There is still a lot of hockey left to play in the 2015-16 NHL season, but early indications are that the Pittsburgh Penguins and the league in general are scoring less often than they have in years past. This certainly explains why prominent players like Sidney Crosby are struggling to score, although it does not completely excuse their performances.
Goals: Goal scoring in the NHL has been fairly consistent for the past four seasons, averaging 2.73 goals per game. In 2011-12 the league average was 2.73 goals per game, followed by 2.72 in 2012-13, 2.74 in 2013-14, and 2.73 in 2014-15. So far the league average in the 2015-16 season is 2.69, the lowest it has been since before the 2004-05 lockout.
The Penguins as a team as accustomed to being comfortably above average and vying for top scorers in the league, their average over the past four seasons was 3.12 goals per game. However, they have been trending down in recent years and are now dangerously below average. In 2011-12 and 2012-13 the Penguins averaged 3.44 goals per game, falling to 3.04 in 2013-14 and 2.70 in 2014-15. So far in the 2015-16 season, they are only at 2.18, the lowest it has been in the entire history of the franchise, the previous record being set in the years leading into the 2004-05 lockout.
Shots: The number of shots generated also remained relatively consistent over the past four seasons, with one noticeable exception during the lockout shortened season, with a league average of 29.8 shots per game. In 2011-12 the league average was 29.7 shots per game, followed by 29.1 in 2012-13, 30.0 in 2013-14, and 29.9 in 2014-15. The current 2015-16 league average is 29.5 shots per game, a little bit below what is expected but not quite as bad as it was during the shortened season.
The Penguins are accustomed to being a heavy shooting team as well, over the past four seasons they have averaged 31.5 shots per game but it varied widely from year to year. In 2011-12 they had 33.9 shots per game, then 30.0 in 2012-13, 29.9 in 2013-14, and 31.6 in 2014-15. So far in the 2015-16, season they have managed an impressive 31.5, right at their team average and solidly above the league average.
Shot Percent: The league average shooting percent over the past four seasons has ever so slightly been on the decline but has stayed fairly close to the 9.2 percent league average. In 2011-12 the league average Sh% was 9.2 percent, increasing to 9.3 percent in 2012-13 and then down to 9.1 percent in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. So far in the 2015-16 season, the league average Sh% remains at 9.1 percent.
The Penguins in the not too distant past were known to be one of the best in the league in regards to consistently high Sh%, averaging 9.9 percent over the past four seasons. They have been steadily declining, however, as they had a 10.1 percent Sh% in 2011-12, followed by an 11.5 percent in 2012-13, then down to a 10.1 percent in 2013-14 and just 8.5 percent in 2014-15. So far for the 2015-16 season their Sh% is only at 6.9 percent, the worst it has been since the league started recording shots back in 1987-88. Disappointingly the next worst performance in franchise history was just last season, a disturbing trend for a once offensively dominant team.
Sidney Crosby: Despite winning the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as league leading goal scorer in 2009-10 and scoring at an even higher rate prior to getting sidelined with injury in 2010-11, over the past four seasons Crosby has averaged just 0.40 goals per game. So far in 2015-16 he has just 0.09 goals per game, far and away the worst of his career.
Crosby’s point totals are down as well, over the past four seasons he averaged 1.31 points per game. Despite 2014-15 being the lowest performance in his career he still managed to top the league, a feat he had done since 2010-11. So far in 2015-16 he has just 0.45 points per game, a new career low.
Over the past four seasons, Crosby has averaged 3.2 shots per game and a 12.5 shot percent, he is accustomed to scoring at an above average rate. However so far in the 2015-16 season, he only taken 2.7 shots per game and has scored on just 3.3 percent of them, new career lows in both categories. That has to be the biggest issue with Crosby’s lack of scoring, but fortunately it is not likely to last the entire season.
