All Three Pittsburgh Teams Missed The Postseason For The First Time In 20 Years

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The Pittsburgh Penguins officially failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday night, which ended their 16-season streak of playoff appearances. However, it wasn't just a notable loss for the Pens, it was a notable loss for all of Pittsburgh sports.

With the Penguins eliminated from playoff contention, it made 2022-23 the first time since 2003 that all three major Pittsburgh teams — the Pens, Steelers, and Pirates — all failed to make their respective postseasons.

It's crazy to think that you have to look back two years before the Penguins even drafted Sidney Crosby.

If you look at those years, it's clear that the two teams doing the heavy lifting to keep this streak alive were the Steelers and Penguins. During that stretch, the Pirates only made the postseason three times. That was in three consecutive seasons from 2013 to 2015.

The Steelers fell short of the playoffs in 2013 while the Penguins did. In the years the Penguins failed to make the playoffs — which included the 2004-05 NHL season which didn't happen due to a lockout — the Steelers kept the proverbial ball in the air.

Thanks for nothing, Pirates.

On the other end of the state, Philadelphia teams were shutout of the postseason somewhat recently too. (Getty Images)

How Do Philadelphia Teams Stack Up To Pittsburgh's

That's still a better run than the City of Brotherly Love has had in the same stretch. The last time the Phillies, Eagles, Sixers, and Flyers all missed the playoffs was far more recent. It happened in 2015 and 1972 before that.

Technically, all four Philly teams missed playoffs in 1994 as well. However, there's an asterisk: the MLB didn't have a postseason because of a lockout that ended the season early.

So, we can debate until we're blue in the face about what side of the Keystone State reigns supreme. Although, I do think one thing needs to happen: sorry, yinzers, there's a one-year moratorium on calling Pittsburgh "The City of Champions."

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle