2022-23 Worst Penguins Team in Almost 20 Years
The vibes around the Pittsburgh Penguins and their record mirror the fact that this is the worst team in a long time.
It’s been pretty obvious all season that this Pittsburgh Penguins team has struggled to find consistent success, and it’s not a stretch to say it’s the worst built team since 2005-06.
In reality, the 2005-06 Penguins at least looked like they could standout, but the numbers never showed up.
As for the 2022-23 squad, this is shaping up to be the worst season since Sidney Crosby’s rookie year.
With only four games left to play, the Penguins can only earn as many as 94 points in the standings, the lowest number recorded by the team in a full 82-game season since 2005-06.
Crosby’s rookie year saw the Penguins hit a record of 22-46-14, enough for only 58 points.
At this moment, the Penguins are 38-30-10 and on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference wild card race.
The Penguins have six 20+ goal scorers, yet are a -5 goal differential and have lost 30 games for the first time since that infamous 2005-06 season.
It’s not a stretch to say this is the worst team of the Crosby/Evgeni Malkin era; The only other team that might come close is the 2014-15 year when they clinched the playoffs in game 82.
At least that team picked up 98 points along the way.
The Penguins just haven’t been able to put it together this year; four losing streaks lasting four games or more, league average power play and penalty kill, volatile goaltending, unplayable bottom-six, and as per usual, injuries everywhere.
Not to the main guys, however; both Crosby and Malkin are nearing playing all 82 games this season and that would be the first time ever that they played every game in the same season.
Even in the lockout or COVID shortened seasons, those two didn’t play in every game.
This downfall is through no fault of the core, either; they are aging, but still producing at great rates and doing everything they can to help the team win.
It's just about every other area of the lineup who has been straight up bad all season.
This Penguins team still has a chance at reaching the post season, but they look like a team dead on arrival and will be lucky to make it that far.
The Penguins have been swept by five Eastern Conference teams so far, and if they don't beat the Detroit Red Wings, that number will grow to six.
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