Pens take part in awkward fan giveaway moments after toughest loss of the season

The timing couldn't have been worse, and it showed on a lot of faces. The Pittsburgh Penguins had just endured their toughest loss of the season, a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks, and were in no mood to interact with fans. By the looks of a lot of the fans, they weren't all that into either as their team had failed to gain a crucial two points needed to get into the playoffs, only to fall to a team that's been out of the race for a while. But, the show must go on, and it did.

After leaving the ice, members of the Penguins came back out of the tunnel do participate in Fan Appreciation Night. Several took the time to throw t-shirts and other prizes into the audience, but there weren't many smiles on either side of the glass.


If the Penguins had won that game, they would have kept their chances of grabbing a wild card spot in the East in their own hands. However, with this loss, and the New York Islanders beating the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday night, Pittsburgh is officially out of post season contention and have missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years.