Tim Benz: For Penguins, water is finding its level as playoffs approach

Following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ latest defeat — a 5-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night — winger Kasperi Kapanen provided this assessment.

“We know we are a good team,” Kapanen said. “Good teams have bad games, and today was one of those. … We know we are a good group, and hopefully we can go far this year.”

Sure. Good teams do have bad games. But do good teams play badly for a month at a time? Right before the playoffs?

Since March 23, the Penguins have won only six times in 17 games. Of those six wins, they have just one in regulation against another playoff-bound team (4-0 over the Boston Bruins on April 21).

At this rate, in terms of “going far,” when the Penguins play the New York Rangers or Florida Panthers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, I might consider forcing a fifth game going deeper than I expected.

The Penguins allowed 42 shots to the Oilers. They gave the puck away 10 times. They actually allowed seven goals, but two were disallowed via replay.

If only the Pens skaters were as good as the video-review crew.

“We’d like to feel better about our game. And it is hard to feel good about your game unless you get results,” coach Mike Sullivan said after the loss. “We have been sporadic with them lately. But for me, I still believe in this group. I think we have what it takes.”

What it takes to … do what, exactly? Because there is nothing about the Penguins right now that makes me believe they can do anything but put up token resistance in the first round of the playoffs against either Florida or New York.

The Penguins are becoming exactly who they were predicted to be at the start of the year. A club that — in a best-case scenario — would scratch its way into the playoffs as a wild card.

The franchise’s ridiculous early-season run from 5-6-4 to 27-10-5 has sputtered. The numbers have returned to the mean. This squad is now who we thought they would be. It’s a once great collection of players that extended a second chapter of success a few years beyond what was anticipated. But now they have regressed to the middle.

A team good enough to put seven goals up against Detroit whenever it wants. A team that looks feeble whenever facing an opponent worthy of the postseason.

That’s what happens when you have Brock McGinn on your second line and Casey DeSmith and Louis Domingue as your goalies. Guys that have probably overachieved to get as far as they have. Now they are over-leveraged with the Penguins at playoff time.

It’s not that different from the last time the Penguins stumbled their way into the playoffs as the eighth seed in 2015 against the New York Rangers. The roster then wasn’t very good and had just enough top-end talent to get them through the regular season.

That playoff series ended in five games. This year’s first round may end in three if the NHL decides to implement a mercy rule.

An idea I would fully endorse, by the way.

“We’ve got to find it. We’re not happy losing,” defenseman Marcus Pettersson said. “It’s as plain as that. We’ve got to dig in this last game and find that confidence. Play towards it. Work for each other.”

That lack of confidence appears to be bleeding over to the fanbase. I know sellouts at PPG Paints Arena aren’t a lock anymore, but only 17,804 showed up for the much anticipated Connor McDavid versus Sidney Crosby showdown.

Many NHL teams would be thrilled with a late-season, Tuesday night, interconference crowd that is at 97% capacity. But there was a time when that building wouldn’t have had a ticket available for weeks in advance of that game. And for a hockey city that professes itself to be one of the best in America, getting to see Crosby-McDavid just once a year normally should be a draw all by itself. Even if the team is struggling.

Pittsburgh fans will get one more chance to see this team before the regular season ends. That’s Friday at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Given that Stanley Cup heroes Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust are all free agents this summer, it may be the last time many of those fans get a chance to see them play. So hopefully as many as possible turn out for the game.

The way things are going right now, I wouldn’t expect too long of a playoff run if you are waiting for another chance.