Sidney Crosby Gets Brutally Honest About Penguins' Playoff Drought
Photo credit: Daily Faceoff
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who is now in the middle of the longest playoff drought of his NHL career, wants to do everything possible to get the club back into contention.
Missing the postseason isn't something that Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is used to, as he and the Penguins were a playoff team every year from 2007 through 2022.
They've missed in each of the last 3 years, which is now the longest drought of his NHL career; the same goes for Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, Crosby's longtime teammates, who are on their last legs in the NHL.
Crosby spoke about how difficult it was seeing other teams compete in the playoffs while he and his Penguins teammates had to break for the summer.
It's difficult when you're cleaning out your locker and stall and you're just thinking [about] how fun it is to play in the playoffs. How important that is and how much work everyone puts into trying to make that happen. It's not a fun feeling when other teams are playing and you're going home.
Crosby is fully aware of the outside noise surrounding the franchise, but he's not ready to give up, saying it's up to them to prove they can make it back.
Missing the playoffs the last few years, I think there's always going to be thoughts and opinions. We've got to prove it. I think that we've got to find a way to get back there. ... When you lose, you're going to hear that. That's part of it. That's part of what [stings] about losing. But yeah, it's up to us to find a way to get back there.
2025-26 is likely Evgeni Malkin's last year in the NHL
Crosby, Malkin, and Letang are all on the wrong side of 35 years old, and they're not getting any younger.
Malkin is entering the final year of his contract, and many feel it's going to be his last year in the NHL. Additionally, Letang has experienced a host of health issues over the last several years, including a pair of strokes and having undergone heart surgery.
2025-26 is likely going to be the last opportunity Crosby has to compete for a playoff spot with Malkin and Letang still on the roster.
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