Penguins’ Goaltending Could Cost Them a Playoff Berth

It is hard not to be worried if you’re a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. After being soundly beaten by the Colorado Avalanche, the Penguins have lost three of four and four of their last seven games. With the competition for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as tight as can be, one loss here or there can swing things.

One of the most glaring issues facing the Penguins right now is their goaltending. The narrative is that the Penguins are collectively playing above board, but perhaps the most important position they have could be the reason they don’t make the playoffs.

Silovs/Stuart Tandem Not Working

The Penguins have been fortunate enough to have others step up, part of the reason they are in a playoff spot currently. And the trade that landed Stuart Skinner makes all the sense in the world in both the short- and long-term, especially with how Tristan Jarry has performed for the Edmonton Oilers.

Team defense has been anything but sterling (more on that below), but the duo of Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner has not played well. The Penguins are just 20^th in team save percentage at .890; not the worst but just bad enough that it could wind up being costly.

Neither Silovs nor Skinner has been awful but both have been decidedly average. Silovs sports a 2.99 goals against average and .891 save percentage while Skinner has a slightly better goals against average (2.94) but a slightly worse save percentage (.887).

Not having a reliable option could be the Achilles heel of the Penguins. When a goal here or there could possibly mean the difference between a critical two points and nothing, the Penguins don’t have a dependable choice to turn to.

Team Defense Isn’t Helping

It is hard to put everything on the goaltenders. The Penguins have been skidding at the wrong time, but it isn’t entirely on the goaltending. In 10 of their last 11 games, they have given up more than three goals. The Penguins offense has been great but that’s a lot to ask on a nightly basis.

Head Coach Dan Muse said recently that there’s “too much noise,” alluding to all of the high-danger chances and shots that the team has been allowing of late. You can get away with it when you are a team like the Buffalo Sabres, who have been getting exceptional goaltending. You can’t when the results aren’t there.