CHICAGO — This article originally appeared on PGHHockeyNOW.com.
It was a mere formality, but Sunday, it indeed became official when the Pittsburgh Penguins sleepwalked through 3-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.
Rickard Rakell (34) tied his career high later in the third period when he snapped a quick pass from Bryan Rust at 5:20 of the third period, but it wasn’t enough. The loss means the Penguins cannot catch the Montreal Canadiens and officially cannot make the 2024-25 Stanley Cup Playoffs, their third consecutive miss.
The teams made highlights or actionable moments difficult to find. At times, implying they were going through the motions would have incorrectly implied motion.
The Penguins and Blackhawks combined for just 25 shots after 30 minutes and zero goals. Not long after the halfway moments of the game, Penguins center Blake Lizotte almost scored a goal, but he did so by deflecting a puck that was over his head. It was an easy goal to waive off, and no one argued.
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