Many remember the show MythBusters, where special effects experts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage tested rumors, myths, and urban legends. Today, we take a similar approach to the narrative that the Pittsburgh Penguins receive favorable officiating because the league wants Sidney Crosby to win.
It turns out that by simply looking at the statistics, there is a way to examine objectively whether the Penguins receive preferential treatment in the form of more power plays. The numbers indicate that they do not.
Since the 2006-07 season — the first in which the Penguins reached the playoffs in the Crosby era — the team ranks first in total postseason power-play opportunities. However, the Penguins have also played the most playoff games. When dividing total opportunities (738) by total games played (194), the Penguins average 3.80 power-play opportunities per playoff game. That ranks eighth over that span.
What about the regular season? Surely the NHL has shown favoritism to the Penguins there. Well, if you buy into that conspiracy theory then this is the statistic that supports your theory because Penguins rank second in the NHL in power play opportunities per regular-season game since Crosby’s rookie season of 2005-06, at 3.61 opportunities per game.
Many complaints about favoritism have come from Philadelphia Flyers fans. However, since 2005-06, the Flyers rank first in penalties drawn per 60 minutes during the regular season at 4.62, while the Penguins rank fourth. The Flyers have offset that advantage by taking 103 more penalties than they have drawn. During that span, the Flyers lead the NHL with nine match (intent to injure) penalties, rank second with 750 major penalties, and rank second in total penalties taken with 7,840.
Shockingly, the Anaheim Ducks have taken 708 more penalties than they have drawn during that period, by far the largest discrepancy in the league. The Boston Bruins rank second at a mere minus-384. The Ducks’ league-leading 867 major penalties contribute significantly to that gap, 127 more than the Flyers’ second-ranked 740 majors.
In the playoffs during that same span, the Penguins rank fifth in penalties drawn per 60 minutes at 5.03, based on a large sample size. The Buffalo Sabres rank first, though they have played only 33 playoff games.
What do these statistics show? As Homer Simpson once said, “People can come up with statistics to prove anything. Forty percent of all people know that.” Still, an objective review suggests there is little evidence of systematic favoritism. Claims of league bias often intensify during the playoffs, when emotions — and conspiracy theories — run high.
Tags: 2026 stanley cup playoffs Philadelphia flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby
Categorized:Penguins History Penguins Perspectives Pittsburgh Penguins