The Penguins ended their season with one more disappointment, an overtime loss to the Islanders. Paul Steigerwald puts a wrap on the season.
The Penguins just miss out on the playoffs for the second straight season in a year filled with disappointing late-game losses. Coach Mike Sullivan says it’s their own fault.
Sullivan says the Penguins could have given up when they found themselves out of the playoff picture a month ago, but they gave it all they had to try to make the postseason, even after the trade of Jake Guentzel.
The coach paid tribute to Jeff Carter for scoring his 100th point as a Penguin, on a goal in his final game.
Carter scored 52 goals as a Penguin. He says it was disappointing to not make the playoffs.
Sidney Crosby says the Pens tried their hardest to make the postseason, but came up just short.
Crosby had Jeff Carter take the opening faceoff for the game. He says it was a memorable night.
For a team stocked with longtime veterans, the Penguins had an impressive group of six players who appeared in all 82 games, especially considering the injury history of almost all of them. Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Marcus Pettersson, and Lars Eller all skated in every game this season.
Forward Bryan Rust was announced as the Penguins nominee for the NHL’s King Clancy Award, which is for “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
The Penguins’ 2024-25 schedule will be announced in late June.
NHL
Marc-Andre Fleury is not retiring. The former Penguin and future Hall of Famer has signed a one-year extension to play one more season for the Minnesota Wild. After the deal was announced, Fleury told reporters that it will be his final year in the NHL.
