3 turning points that derailed Pittsburgh Penguins' 2024-25 season ft. Slow start

The Pittsburgh Penguins failed to make the playoffs for the third straight season and are likely to enter a rebuild this season.

The Penguins have a good core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson, but they are all older, and the depth around them is not good. Here are three turning points that changed the season.

3 turning points that derailed the Pittsburgh Penguins season

#1, Slow start

The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the season with hopes of being a Wild Card team, but that didn't happen.

Pittsburgh's season really got off the rails in the first month of the season. The Penguins went 4-7-1 to begin the season, and that slow start really hindered them as they started behind the eight ball and couldn't get back on track.

#2, Tristan Jarry's struggles

Tristan Jarry struggled last season - Source: Imagn

Tristan Jarry was the Pittsburgh Penguins' starting goalie, but he had a lot of struggles this season.

Jarry was in the second year of his five-year, $26.875 million deal, but he didn't live up to the contract. Jarry struggled all season and ended up being sent down to the AHL.

In January, the Penguins sent Jarry down to the minors as he was 8-8-4 with a 3.31 goals-against average and .886 save percentage at the time.

"At this point, just feel it's best in the long run for the team and for Tristan to allow Joel to come up here,” Dubas said, via NHL.com. “We think over the past year and a half, with his play in Wilkes-Barre and when he's been up here with us, he's earned the right to have a go at it, and we get a chance to see what he can do in a prolonged look."

Jarry finished the year going 16-12-6 with a 3.12 GAA and a .892 SV%. His struggles and Pittsburgh's struggles overall in the net were an issue.

#3, Pre-Four Nations struggles

Pittsburgh limped into the Four Nations break, and the Penguins were practically out of playoff contention.

Pittsburgh went 4-7-3 in January and 3-4-1 in the month of February as their struggles in the pre-Four Nations - and just after the Four Nations - really ended their playoff hopes.