SBN Reacts: Penguin fan confidence soars

Our latest polling finds a season-high level of fan belief in the Penguins

This is SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NHL. Each week, SB Nation sends out questions to the most plugged in Pittsburgh Penguins fans, and fans across the country. Sign up here to join Reacts.

According to the most recent SB Nation Reacts survey, 82 percent of Penguins fans think the team is headed in the right direction. That’s up from 73 percent last week, and 79 percent two weeks ago.

There was a big crisis of fan opinion in late January, early February around the time of Jim Rutherford’s surprising departure from the team (which opened the door for Canadian media columnists to even speculate on Sidney Crosby’s future in Pittsburgh, which seems even sillier now than it did then!). Since then the Pens have been playing great hockey and winning a ton of games and confidence has risen steadily.

As the team approaches the end of the season, the organization will need to decide what to do with this season. With the trade deadline just days away, more than three-fourths of Penguins fans want the team to make a push for the playoffs.

The deadline this season appears to be a buyers’ market, at least according to fans around the country. A slight majority of NHL fans would rather have their favorite team act as a seller at the deadline.

That is in part due to the unique rules around this season. The NHl has installed a flat cap on the season, preventing teams from adding big contracts.

According to fans, more than three-fourths of fans think the flat cap will play a role in teams’ decisions to make a push for the playoffs.

To vote in the Reacts surveys and have your voice heard each week, sign up here.