The Pittsburgh Penguins "Big Three" are not above criticism for the team's inconsistent play.

This season has been a roller coaster for the Pittsburgh Penguins. After a week of three terrific performances against some of the most talented teams in the league, the Penguins fell on Tuesday against a free-falling Detroit Red Wings team.

The "Big Three" have been terrific all season long. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are over a point per game this season. Both they and Kris Letang have had a handful of games where they have completely taken over to secure the victory for the Penguins.

However, the leadership must be accountable when the entirety of the lineup fails to show up against a team much lower in the standings. 

The Penguins are 0-3-2 against the Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens this season, the 13th and 15th-ranked teams in the Eastern Conference. Last night's loss was a massive missed opportunity for the Penguins.

With a chance to significantly improve their playoff chances and close in on the New York Islanders for the top wild-card position, the Penguins started the game by booting the puck around, taking soft penalties, and losing puck battles consistently.

Before they knew it, the Penguins were down 3-0 to the Red Wings. While they pulled even in the second period, they vanished again in the third and fell 6-4 to a team with tee times scheduled in two weeks. 

With five of the remaining eight games on the Penguins schedule against non-playoff teams, the leadership core needs to step up and ensure that this team is ready to play every night from the drop of the puck. If not, they might join the Red Wings on the golf course sooner than they had hoped.

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