NHL Analyst issues dire warning to Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins made the decision to try and go for it one last time with the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang intact, despite the fact that each member of the iconic trio is on the wrong side of 35 years of age. And while the team should ultimately qualify for the postseason for a 17th straight year, one NHL analyst is painting a cautionary tale for the Penguins. 

The Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin issued a stern warning to the Penguins in a recent column, and pointed to the aftermath and long term effects of what happens when a team tries to hold on to the glory days a bit too long. For fans of the Detroit Red Wings, they know exactly what Larkin is referring to.

Former Detroit general manager Ken Holland, who was once regarded as the best in the business, hamstrung the team for years with a series of future mortgaging trading of young assets and draft picks in exchange for aging veteran depth in an effort to continue a meaningless 25 year postseason streak, along with handing out long term contracts to extremely underachieving players in the name of "loyalty". Upon his arrival in April of 2019 to replace Holland, franchise hero Steve Yzerman stated plainly that it was going to take years to clean up the mess that he inherited, and he was right. Following their 25 year postseason skid, Detroit is on the verge of missing the postseason for a 7th straight season. 

The Penguins need to avoid trying to keep a postseason streak alive when they have next to no chance of seriously competing for the Stanley Cup, writes Larkin. Take a look at a few experts: 

"The Wings of the past decade serve as a cautionary tale. They couldn’t let go of the idea that they were contenders and, by choosing quick solutions, they hurt themselves in the long run. They’re about to miss the playoffs a seventh consecutive year, and they’re hardly a lock to avoid an eighth straight miss next season. They traded one streak for another.

So what am I getting at, picking on the Wings?

I want to highlight the team I believe to be the furthest in the NHL from a Stanley Cup today. Have a look at the active playoff streak leaderboard. The Pittsburgh Penguins are hanging by a thread, clinging to the hope of crawling into the postseason as an Eastern Conference Wildcard seed and extending their streak to 17 years. They kept the band together last summer, re-signing thirtysomething franchise legends Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang to keep the championship dream going with captain Sidney Crosby still playing elite hockey."

......

"But think of those Red Wings. Think of how long it has taken them, and continues to take them, to become a respectable franchise again, Yzerplan or not. The playoff streak became a curse and threatens to do the same to Pittsburgh.

Whether the Pens extend the streak to 17 years or not…it’s clear this group doesn’t have what it takes to make a deep run or, evidently, even win a series. Learn from the Red Wings, Pittsburgh. Know when to let go."

Penguins fans, do you agree with Larkin that Pittsburgh needs to make like "Frozen" and simply just let it go when it comes to their postseason streak?