Penguins Officially Eliminated from Playoff Contention
The Pittsburgh Penguins will miss the postseason for the first time since 2006.
PITTSBURGH - For the first time since 2006, the Pittsburgh Penguins will not take part in the NHL Playoffs.
The Penguins were officially taken out of the running when the New York Islanders sealed their victory over the Montreal Canadiens, punching their ticket to the postseason.
It’s a harsh reality that fans weren’t expecting to see after the season the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have had, but the rest of the team just couldn’t do enough.
With just a single game left in the regular season, the Penguins hold a 40-31-10 record for 90 standings points.
The Islanders 4-2 win over the Canadiens pushed their record to 42-31-9 for 93 points and the final open playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
For the last few weeks, the Penguins were deep in a three-way fight with the Islanders and Florida Panthers for the two Eastern wild card spots.
The Penguins had destiny in their hands when they took on the NHL’s worst ranked team in the Chicago Blackhawks, but the Blackhawks dealt a critical blow.
That loss put the Penguins’ fate into the hands of the Canadiens, who are also one of the worst ranked teams in the NHL.
The Islanders’ win put the final nail into the Penguins coffin, ending their postseason streak.
For 16 straight years, the Penguins reached the playoffs and set the active record for consecutive years in the postseason in all of North American sports.
Over the course of 16 years, the Penguins were often looked at as one of the best teams in the NHL with Crosby, Malkin, and Kris Letang at the helm.
Three Stanley Cup Championships in four appearances, five division titles, and countless memories all played a hand in the greatest run in franchise history.
The streak wasn’t going to last forever, but this certainly isn’t how anyone expected it to end.
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