For Penguins players, goal droughts are getting too frequent

The Penguins have a lot of problems right now to make their season feel like it’s at a precarious tipping point. The worst of the problem areas were on display over the weekend in two one-goal losses against Minnesota and Winnipeg. Pittsburgh has now won only seven of 21 one-goal games this season (7-7-7 record). Their power play stinks on ice (literally!) and besides a handful of players and some great goaltending, it’s a brutal sight to see.

Nothing is worse than several members of the team going through a goal scoring drought at the same time, though. To wit:

It’s par for the course when fourth line players aren’t scoring, but add that in with third line players barely scoring (Lars Eller has three goals in the last 14 games, despite power play time) and second liners not scoring, and not being able to count on any offense from 4/6 members of the blueline and the weight adds up. Add in a wholly impotent power play and it falls on Sidney Crosby and his line to keep the Pens in games.

That’s a big burden to carry, and the team is slumping away from it. Since a thrilling 6-5 win over Boston on January 4th, the Pens have scored the following number of goals in subsequent games: 1, 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1.

That output of 28 goals in 12 games is 29th in the league for goals/game (2.33). Scoring such few goals has only meant four victories and cast their season in doubt after firing back in final weeks of 2023.

The upcoming schedule doesn’t offer a lot of relief, two of the next three Pittsburgh opponents are in the top-five in the NHL for goals against/game (FLA, LA). Nothing has come easy for the Pens this season, but righting their ship begins with finding the consistency they’ve been searching for and seeing long strings of goal droughts is going to have to end for fortunes to be reversed. Given the current health question marks for Malkin and the lack of support and/or talent from a lot of the roster, that could continue to be an issue that plagues the team.