Immediately after the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season-ending 4-3 overtime loss Sunday at New York, Jake Guentzel paid tribute: “I thought we had something special here.”

Guentzel did: He scored eight goals against the Rangers, the first time that’s happened in a playoff series since 2009.

The Penguins used to: They were legit contenders from 2008-18, winning Stanley Cups in 2009, ’16 and ’17.

But now that’s all over, and decisively. Memo to Fenway Sports Group: Don’t let yourselves be talked into “one more run” for this group. Move in a different direction.

That’s not insulting or damning. It’s fact. The Penguins haven’t won a playoff series since ’18. They’ve exited in the first round on four straight occasions.

They have a ton of excuses to use, if they choose, for losing to New York: High hits by the Rangers knocked Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell out of the series for varying periods. Starting goalie Tristan Jarry (broken foot) wasn’t available before Game 7. Sunday’s complaint du jour concerned Marcus Pettersson being stripped of his helmet and having to go to the bench as per the rules.

Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan: “I think (that rule) stinks.”

It sure does. But tell John Marino not to turn the puck over. (That sequence of play led to Mika Zibanejad’s tying goal for New York with 5 minutes, 45 seconds left.)

The Rangers are a very good team. Don’t leave that out of the equation.

But the Penguins’ problems were mostly of their own making.

For the Penguins, the entire series was a nonstop blown lead.

That hardly equates to these Penguins being a “special” team, especially not in the context of what’s happened since the last Cup in ’17.

A special team doesn’t collapse like that. A team with the winning experience of the Penguins shouldn’t collapse like that.

But the Penguins aren’t operating off the experience of ’16 and ’17 anymore. They’re operating off the experience of what’s happened since. That’s their current frame of reference.

That’s why it’s time for major change.

This space soon will explore what should be done. But it won’t be a tank-for-better-draft-picks kind of rebuild. That’s not Fenway Sports Group’s method. (BTW, the ownership change came at a perfect time. FSG is beholden to none. Sentiment likely won’t figure.)

Here’s betting FSG first brings in elite hockey management, then vigorously explores free agency. The process won’t take long if it’s done right.

Losing this series was ugly.

Blown leads. Mangled 5-on-3 power plays. An inability to win crucial draws. A power play that relied on its second unit for half its six goals. A minor-league goaltender who did his best; it wasn’t much. Brian Dumoulin’s injury led to the pairing of Kris Letang and Mike Matheson, which was ineffective. Dumb plays. Dumb penalties.

Brock McGinn is the poster child for dumb plays and dumb penalties. He had the puck. He was the last man. He turned it over. He took a holding penalty. All that in Sunday’s overtime. New York’s Artemi Panarin netted the winner on the power play.

Too bad McGinn signed a four-year contract for $11 million before the season. That sequence should earn him a one-way ticket to Palookaville. A bottom-six should never be so stupid.

But why was McGinn the last man back in overtime? Why were both defensemen lower?

When he played, Crosby was great. He issued a reminder that he’s still one of hockey’s best five players. Guentzel was a juggernaut. He’s not a Crosby creation. He’s damn close to being an equal partner.

But past that, performance was mostly meh. You know your team is in trouble when it starts counting on Danton Heinen.

Maybe the Penguins “probably deserved better,” as Crosby said. If that’s true, it’s only the slightest of upgrades over what happened in the prior three playoffs.

Sunday night was truly the end of an era. Unless it’s not.

Then it’s the beginning of an error.

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