The Pittsburgh Penguins remain winless on their road trip through Western Canada, losing 4-3 to the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Despite the game going to overtime and a nine-round shootout, the Penguins didn't score the final goal on a rookie netminder, Dustin Wolf, while their backstopper, Alex Nedeljkovic, couldn't make the last save.
Thus far on this four-game trip, the Penguins have been outscored 10-6 and are on the season's first three-game losing streak.
There are probably 50 things to discuss from their latest setback, but let's focus on three for now.
A Broken Record of Blown Leads
The Penguins were shut out in the first game of the season, so the first time they had a chance to get a lead and maintain it came in game two against the Detroit Red Wings. After falling behind 1-0, they rallied for four straight goals en route to a 6-3 win.
On Tuesday night in Calgary, the Penguins had 2-1 and 3-2 leads and blew both of them, running their new streak of blowing leads at some point to six games
Here's a look at the numbers:
- Oct. 12 v. TOR: Blew 1-0 lead, lost 4-2
- Oct. 14 v. MTL: Blew 2-0 lead, won 6-3
- Oct. 16 v. BUF: Blew 4-3 lead, won 6-5 in OT
- Oct. 18 v. CAR: Blew 1-0 lead, lost 4-1
- Oct. 20 v. WIN: Blew 2-0 lead, lost 6-3
- Oct. 22 v. CAL: Blew 2-1, 3-2 leads, lost 4-3 in SO
Ultimately, when playing sports, the objective is to outscore your opponents. Usually, grabbing a lead early in the contest gives a team an edge, but in the Penguin's case this year, they are almost better off rallying back toward the end of the game and trying to get a game-winner with no time on the clock.
Fans will blame the coaching, the forwards, the defensemen, and the goalies, but it takes an entire team effort to get ahead, stay ahead, and avoid letting opponents back into the game. Unfortunately, it's not just one of these excuses but a collection that has led to a 3-4-1 record.
