The Pittsburgh Penguins may have lost a heartbreaker. But Ben Kindel couldn’t have enjoyed a better return.
Kindel returned to the Penguins lineup less than two weeks after he suffered a vasovagal syncope following their Oct. 19 loss to the Utah Mammoth. On Thursday, this time with the Mammoth in Pittsburgh, Kindel delivered two points and a goal.
After Logan Cooley put up two goals on the Penguins in the first period, Kindel helped Pittsburgh respond to Utah on Erik Karlsson’s goal at 8:38 in the second period. Kindel provided the primary assist when Evgeni Malkin skated toward the goal line and back-dropped him the puck near the boards.
Kindel found Erik Karlsson charging into the offensive zone and drop-passed him the puck. Karlsson pulled off a wicked deke before sending the puck past Mammoth goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
Ben Kindel Nearly Won The Penguins The Game
At 10:59 in the third period, Rickard Rakell tied the game 2-2 on a short-handed goal. Then Kindel scored the near-game-winner with 25 seconds to go on a wrist shot.
This one was all about jumping into the chaos near the net, which included Malkin being part of the fray. Kindel backhanded the puck toward the net. Malkin nearly scored, but the puck was still loose.
Kindel bolted near the crease, collected the loose puck, and drove it home while Cossa was tangled up with another Utah player. The goal put the Penguins ahead for the first time in the contest, but Logan Cooley tied it on a tip-in with one second left in regulation. Utah went on to win when Mikhail Sergachev scored at the 3:27 mark of overtime.
Outstanding Return For Kindel Regardless Of The Game’s Outcome
Kindel’s efforts made him the Third Star of the Game, and nobody could have asked for a better and more inspiring performance. It was also Kindel’s best game since he put up two points and a goal in Pittsburgh’s loss on Oct. 5 vs. the Winnipeg Jets.
Few players could have bounced back the way Kindel did vs. Utah. It is also a sign that fans will see more dominant performances from one of its brightest young stars in a brewing core that includes players like Egor Chinakhov, Ville Koivunen, Declan Carlile, Hendrix Lapierre, Kaedan Korczak, and potentially Nick Robertson, among others.
Kindel has also made significant strides early this season, with six points and three goals in 10 games, and an 11.5 shooting percentage. It is still too early to make the call, but Kindel’s .6 points per game is on pace to outperform the .454 points per game he averaged in 2025-26.
He has also increased his average ice time early on from 15:04 to 17:14 per game. From a possession metrics standpoint, Kindel currently has a 55.1 Corsi For Percentage, up from 53.3 a season ago. His offensive zone starts percentage at even strength has also dropped from 56.6 to 54.9, making his Corsi For even more impressive.
Kindel and Co. will get another chance to put up a big game when the Penguins visit the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Ben Kindel Delivers In Return Despite Heartbreaking Finish