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Pittsburgh Penguins shootout record is 1-0-9, costing valuable standings points
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The viral X clip says it all, the Pittsburgh Penguins shootout is a points leak, and the playoff race is punishing every mistake.
Through Saturday, Pittsburgh is 1-0-9 in shootouts, and that's nine extra points left on the table.
They're 31-17-14 right now, and you can feel how heavy that missing cushion is.
A 10-year-old nailed the vibe.
"This is where Penguins go to die."
It hit because it's true.
It stopped being a funny chirp months ago, it's a repeatable problem that keeps showing up at the worst time.
Saturday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers was the latest gut-punch, tied game three times, still no extra point.
They had a 4-on-3 in overtime and couldn't land the kill shot, then the shootout ended fast.
The standings math is brutal, because one more win in that tiebreaker changes the entire mood of March.
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins keep paying for it
As a fan, it's maddening to watch a team that can defend five-on-five turn into a coin flip crew the second the shootout starts.
Sidney Crosby has 27-32-59, and you still can't just hand him the keys every single time, and on top of that he's out now.
The issue is predictable looks, slow entries, and shooters trying to be perfect instead of forcing a goalie to move.
On the other end, Pittsburgh goalies keep getting picked apart, and the first save never comes easy.
That's why those "one point" nights feel like losses, because they're losses in the race.
Sunday against the Boston Bruins is another two-point swing game, and the Penguins cannot afford another skills-comp collapse.
Fix it with reps, faster first moves, and a shorter, sharper shooter list, because this is costing real standings oxygen.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 8|160 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins shootout record is 1-0-9, costing valuable standings points Are the Pittsburgh Penguins shootout woes costing them the playoffs? | ||
| Yes | 96 | 60 % |
| No | 64 | 40 % |
| List of polls | ||