At first it was a statistical anomaly, a quirk, and maybe that’s what it will remain. The Penguins afforded their opponents plenty of shots on goal in the early portion of the season, with games of 41, 36, 34, 37 and 42 allowed within the first 10 contests. Yet with some timely offense and third-period resilience, the Penguins found a way to win anyway.
No such luck Thursday.
And the Penguins’ tendency to allow shots reached its nadir in the process.
The Penguins afforded the Minnesota Wild a season-worst 44 shots on goal Thursday during a 4-2 loss at PPG Paints Arena, ironic because the Wild came into this one with the lowest shots on goal mark (26.