The panic level is high for the Pittsburgh Penguins right now, but there’s a reason to look on the bright side beyond hoping for improved health.
Simply put, the Penguins’ have experienced ridiculously poor puck luck since things really went off the rails starting on March 14. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Jason Mackey did some number-crunching to see that their shooting percentage is a pitiful 4.5 during that span, easily the worst in the league. Their average over the entire season is 8.6, so that’s a huge drop-off when you consider how many pucks go on net each game.
(Sunday’s unsettling loss to the Philadelphia Flyers is one of the best examples; they only managed to score against Steve Mason one time despite firing 47 shots on goal. That’s a shooting percentage of a little more than two.)
Here are Mackey’s tweets on the subject:
Since Boston on March 12, Pens fourth in scoring chances in all situations, according to http://t.co/r9cEpoXayA with 349, but ... (1/2)
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) April 6, 2015
... their shooting percentage is just 4.5 percent compared to a season mark of 8.6. ... I.e. puck ain't going in.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) April 6, 2015
That shooting percentage of 4.5% since March 14 ... worst in the NHL. By far. Carolina next worst at 5.7%.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) April 6, 2015
Injuries play into this too, of course, as Mackey also points out that the Penguins’ tough run lately:
Only four times in the past 12 games have the Penguins dressed 12 forwards and six defensemen and finished the game with the same 12/6.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) April 6, 2015
Some might roll their eyes at this and consider it an exercise in excuse-making.
The more interesting consideration, however, is to imagine how dangerous Pittsburgh could be if the Penguins merely get a fair number of bounces and a decent bill of health in a playoff series ... assuming, of course, that they can make it.
The good news health-wise is that Evgeni Malkin looked spry in his Sunday return, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette points out that Kris Letang may only begin working out on an exercise bike this week, so the health part of that equation seems to be a work in progress.
Still, as much as this Penguins team is struggling, they may be a tougher out than their 3-8-1 record since March 14 may indicate.
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