy Terry found Kreider in the slot and Kreider beat Jarry for the game-winner.

Stat of the game

2— games in a row in which the Penguins allowed multiple power-play tallies.

Around the boards

• Harrison Brunicke was surprisingly a healthy scratch. Muse explained it was “all part of the plan” the Penguins put in place for their two teenagers, Brunicke and Ben Kindel. Muse said there will be times at the “start of the year” when they will be given a night off as the Penguins try to make them stronger on and off the ice.

• Kris Letang was in the lineup after he got banged up in the team’s previous game.

• Veteran defensemen Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba both made their Penguins debuts. In addition to Brunicke, Caleb Jones was also made a scratch here Tuesday.

• Noel Acciari was a healthy scratch, as well. Philip Tomasino took his lineup spot.

• It was Jarry’s turn to start in goal as Muse rotates his two netminders early in the season. Jarry looked shaky and made only 18 saves in his first loss of the year.

• Rakell’s goal was his first in seven games against the Ducks, his first NHL team.

• Ryan Shea assisted on the first two goals for his second career multi-point game.

Coming up next

The Penguins will have a scheduled day off Wednesday in Los Angeles, which is not a bad place to have one of those. The team will visit the L.A. Kings on Thursday.