The Detroit Red Wings' focus wasn't where it needed to be on Saturday afternoon. After falling down 2-0 in the first period, Alex DeBrincat brought the game within one on a snapshot at the 15:06 mark of the second period.
That was the closest the Red Wings got to tying the game, as the Penguins scored on a pair of empty-netters at the 19:00 and 19:28 mark to end it. And to be real, the Penguins should have landed seven goals on the Wings.
Good hockey teams don't play that badly when they have a slim lead in the division. As a result, that lead has been vanquished, and the Tampa Bay Lightning now sit one point in front of the Wings. It was like Detroit was trying to give up that division lead when you look at the numbers.
How bad did it get? Dave Hogg of NHL.com put it bluntly, writing, "The Red Wings had more shot attempts that were blocked (14) and missed the net (16) than shots on goal."
Detroit Red Wings let a elite performance from John Gibson slip away
All signs point to John Gibson's MVP-like December to trickle into January. Gibson faced 29 shots and made 27 saves, good for a 0.931 save percentage. Gibson is now 9-2 since Dec. 1, with a 0.920 save percentage, a 2.20 GAA, and two shutouts.
He's tied for the third-highest save percentage and the fifth-best GAA among goaltenders who have played in seven or more games throughout that span. Shame that the Wings ran out of talent offensively on Saturday, given Gibson's efforts.
Red Wings still lucked out despite ugly showing against Penguins
The Lightning may have retaken the lead in the Atlantic Division with a 7-3 win over the San Jose Sharks, but the Wings lucked out. The third-place Montreal Canadiens had a chance to tie the Wings with two games in hand. Fortunately for the Wings, the St. Louis Blues caught the Habs on a bad night and shut them out with Jordan Binnington of all people in the net.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres let the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets destroy them, ending their 10-game winning streak. As bad as things could have gotten, the Wings remain well within striking distance. But they need to get their act together quickly, given their 0-1-1 record in January.
They'll get another crack at it soon enough, with a roadie against the Ottawa Senators on the docket for Monday night. It's a game they'll need to take full advantage of, as the Wings have played in more contests than all their Atlantic Division rivals to date.