Penguins Report Card: Making Sense, Finding Answers as Spiral Continues in 3-2 Loss to Kraken (+)

The Pittsburgh Penguins have not had a winless streak like this since Sidney Crosby played with Ziggy Palffy. There have been dark moments like November 2018 when they haplessly slumbered through one win in 10 games and were criticized by their GM. And the six games in February 2020, just before the pandemic ended life as we knew it.

But they’ve never before gone seven games without a win in coach Mike Sullivan’s tenure. Until now.

Given the past six games tied the Penguins’ longest winless streak under Sullivan, the urgency and drama were undoubtedly heightened on the Penguins’ bench. Three times in the last six games, the Penguins fumbled away third period leads.

Saturday, there was no lead to squander, only a solid effort.

Crosby shook his head in his locker stall. I’m not sure who was more stunned, him or the assembled media, who had a lot of interest in what the captain had to say but little to ask.