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As the 2023-24 NHL regular season draws to a close, disappointment clouds Pittsburgh Penguins fans as they missed wild card qualification by three points. This marks the second consecutive year that the Penguins will not participate in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The disappointment increases when one considers the individual form of the team's captain, Sidney Crosby.
The Pittsburgh Penguins finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 38-32-12. They had a total of 88 points and were below Washington Capitals who secured the Wild Card entry with 91 points.
Initially in the season, the Penguins looked good. They started the season with a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks but improved their performance for a while. They were led primarily by Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, and with little help from their offensive and defensive depth.
However, the team saw a slump in its performance during the mid-season. Even Sidney Crosby was not able to help much. It led to Jake Guentzel being traded in the Carolina Hurricanes on trade deadline on March 8.
The team found its pace once again as the end of the regular season drew near. The Pittsburgh Penguins found themselves in a fierce battle for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But despite their efforts, they fell short.
Amid the team's struggles, Sidney Crosby emerged as a shining star. Crosby tallied an impressive 42 goals and 52 assists, totaling 94 points for the year. This placed him in esteemed company of legends like Teemu Selanne and Jean Ratelle for the most points ever scored by a 36-year-old player.
Here are the final Stanley Cup Eastern Conference brackets:
- A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning
- A2 Boston Bruins vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
- M1 New York Rangers vs. WC2 Washington Capitals
- M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New York Islanders
Erik Karlsson expresses disappointment over Pittsburgh Penguins' playoff miss
Erik Karlsson, defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins, expressed disappointment in his team's performance after missing the playoffs in his first season with them.
He labeled their underachievement as a "huge disappointment," emphasizing that there was no other way to characterize it.
Karlsson said, via The Athletic.com:
“We are a huge disappointment, Huge. We underachieved so much and it’s very disappointing. There’s no other way to say it.”
Karlsson was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in a trade aimed at bolstering the Penguins' playoff prospects.
His individual performance notably declined from his stellar prior season, scoring 11 goals and 56 points compared to 25 goals and 101 points previously. Despite frustration with the team's performance, Karlsson reaffirmed his commitment to Pittsburgh, citing his long-term contract signed through the 2026-27 season.
“I think it’s been an underachieving season for a lot of us, I think we’re a much better team than what we’ve displayed in 81 games this season. But at the same time, we did all of this to ourselves. That’s what is frustrating,” Karlsson added
With a career spanning 15 years, Karlsson surpassed the 1,000-game mark and holds an impressive record of 189 goals and 817 points in 1,002 games.
