The Pittsburgh Penguins were playing against a desperate Minnesota Wild team on Thursday in St. Paul. They were victim of a goaltender interference call and didn’t have their legs in the first period.

It felt like a loss — maybe even a lopsided one — was inevitable.

But these are Dan Muse’s Penguins, and in the season’s first month, counting them out has been foolish. Tristan Jarry held down the fort, the Penguins found their legs and eventually skated the Wild into the ground in a 4-1 victory.

The Penguins (8-2-2) stunningly lead the NHL with 18 points and sit atop first place in the Metropolitan Division. They’ve earned at least one point in eight consecutive games.

There is no doubt Jarry kept the game from getting out of hand early when Minnesota very clearly had the run of play. It also cannot be argued that in the game’s final 30 minutes — and particularly during the final period, when the Penguins were utterly clinical — Muse’s team was utterly dominant.

Jarry allowed an early goal to Kirill Kaprizov but was otherwise perfect, stoning 26 of the 27 shots he faced. Minnesota enjoyed a number of quality looks in the first and second periods, but Jarry, often acrobatic, kept the sluggish Penguins in the game.

Methodically, the Penguins began to assert themselves. Ryan Shea tied the score in the second period; Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel and Anthony Mantha put the Penguins ahead in the third. By midway through the third period, the result was not in doubt.

The Penguins, now 5-1-1 on the road this season, continue their four-game trip in Winnipeg on Saturday afternoon before finishing the trip next Monday night in Toronto.

10 postgame observations

• I continue to remind everyone it’s still very early and the Penguins still have an enormous amount of work to do if we’re talking about this team qualifying for the playoffs. However, you simply have to be impressed. And at this point, it’s time to start talking simple math.

The Penguins lead the NHL with 18 points. The Eastern Conference isn’t very good. If they go 35-30-5 during the remainder of the season, they’ve got 93 points. In the past two seasons, 91 points has been the magic number to qualify for the playoffs in the East. So, essentially, if they’re a .500 team the rest of the way, a playoff berth is very much in play.

We’ll see what happens, but it’s been a staggering month of hockey from the Penguins. The season that started with fans talking about tanking for Gavin McKenna is starting to take a completely different feel.

• I think it’s noteworthy that Jarry enjoyed this performance in Minnesota. It was seven months ago, after all, that Jarry was recalled from a second stint in the AHL and returned to NHL action on a Sunday afternoon in Minnesota, where he got the better of Marc-Andre Fleury in the victory.

Jarry’s turnaround has been one of the best stories in hockey this season. We know he has the physical talent. That’s never been in question with him. What has always been in question is his mental toughness. While historically it’s been a fair critique, his fortitude is passing the test at the moment. He has been absolutely fantastic.

• I can’t get over what we witnessed in the third period. While I don’t like saying it was a perfect period, because there is no such thing, it was pretty darn close.

The Penguins did everything right in the final 20 minutes. They were badly outworked and outplayed in the first period. It was evident that Minnesota was a desperate team and the Penguins, frankly, looked like a team pleased with its early-season record and otherwise enjoying a trip to the Mall of America while also showing up to play a hockey game.

But then something clicked. It was dramatic. The Penguins woke up and simply buried the Wild with total relentlessness. It was, in my view, the Penguins’ finest period of the season. They outscored the Wild 3-0 in the final period, were faster, more physical, better on special teams and about as close to flawless as you can get.

That third period is the blueprint for how they should attempt to play in every game.

• Ben Kindel was arguably the Penguins’ best player in the third period. He was everywhere, weaving his way around Minnesota defenders, setting up teammates for wonderful looks and winning important defensive-zone draws.

He also scored his third goal of the season, and looked awfully comfortable playing on the No. 1 power play.

BEN KINDEL, FOLKS 👏 pic.twitter.com/L4lB9lVGi7

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 31, 2025

This, of course, was Kindel’s 10th game of the season, and that’s a number that means something. He’s not going back to junior hockey. His nine games at the NHL level have come and gone. He’s here to stay.

“There is no moment that seems to be too big for him, even when he’s out there with our first PP and talking to Sid,” Rust said. “If I was that age doing that, I’d be a little bit starstruck. He goes out there, snaps the face-off back, scores a goal. That says a lot.”

• Evgeni Malkin only played 14:47. Sidney Crosby only saw 13:35 of action. These are strangely low numbers for both players, especially Crosby.

That is largely because the Penguins only enjoyed 13 seconds of power play time — that’s all it took for Kindel to score — while they were short-handed four times for a total of eight minutes. It also shows, however, that Muse wants to roll four lines when it’s possible.

• Malkin had a goal taken away in the first period because Justin Brazeau was called for goaltender interference. Brazeau was knocked into the Minnesota net-front area. While I realize this isn’t an easy situation to call for officials, the fact is, they messed this one up. The Penguins didn’t receive much help from the officials in this game, but they didn’t need it.

• Shea has been among the most steady defensive Penguins for the players this season, but he showed off his offensive touch against the Wild, getting the Penguins rolling in the second period.

We’re already at a new career high for Sheazo with six points (2G-4A) this season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tFr2AmJ5LX

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 31, 2025

He wasn’t done contributing at the offensive end. With the game tied in the third period, Shea delivered a beautiful pass to Rust, who had himself a tap-in. Shea has really helped solidify things on the left side of the Penguins’ blue line.

• Speaking of which, I continue to love Parker Wotherspoon’s game. The guy is steady as can be. He made some sacrifices against Minnesota, throwing his body in front of a couple of shots. I can’t say enough about the work he has done. He looks like an absolute steal in free agency.

The pass 🤩
The finish 🤩

… AND WE GET 1/2 OFF RUSTY’S SHAKE AT THE @MShakeFactory TOMORROW! pic.twitter.com/ZN73RBUphG

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 31, 2025

• The penalty kill was outstanding all night, led by Conor Dewar, who had a game-high six hits.

• I’m starting to think Muse knows what he’s doing. What an interesting team this suddenly has become.