Jason Zucker had the eventual game-winner, his fifth goal of the season, 53 seconds into the third, and the Jets (10-5-1) weren't able to get back on even footing after that despite sending 32 shots toward Tristan Jarry.
"You have nights it just doesn't go in. The puck trickles by the post, or hits something and goes wide, or a shot misses the net," said Bowness. "That's hockey. If we weren't getting those chances we'd be upset. We had enough chances to score tonight."
Winnipeg wasn't short on chances in the contest either.
Kyle Connor, fresh off a hat trick two nights ago, led the team with five shots on goal. Josh Morrissey played a team-high 26:27 and had three shots of his own, including a seam pass one-timer in the first period that Jarry slid across to keep out.
"He played great, obviously made some big saves. (Connor Hellebuyck) played great as well," said Morrissey. "It was a tight game throughout and there were a lot of big saves both ways. You'd like to get your goalie some offence when he's playing that well."
Despite those best intentions, it was tough to generate against the Penguins. Even though they came into the night inside the league's top 10 in terms of most goals allowed this season, they kept the Jets to nine high-danger chances - according to Natural Stat Trick.
"They made it tough to get a forecheck on their D, and then they really sat above it," said Adam Lowry. "It seemed like you had an outlet and you hit him and there was no speed to kind of get in on the forecheck and they flipped a lot of pucks out. It's frustrating to play when a team's content to do that but they have to defend well to do that."
Despite all the chances in the first 40 minutes, the first goal of the game didn't come until 53 seconds into the third. Zucker and Evgeni Malkin worked a quick give-and-go just inside the Jets zone off the rush, and Zucker wired a one-timer from just inside the right circle over Connor Hellebuyck's glove to make it 1-0.
The open ice was created by a line change decision that left a gap for the Penguins to exploit, leading to Zucker and Malkin's opportunity.
"It wasn't slow," Bowness said of the line change. "It was just coming off at the wrong time."
The home side continued to push but the Penguins limited the Jets to nine shots in the third.
"Their goal is to not let you get through the neutral zone and our goal is to get in the zone with possession," said Morrissey. "I can't say specifically what the challenge was on our side tonight. But I guess, cut and dry, just get into the zone and get some possession and get some sustained pressure in the O-zone."
