Penguins Behind Eight Ball at Crucial Date
The Pittsburgh Penguins are sitting outside of a playoff spot on a benchmark date in the NHL.
The 2023-24 NHL Season has hit a critical deadline and the Pittsburgh Penguins sit well behind where they would have liked.
As families across the United States gather around the dinner table for Thanksgiving, the Penguins sit three points out of a playoff spot with a 9-9-0 record.
That date of Thanksgiving is significant because in recent history, where teams sit by then is often where they end up at the end of the season.
Last year, of the 16 playoff teams, 13 (81.3%) of them were holding spots by Thanksgiving; 12 teams (75%) the season before.
Over the last eight seasons combined, 98 out of 128 teams have made the postseason after holding that position on Thanksgiving; that’s good for 76.5%.
This isn’t exactly a death sentence for the Penguins, but they’ll have an uphill battle for what could be the rest of the season.
The Penguins sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division, but there is a real belief the Penguins can find their way into the race.
Teams ahead of them like the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals are almost expected to fall from grace, giving the Penguins a chance.
For the Penguins to make that push for the postseason, however, they need to find more ways to win and certain areas need to wake up.
There are a few injuries at the moment, so things are tricky, but the depth scoring needs to improve.
That was an issue that bit them last year, and it’s sneaking back into the equation this time.
The power play also needs to find the gas pedal; what could have been one of the most threatening groups in the NHL has looked useless in this recent stretch.
Their season isn’t over and the Penguins are hungry for another crack at the Stanley Cup, but they’re going to have some catching up to do.
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