Do Penguins Have a Shootout Problem?

This isn’t entirely new. The trend has been building for a few seasons, stretching back to the years where Pittsburgh narrowly missed the playoffs.

2022–23 season: The Penguins were respectable in extra time — 8 OT wins, 10 OT losses, 1 shootout win, 1 shootout loss.
2023–24 season: The cracks started forming. They finished with 4 OT wins, 9 OT losses, 2 shootout wins, and 3 shootout losses.
2024–25 season: This was the red flag year. Pittsburgh went 9–6 in overtime but just 1–6 in shootouts.

Now, this season, they’ve lost all five of their shootouts so far, including their latest collapse — a crushing, last-second meltdown against the Anaheim Ducks that stunned the entire fanbase. Counting last year, Pittsburgh has now lost nine straight shootouts and won just one of their last 12. That’s not a slump. That’s a pattern, and an alarming one, to say the least.

Why Are the Penguins So Bad in Shootouts?

Part of the answer as to why the Penguins have struggles so much in shootouts lies in personnel. Pittsburgh relies heavily on their veteran core, a group of future Hall of Famers who excel everywhere *except* in breakaway contests. Over the last two seasons, their numbers paint a telling picture:

Sidney Crosby: 2-for-10
Bryan Rust: 2-for-9
Rickard Rakell: 2-for-9 (injured for most of the season)
Kris Letang: 0-for-4
Evgeni Malkin: 2-for-4 — the lone bright spot, and ironically, the only one not yet signed for next season.

These are phenomenal players, generational talents in some cases, but shootouts require a level of deception, unpredictability, and creativity that Pittsburgh simply hasn’t shown. Too often, the attempts look pre-planned, predictable, and familiar — the same three or four moves repeated on loop. And goalies watch film too.

Pittsburgh Stuck in the Same Routine

For two years now, the Penguins have rolled out the same shooters with the same moves and expected different results. Scouting reports are extensive in today’s NHL, and shootouts — despite being gimmicky — are heavily studied. When opponents know exactly what’s coming, it’s no surprise Pittsburgh keeps coming up empty.

If the Penguins want to fix this flaw and avoid letting free points slip through their fingers, something has to change. New shooters, new strategies, new moves — anything resembling unpredictability. Because until they adjust, the script will stay the same. And the losses will keep piling up after 65 minutes.