The Penguins had the playoffs in their grasp, but they let it slip away last night against one of the NHL’s worst teams in a dismal performance that just may have brought an end to the longest active playoff streak in major North American pro sports. Paul Steigerwald has the sad story.
The Penguins have made the playoffs for 16 consecutive years. The last time they missed the postseason was in Sidney Crosby’s rookie year. But now, in order to make the playoffs, they need the Islanders to lose in regulation to the lowly Montreal Canadiens tonight, and then the Pens have to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, who after last night have fewer points than any team in the league.
Coach Mike Sullivan says the Pens couldn’t convert their scoring chances last night.
Sullivan says the Penguins have been playing with playoff intensity for quite a while.
The coach says there are no bad teams in the NHL, and Chicago proved that last night.
Crosby says they can’t dwell on the loss to the Blackhawks, with the finale coming up tomorrow night in Columbus.
Defenseman Kris Letang is puzzled that the Penguins can’t put away the teams they should beat.
The Penguins activated defenseman Dmitry Kulikov from injured reserve and he took 18 shifts in the game, logging almost 10 minutes of ice time. Nick Bonino, Drew O’Connor, and Marcus Pettersson all missed the game with injuries and Mark Friedman and Chad Ruhwedel were healthy scratches.
Should the Penguins somehow edge their way into the playoffs, they would play the Boston Bruins, who last night set the NHL record for points in a season. Their 5-2 win over Washington gives them 133 points, surpassing the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens for the most ever.
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