Following Tuesday's 4-0 shutout of the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Ducks were unable to build off the momentum, crashing to the tune of a 5-1 loss Wednesday to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While it's unquestionably a tough back-to-back, Ducks' defenseman Cam Fowler was looking for a much better effort.

"We made things way too easy on them," Fowler said post-game. "At some points in the game it looked like they were running a powerplay in our own end."

"That's just a shame," Fowler added. "You hope a team like that can bring the best out of you, but it didn't. Disappointing."

Perhaps more troubling, it's the second dud in a row for Anaheim on home ice, as they were handed a 4-0 loss Oct. 28 courtesy of the Blue Jackets.

"We're a team still trying to find ourselves a bit, but two stinkers in a row at home is not good for a team with high expectations," Fowler said.

The Ducks still have plenty of time to rectify their home struggles, with eight more games at the Honda Center this month.

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ANAHEIM, Calif. - Kris Letang scored a power-play goal and had an assist in his return from an upper-body injury, Matthew Murray stopped 32 shots in his season debut, and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 on Wednesday night.

Patric Hornqvist, Bryan Rust, Matt Cullen and Evgeni Malkin also scored for the Penguins, who improved to 7-2-1 despite not having Murray to start the season after breaking his hand during the World Cup of Hockey.

Ducks goaltender John Gibson made 29 saves, including stopping a penalty shot by Scott Wilson after being bowled over by the Penguins forward.

Malkin put the Penguins ahead 7:41 into the first period, scoring his sixth goal of the season.

Cullen scored 2:33 later to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead on his 40th birthday. The Ducks challenged that Tom Sestito was offside when playing a long pass from Eric Fehr before setting up Cullen, but video review was inconclusive and the play stood as called.

Cam Fowler scored the Ducks' lone goal on the power play with 4:11 left in the first period, with Ryan Kesler adding an assist for his 500th career point.

NOTES:

Penguins: Sidney Crosby extended his points streak to four games with an assist.

Ducks: C Ryan Getzlaf and LW Nick Ritchie did not play and are day-to-day with upper-body injuries. . Ducks RW Ondrej Kase made his NHL debut. The 20-year-old played 8:42 and had a minus-1 rating.

UP NEXT:

Penguins: Visit Los Angeles on Thursday.

Ducks: Host Arizona on Friday.

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At least one member of the Montreal Canadiens appears to be happy with his performance on Wednesday night.

The Canadiens extended their record to 9-0-1 on the season with a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks. However, after being out-shot decisively 42-22, some members of the Canadiens questioned the team's play. Carey Price though, didn't quite see things the same way.

Captain Max Pacioretty also spoke lowly of the team's win, noting that Price - who collected his first shutout of the season - was one of the team's few shining lights.

"Carey played great but it's hard to look at yourself in the mirror after and say you did everything to help the team win," Pacioretty said, according to TSN's John Lu.

However bad the Canadiens might think they played, with the win the team has now earned at least a point in each of its first 10 games of the season, doing so for just the fourth time in franchise history. Not too shabby.

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The Detroit Red Wings continue to be bullied at Wells Fargo Center.

The Red Wings gave up the tying goal with just over a minute left, then Jakub Voracek finished off a two-on-one rush in the extra period as the Philadelphia Flyers escaped with a 4-3 victory on Wednesday.

With the loss, the Red Wings dropped their 12th straight road game against the Flyers since Jan. 25, 1997. However, the team will not have to wait long to get another crack at breaking the streak, as the Red Wings return to Philadelphia next Tuesday.

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Brayden Schenn may once again be sidelined as the result of a suspension.

The Philadelphia Flyers forward caught Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith with a headshot during the second period of Wednesday's game. The hit in question went undetected by officials.

Schenn can likely expect at least a hearing with the league, but could face more after receiving a suspension during last season's playoffs. The 25-year-old missed the first three games of the regular season as a result of his charge on Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie during Game 6 of the Flyers' quarterfinal series.

Smith left the game in the second period following the hit, but returned in the third.

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Quality over quantity every time, just ask the Montreal Canadiens.

The club stretched their lead to 2-0 over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday off a tap-in goal by Torrey Mitchell thanks to a precise tape-to-tape pass by Phillip Danault.

For the Canucks, the goal was a back-breaker after the club had outshot the Canadiens 30-13 up to that point. Things just aren't going well for Vancouver these days.

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Los Angeles Kings pugilist Kyle Clifford will not be suspended after leaving the bench to drop the gloves, Sportsnet's John Shannon reports.

The play occurred Tuesday versus the Anaheim Ducks, with Clifford engaging in fisticuffs with Ducks blue-liner Kevin Bieksa.

Clifford stepped on to the ice just as teammate Devin Setoguchi went for a line change, putting Clifford in the clear.

It's a stiff penalty had Clifford left the bench to fight. In 2013, winger David Clarkson, then with the Toronto Maple Leafs, left the Maple Leafs' bench to fight then-Buffalo Sabres enforcer John Scott. Clarkson was later handed a 10-game ban.

Still, Clifford isn't off the hook entirely as, according to Shannon, he will receive a warning call from the NHL.

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The Philadelphia Flyers will have added help when they take on the New York Islanders on Thursday, as Sam Carchidi of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that forward Michael Raffl will return to the lineup.

Raffl has been sidelined for the last seven games with an abdomen injury. He has recorded one goal in three appearances this season.

Raffl appeared in all 82 games with Philadelphia last season, scoring 13 goals and adding 18 assists.

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