It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins are an undead hockey team right now.
Mired in a six-game losing streak, the Penguins will look to scare away the Anaheim Ducks Thursday night on Halloween, putting an end to their skid and getting the treat instead of the trick for once.
But given some of their scary individual and team statistics this season, that may be easier said than done.
Here are 10 Penguins facts through their first 11 games that are sure to make you lose some sleep at night:
1. The Penguins are currently 31st in league standings – one spot from the basement.
2. Sidney Crosby has only five even-strength points in 11 games this season.
3. The goaltending trio of Tristan Jarry, Alex Nedeljkovic, and Joel Blomqvist has combined for the worst goals-against average in the league at 4.27. Colorado is second from the bottom at 4.18. They are 22nd in the league with an .886 save percentage.
4. The Penguins are second only to the San Jose Sharks in league-worst goal differential at minus-15. The team with the best goal differential is the Winnipeg Jets at plus-22, which is a 37-goal difference.
5. After being a plus-14 last season, Drew O’Connor is a team-worst minus-9 on the young season.
6. Crosby, Bryan Rust, and Michael Bunting – three regular top-six forwards – have combined for only four goals and 15 points this season in comparison to the 15 goals and 29 points they had combined for at the same point last season.
7. Crosby, Malkin, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang have combined for 67 giveaways in 11 games this season. As a team, Pittsburgh has the seventh-most giveaways in the league at 145 and the fifth-most defensive zone giveaways at 75.
8. Pittsburgh has surrendered the third-most high-danger shots against at 33. Montreal is the league leader at 37, while Vegas has give up 35.
9. Five of the Penguins’ regular top-six defensemen – excluding Ryan Graves – rank in the bottom-eight of average game score for the Penguins. Matt Grzelcyk owns a team-worst minus-0.63 average game score.
10. The Penguins have blown nine leads over the first 11 games this season, with two leads being blown against Calgary. They have been shut out twice this season, once each by the New York Rangers and the Edmonton Oilers. The only game, otherwise, that they have not blown a lead in was their 6-3 win against Detroit in the second game of the season.
Boo!
Happy Halloween, Pens fans!
