Penguins Season Can Still Be Saved Even After Two Rough Outings Puts Them Outside Playoffs Looking In

There are two games left before the All-Star Break where Kyle Dubas had mentioned he will look at the team and re-evaluation their situation. This should give him some direction on which way he wants to take the team.

After Two Disastrous and Preventable Losses the Penguins Appear to Be a Team without Identity

Both of the losses in their own ways were embarrassing against the Golden Knights and last night against the Coyotes. They are now in 7th in the Metro division, outside of the playoffs, and on pace to only have 89 points by seasons end.

Metropolitan Division Standings:
New York Rangers, PTS: 60
Philadelphia Flyers, PTS: 56
Carolina Hurricanes, PTS: 55
New Jersey Devils, PTS: 51
New York Islanders, PTS: 51
Washington Capitals, PTS: 50
Pittsburgh Penguins, PTS: 48
Columbus Blue Jackets, PTS: 37— Finesse_Stats (@Finesse_Stats) January 23, 2024

Changes will need to happen fast if the Penguins will have any hopes of even making the playoffs let alone moving passed the first round. Missing the playoffs two years in a row could definitely cause for a major concern in the front office. So, what can be done to right the ship?

The Penguins boast about being a confident team. The Penguins are sixth in the league on shots taken averaging 33.27 per game. But that does not always lead to scoring chances. Currently the team sits at the bottom of the league with the 31st power play in the NHL.

The defensive lapses during games are really putting the pressure on the tandem of Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic. They have both played well this season and kept the Penguins in games, but they cannot do it alone without a solid defense to count on.


It is obvious that Sidney Crosby is carrying the team with his monstrous year. But he will not be able to do it alone. It truly seems to be a lack of consistency that is team wide, not just on any handle of players. Although, in my opinion, Evgeni Malkin is a big contributor to the lack of consistency, especially these last two games.

Head Coach Mike Sullivan though has said he still have the confidence in this team to be able to make up ground and get to the playoffs. As Sully puts it:


There is only so much the coach can do. It will be up to him and the players together to get this team to where they want to be. They will need to put that Arizona game in the real view mirror, with Florida coming up on Friday.

As Read On: The Hockey News - Penguins Can Still Save Season