Penguins continue to be held back by disastrous 5-on-5 play

The Pittsburgh Penguins threw everything they had at the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night, but in the end it wasn't enough.

The club dropped a 2-1 decision even after out-shooting the Avalanche by a 37-19 margin at 5-on-5. Unfortunately for the Penguins, an uncharacteristic and disturbing pattern has emerged.

Through their first 32 games of the season, the Penguins have fired more shots on goal at 5-on-5 than any other team, yet have tallied the third-fewest goals (45), more than only the San Jose Sharks and the Buffalo Sabres.

It's an incredible statistic given the team's firepower. In fact, Phil Kessel's 10 goals at 5-on-5 are the most on the team - no other Penguin has reached the double-digit mark.

Things aren't any better on the opposite side of the puck. The Penguins have conceded 72 goals at 5-on-5, second most among all 31 clubs, and currently rank last in team save percentage at full strength.

The numbers are staggering for the reigning back-to-back champs. Factor in that last season Pittsburgh ranked second in the league with 185 goals at 5-on-5 while giving up a modest 150 - good enough for 14th most - and it's clear the team is going through an unusual, albeit extended stretch.

All this and the Penguins sit just outside the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and just four points out of top spot in a tight Metropolitan Division.

To its credit, Pittsburgh possesses the league's third-most potent power play (23.07 percent), having scored the second-most goals with the man advantage (31).

The Penguins are still in the thick of it in a top-heavy Metro division, and if they can sort things out at full strength, they could very well move back atop the pack.