Penguins' problems protecting leads reaches embarrassing new low

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the most surprising teams in the NHL this season. They entered the year with almost no expectations, but through the first two months of the season, they have found themselves in the playoff race and entered Tuesday's game against the Anaheim Ducks with the seventh-best points percentage in the NHL and the third-best in the Eastern Conference.

They had a great chance to improve that mark and seemed to be in a position to do so in what was a pretty dominant performance for 59 minutes and 40 seconds.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, NHL games are 60 minutes.

They learned that lesson the hard way in what turned into a 4-3 shootout loss.

Penguins' problems protecting leads reaches embarrassing new low

As surprising as the Penguins have been this season, they have had two huge issues that have cost them even more points in the standings. They have struggled to protect leads in the third period, and they have been awful when games go to overtime and shootouts.

Both issues surfaced again on Tuesday — and for the second game in a row.

The Penguins not only surrendered a game-tying goal with 0.1 seconds to play in regulation, but they also lost in another shootout. They are now 0-5 in shootouts this season and 1-7 in games that go beyond regulation.

They are 13-7 in games decided in regulation. 

On Sunday, they surrendered a game-tying goal to the Dallas Stars — another game they dominated for 58 minutes — with two minutes to play, and then also lost in a shootout.

What makes Tuesday's game-tying goal so appalling is the manner in which they gave it up.