Can't blame Hextall really this is long term issues
The Penguins injury zone goes back most of the Crosby era and the blown leads about half of it.
At the start of the Crosby era for several years they were the comeback kids. They'd be down and out then blam goal goal goal goal win.
Then around the time they stopped being kids, they started being a team that blows big leads... a lot.
The Pens are a weird team to follow because they're, between cups, a lot like actually the Leafs tbh. Just you know the Cups do count for a lot ha ha.
But legit go back and see how often when they don’t win, they lose embarrassingly in playoff runs. Like there is a difference between losing and losing in a sad way. Being a Pens fan is feast or famine during the Crosby era... but like the feast is really really good and sustains you during the famine.
06 didn't make the playoffs
07 killed by Ottawa in 5
08 cup finals
09 cup
10 upset by f***ing 8th seed Montreal in rd 2 blowing a 3-2 serie_s lead
11 blew 3-1 series lead out in rd 1
12 Lost to the Flyers (
) in rd 1.
13. Got embarrassed and swept in the Conference finals by the Bruins, the team tjey beat in the Iginla sweepstakes.
14. Blew a 3-1 series lead in the 2nd round to the Rangers
15. Dispatched easily in rd 1 by the Rangers in 5.
16. Cup
17. Cup.
18. RD 2 loss to the Capitals that allowed that demonic franchise to win a cup
19. Swept by the Islanders (wtf)
20. Eliminated in the playin by the f***ing Habs.
21.Won the division, lost in 6, blowing a 2-1 series lead to the Islanders by losing 3 in a row
22. Blew a 3-1 series lead against the Rangers in rd 1.
Like it's littlerally frequently cup or embarrassment with little in between.
11 and 22 are especially bad because they had built in excuses to bow out and still managed to do it in a way that is embarrassment
In 11 Crosby and Malkin were out so would have been no real surprise if they lost, but they still managed to do it in a pathetic fashion, blowing a 3-1 and losing f***ing 1-0 in game 7.
In 22 3rd string ahl goalie, for 6 out of 7 games... go up 3-1 yet they blow multiple goal leads in games 5, 6, 7 and get eliminated in ot killing a penalty.
The culture in Pittsburgh is wild, biggest issue imo is they've run bitch grinder coaches for the majority of the Crosby era and they're not builf for that so when they get leads they get extra bitch grindy and it blows up in their face... Legitimately watch their zone entry, they have generational offensive talent yet they're plan is almost always dump and chase, play the perimeter, cycle between side boards and behind the net. So often they'll grind around in the offensive zone, producing minimal shots, and even less genuine scoring chances, then give up the puck and the other team carries it into the zone the other way and scores. This has been true for years, and was true under Bylsma and Sullivan
But like 3 cups so you know whatever lol.