Thanksgiving is a big day in the NHL.
In the salary-cap era (2005 to now), 197 of 256 teams that held a playoff spot on Thanksgiving ultimately qualified for the postseason. That means 77 percent of teams in playoff position as of Thursday are in a favorable position.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are not in a good place. It appears they are in a bad place, if not a terrible one.
It’s not just being outside the playoffs on Thanksgiving for the second consecutive season. The Penguins’ points percentage, .391, is alarming compared to where they were — .500 — last Thanksgiving. The Penguins were only three points out of a postseason spot last Thanksgiving, but they were at least on pace for 82 points. And they finished with 88 points, again three behind the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card team, the Washington Capitals, but still respectable.
These Penguins are on pace for 64 points — a total that would put them in position to win the NHL Draft Lottery and earn the first pick.
Only three years ago, the idea of missing the playoffs was unfathomable for the Sidney Crosby-led Penguins. Not since Crosby was a rookie in 2005-06 has the franchise faced draft lottery talk so early in a season.
Now it’s time for fans to chime in on the state of the Penguins.
On mobile, use two fingers to scroll through the survey. Or fill out the form separately by using this link.
(Photo of Evgeni Malkin: Justin Berl / Getty Images)
