Penguins Find Themselves Last in this Important Stat

The Penguins Season so Far

We just passed the halfway marker of the NHL season, and things in the Steel City appear to be trending upwards. Inconsistency has been the name of the game for the Penguins this year as they have showed glimmers of brilliance accompanied by periods of despair.

Fans and media alike have their theories on what has been going wrong for the Penguins. Some claim its the goaltending (which I strongly disagree with), others blame the defense, the coaching or the special teams units. However, this recent graphic published by JFresh may provide a different insight.




Goals above expected is a metric that can be used to determine how well a team (or specific player) is able to capitalize on their opportunities. The Penguins currently rank dead last in this category at -24.8. While it's worthwhile to consider the impact of "puck luck" or favourable bounces this data just shows the Penguins have trouble finishing and I think that ultimately is what is holding them back.

Looking Forward at the Back Nine

With the season over halfway finished, the Penguins sit 3 points back of the last Eastern Conference wildcard spot. There is still lots of hockey to play and ample opportunities to move up further in the standings, only time will tell if they will rise to the occasion.

As read on: The Hockey News - Penguins Dead Last in Key Area