from Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

Go ahead, blame the Penguins’ injuries and illnesses, the 337 man-games lost. Blame Olli Maatta’s shoulder problem, Pascal Dupuis’ blood clot, Kris Letang’s concussion and Christian Ehrhoff’s concussion. Blame the fact the team has been without three of its top four defensemen for a significant time down the stretch and had to play again Friday night against the New York Islanders with just five defensemen for the sixth time because of salary-cap mismanagement. Those are valid reasons the Penguins are fighting for their playoff lives after losing to the Islanders, 3-1, at Consol Energy Center in front of a sellout crowd that practically booed them off the ice.

But there will be no legitimate excuse should the Penguins lose tonight at Buffalo and be eliminated. The Sabres are the NHL’s worst team. They are the Penguins’ safety net. Should the Penguins somehow slip through that, they won’t deserve to make the postseason. They will be remembered as failures. They will be remembered for one of the worst collapses in Pittsburgh sports history. They are 3-9-2 in their past 14 games.

Not to put any extra pressure on the boys.

It’s easy to believe they are feeling plenty as it is.

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