The Moment Penguins KNEW They Were In It; ‘Winning is Good’ (+)

The Pittsburgh Penguins never admitted they were out of the playoff fight. They used coded language, admitting they knew their situation, understood the standings, and that they needed to win games. No one waved the white flag even, as it should have been clearly obvious they weren’t going to make the playoffs.

Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas waved his white flag, trading Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. However, he kept the door slightly ajar by looking for a deal that included NHL talent. Dubas got that talent with Michael Bunting, but the results were far from immediately positive.

The Penguins players needed a moment to lick their wounds, process, and then, eventually, rely on a time-tested method for winning games: hitch their wagon to Sidney Crosby.

They should have been knocked out a few weeks ago, but that wasn’t the case.