The Pittsburgh Penguins returned from the 4 Nations Face-off break, where Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, and Rickard Rakell played. However, it appeared that the team didn't get the memo that NHL hockey was back, as the Washington Capitals steamrolled the Penguins on home ice with an 8-3 victory [https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/pit-vs-wsh/2025/02/22/2024020893/boxscore]. Saturday's loss marked the most goals the club has surrendered in a game this season, surpassing the 7-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Nov. 11. Meanwhile, it was only the seventh time in the Crosby era that the Penguins gave up eight or more in a game. Let's discuss Pittsburgh's latest setback. ANNOUNCERS CALL FOR PENGUINS TO PULL THE PLUG ON SEASON Besides talking about the Crosby and Alex Ovechkin rivalry for most of the broadcast, as the game spiraled out of control for the home team, Ray Ferraro and Bob Wischusen switched topics to discuss the fact that the Penguins are not going to qualify for the playoffs. Feb 22, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) checks Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) to the ice during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7fe6f4de-b5d6-4fc3-a6a5-50ef394907bf.jpeg] Feb 22, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) checks Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) to the ice during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images As accurate as that may be, the topics on the day the franchise honored legendary broadcaster Mike Lange were not all that optimistic. According to MoneyPuck, the Penguins have only a 2.6% chance [https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm] of making the playoffs, but they have better odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery at 5%. Considering they continue to lead the league in goals against, it's just about time to admit that the season is coming to a close, and the playoffs are not obtainable. CROSBY CONTINUES LEGENDARY STATUS The Penguins captain missed some time ahead of the 4 Nations Face-off with an upper-body injury. He played through the aliment in Montreal and Boston to help lead his home country to a championship. Although we will never know how much pain Crosby is playing through, his backhand goal gave Pittsburgh fans something to cheer about on a rather forgettable afternoon. As the season continues to slip away, Crosby is still doing everything he can to play at an elite level, and he continues to cement his case as one of the game's all-time greats. PENGUINS ARE A MESS INSIDE THEIR OWN ZONE Fans blamed Tristan Jarry for the team's shortcomings for most of the season. He's been gone for almost a month now, and the team went on a road trip disaster that pushed them further away from a playoff spot. On Saturday, they gave up a season-high eight goals, and incumbent Alex Nedeljkovic was beaten five times before getting pulled. He was beaten through several holes, like under the arm, over the pad, and the shoulder. Unfortunately, Nedeljkovic looked like he had a lot of rust to shake off. Despite making 14 saves, Joel Blomqvist couldn't slow the Capitals down either and looked like a goalie who had not played for a long time. Even though the goalies are the last line of defense, the Penguins are not doing their netminders any favors when an opponent enters their zone, as evidenced by the numerous scoring chances the Capitals had. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RELATED LINKS Penguins Fall Apart In Second Period, Suffer Ugly 8-3 Loss To Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-fall-apart-in-second-period-suffer-ugly-8-3-loss-to-capitals] Penguins Honor Mike Lange in Special Pre-Game Ceremony [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-honor-mike-lange-in-special-pre-game-ceremony] Stay updated with the most interesting Flames stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/topics/CAAqJQgKIh9DQkFTRVFvSUwyMHZNR2h1Tm1RU0JXVnVMVWRDS0FBUAE?ceid=CA:en&oc=3].
