Tanner Pearson had a goal and an assist, while Ivan Barbashev and Brandon Saad also scored for the Golden Knights, who have won four straight. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 23 shots for the Penguins, who lost their fourth straight and have dropped eight of their last nine.

The Penguins have nearly lost every game since the 4 Nations Face-Off. They were playing fairly well before that two-week break and theoretically were alive in the playoff race, sitting just 6 points out of a postseason spot. A couple of weeks later, the Penguins are plummeting.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin dressed for his 1,200th NHL game on Friday night at T-Mobile Arena as the Penguins took on the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Penguins aren't used to struggling in the modern era, and now Evgeni Malkin has opened up after their 2024/25 campaign sees their playoff hopes crushed.