What Went Wrong for Penguins in NHL Playoffs? Power Play Struggles, Dan Vladar Send Pittsburgh Into Offseason
What Went Wrong for Penguins in NHL Playoffs? Power Play Struggles, Dan Vladar Send Pittsburgh Into Offseason originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh . Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The 2025-26 season ended much sooner than expected for the Penguins . The Flyers defeated the Pens in a Game 6 thriller on Wednesday night, punching their ticket to the next round and sending Pittsburgh into the offseason. While Dan Muse's squad certainly exceeded expectations this season, the series loss to a bitter rival will sting.
Even though Pittsburgh was able to win two consecutive games after going down 3-0 in the series, it was simply a case of too little, too late. "We're a shot away from going back to Pittsburgh for Game 7," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said after Game 6 . "It just comes down to bounces sometimes.
Putting yourself in that position is tough, but I think we all had a lot of belief that we could dig ourselves out of it. And I think our game showed that. "It's just unfortunate that we got behind early in the series.
" Why did the Penguins struggle against the Flyers after an incredible run through the regular season? Let's break down the first-round matchup. What went wrong for Penguins in NHL Playoffs?