The Pittsburgh Penguins have 12 games left in the 2024-25 season. Through 70 games, the team has averaged 2.90 goals a game while surrendering 3.56. Based on their totals, the Penguins are on pace for 228 goals scored and 291 against. 

Since Sidney Crosby's rookie season in 2005-06, Pittsburgh has only failed to score fewer than 240 goals in an 82-game season only twice, in 2011 and 2015, with this year's club on pace to become the third. 

Moreover, the Penguins have been one of the NHL's worst teams regarding goals against and are currently on a collision course to give up close to 300 goals. The only time in 20 years the franchise has surrendered 300 goals against was Crosby's rookie campaign in 2005-06, with 310.

Interestingly, the Penguins have only had a negative goal differential twice in that span. In the 2005-06 season, they finished minus-67; in 2022-23, they were minus-2. Today, they are minus-46, but based on projections over the final 20 games, they could end up minus-63. 

In 2023-24, the Penguins scored 253 goals and are on pace to score 25 fewer this year. Their 248 goals against have ballooned to 291, a difference of 43. 

Ultimately, this season has been a statistical disaster for both offense and defense, which could be attributed to several factors, such as an aging roster, insufficient production from the bottom six, missed assignments on defense, and poor goaltending. 

Even though most fans have come to realize this season has been a write-off since before the New Year, looking back at this year's performance compared to those over the past 20 campaigns, we can all see that this has become one of the worst this century.