It can be difficult to remember as a Pittsburgh Penguins fan that this season is essentially house money. Coming into the season, the focus was more on the team’s prospects rather than potentially making the playoffs.
Though they may falter in the end and narrowly miss out, the Penguins have far exceeded expectations for this season. Even still, it isn’t fun hanging around for one of the uglier losses of the season, a 6-2 drubbing at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche.
Goaltending May Cost the Penguins the Playoffs
The goaltending situation in Pittsburgh has been concerning, to say the least. Arturs Silovs got the nod against the Avalanche and it felt over before it ever really got started. Granted, the Avalanche had 16 shots by the end of the first period, but four of those found the back of the net.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t just been Silovs. Stuart Skinner hasn’t been great of late, allowing three or more goals in his last five starts. Only twice in his last nine starts has he allowed fewer than three goals.
The Penguins played better than the final score indicated (more on that below) but goaltending was nowhere near what it needed to be. If the Penguins are going to hang on down the stretch and get into the playoffs, their goaltending has to be better than it has been of late.
This Was a Closer Game Than it Looked
It can be very hard to call a game that finished with a four-goal difference “close,” but this game was far closer than the final score indicates. The Penguins showed throughout that they are capable of matching the high octane pace that the Avalanche often put forth.
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If it weren’t for Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood, this game might have looked a bit different. He turned aside 30 of 32 shots, making some truly spectacular saves throughout the course of the evening.
While it ultimately feels like a coping mechanism, context does help. The Penguins have been punching above their weight class all season long and there were times when they appeared to go toe to toe with the NHL’s heavyweight.
Wasted Opportunities
The goaltending was ultimately the biggest difference, but the Penguins had a few opportunities to get back into the game but ultimately couldn’t convert. Perhaps the most glaring example came in the second period when Nazem Kadri took a four-minute double minor, but the Penguins did not convert.
The Penguins went 0-for-4 on the power play on Tuesday, removing any chance they may have had of climbing back into the game. When the playoffs roll around, those opportunities cannot be wasted if you hope to win.
It wasn’t the worst game the Penguins have put forward, but there are a lot of holes that ultimately led to the loss. The Penguins cannot be so loose and lax down the stretch, or they will play themselves right out of a playoff spot.
Time to Be Nervous
The Penguins are hanging on tightly to a Metropolitan Division playoff spot, sitting just one point back of the Columbus Blue Jackets for second. That said, they are in dangerous territory. The New York Islanders are a point back and the Penguins want to try to stay out of the Wild Card logjam (four teams separated by two points).
The schedule is brutal, but the Penguins control their own destiny. They play the Islanders and Detroit Red Wings in their next four games. They can give themselves a bit of breathing room heading into the final six games of the season.
