[hide] [/hide]The Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night, officially clinched a playoff berth for the 12th straight season.
The last several years whenever the Penguins clinch a playoff spot, it has rarely been seen as a major celebration during the Sidney Crosby era because it’s just always assumed the Penguins get in and expectations since about year three of the Crosby era has been Stanley Cup or bust.
However, in looking at other situations around the league, maybe there should be more appreciation for what the Penguins have done in the Cap era in now going to 12 straight postseasons.
Mike Sullivan for one saw clinching a playoff berth last night as special, especially with how this group looked in early January when the Penguins were 20-19-3 at one point.
“It’s special because I think it’s hard to make the playoffs in this league,” said Sullivan. “There’s a lot of good teams. Look across the league and see how tight the races are and how many teams are still in it. So the factor that we’re able to clinch it and solidify a playoff spot is a credit to our players.”
The Penguins starting in Mid-April will look to become the first team to win the Stanley Cup in three consecutive seasons since the 80’s
First place hasn’t mattered to the Penguins getting through the Eastern Conference the last two post-seasons but things did play out during the 2016 postseason and 2017 postseason where Penguins held home-ice in three of the four rounds.
How good this team is at home, that can’t be downplayed.
This year the best case scenario is likely two rounds of home-ice and even then a lot of things would have to break the Penguins way.
Tonight could potentially tell the story.
After entering Thursday morning seven points out of first place, Pittsburgh could make a six point swing on the Capitals (99pts) in a matter of four days with a regulation win tonight, while the Capitals will clinch the Metropolitan Division with a regulation win.
So the Penguins in a sense the Penguins are fighting for their first place lives tonight which will see Matt Murray starting in a back-to-back, but the pressure is on the Capitals once again which is always the case when these teams get together.
— The Appreciation of the Penguins making the playoffs 12 straight seasons becomes even more strengthened when you look right now at the Chicago Blackhawks and a few other situations.
It shouldn’t be taken for granted that the Penguins have avoided a season like Chicago is currently having with three so called Top-100 players of All-Time still in their prime.
The closest Pittsburgh came to missing the playoffs was the 2014-2015 season where the Penguins needed a win over the tanking Buffalo Sabres on the final day of regulation to get in. That season had turmoil down the stretch with terrible management in not being able to manage the cap, a lack of identity in how they wanted to play, one month it was ‘let’s be a four line team, next month ‘let’s add a bunch of grinders’ and the team obviously had a coach in place who wanted the Penguins to try to win every night 2-1 that held back the high-end talent.
Still, the Penguins got in and played the President Trophy winning Rangers close in every game during Round 1 where the Penguins were in position to stretch the series past five games or even upset the Rangers.
Another situation that stands out is Edmonton with a once in a generation player in Connor McDavid. After the Penguins made the playoffs during Sidney Crosby’s second season (2006/2007), it’s been automatic since.
In McDavid’s second season the Oilers made the playoffs in what should have started a stretch for the Oilers like in Pittsburgh with Sidney Crosby where you don’t miss the playoffs again for a long-time and certainly not to this extent that Edmonton is.
When you have a core of McDavid – Draisaitl – Nugent-Hopkins that is similar to Crosby-Malkin-Staal, there’s no excuse for Edmonton to be in the situation they are this season in year 3 of the McDavid Era that shows how well Ray Shero did in putting complementary pieces around the club during the early Crosby years where Pittsburgh took advantage of having their core on rookie contracts.
Edmonton’s management group by contrast has failed badly in maximizing the three years McDavid is on his rookie contract. Nothing is worse than trading away a star talent like Taylor Hall for a No. 5 caliber defenseman just because you need defensemen and not adjusting to today’s speed game by throwing huge money at Milan Lucic who’s best days are behind him will set you back like Edmonton is finding out.
Making the playoffs has become so automatic it’s rarely seen as a celebration in Pittsburgh but the appreciation of getting in 12 straight years is starting to grow. Just look around the league……
MORE BUZZ
— Riley Sheahan had a goal, assist in the Penguins 5-2 win over the Canadiens. He had a nice game in the third line center role with and being a smart forechecker, he fits well with Patric Hornqvist in stretches.
However, let’s not get carried away with this talk emerging that coaches might have a decision to make when Derick Brassard gets back. They don’t any decision to make, no matter how well Sheahan plays between now and Brassard coming back.
It was the Canadiens after the all and Sheahan/Hornqvist were still at 34% in possession when on the ice together.
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Wonder what was said to Geno to piss him off? Damn was he pissed!
That he is taking vacation lately
Would make a comment about being pushed around but never mind. Would make a comment about a goalie who doesn’t make that stop that steals a goal but never mind. Freaking idiots never saw it coming. But we have Brassard (Battling Beau #2).
https://media.giphy.com/media/t6W5Uiksl7iSc/giphy.gif
Speaking of trolls….
Draft dodging troll
Not that theres anything wrong with that… our current president did the same thing.
Troll this female dog. Been saying all that for a while but just thought i would reinforce it once more for the really slow ones on here and I see it has helped you. Mission done
Female dog? You are such a loser. Don’t sprain an ankle jumping off the bandwagon. #insultingposting
Never been on or off the bandwagon just go with what they put out on the ice. That is what true sport fans do. female dog because your title of bitch is blocked
Go pray to your Reaves shrine old man. Or Go fcuk yourself. The choice is yours.
Wow what big Cyber balls you have for a female dog. And btw from your posts you seem to be the one with statues and shrines good luck with that.
Great comeback. Go to bed old man. You are a joke and everybody knows it. Can’t wait till your old ass forgets your password and can’t log on here. #GFY
Agreed, its a mystery how they beat them two years running to win those cups. Grubauer played well, Murray is still not looking great… Hunwick still doesnt know where he needs to play. The Brassard deal looks awful almost by the night as Cole plugs a couple of holes but lets not pretend that they lost tonight because they were simply pushed around. Like I said below people are in this all or nothing mode. If the Pens don’t win a third straight cup they were too soft despite playing with pure skill each of the past two years, or… Read more »
I view each season as different NHL is in a constant state of change as well as the players just with the Age factors. My whole thing we gave way too much up for Bassard. We gave a good D man who played physical as oppose to what the hell 58,3, 22 and even 8 sometimes play. As for Reaves he was replaceable had you made a decent deal for Bassard and he had to be the pawn for the Queen bring something else physical in that deal there is nothing but stars and timid smurfs up front. Kunitiz tools… Read more »
Wow. What a post.
So this is what it feels like to be Montreal for the past 25 years? Dont like it. Id be an angry, illegible troll if I had to deal with it for that long.
Haha Geno is awesome
I won’t why pens are losing tonight. Oh it’s easy. Their pp is not happening
Insufferable queeb… Team is top 5 in even strength goals and you bitch and moan because youre a fucken idiot. They have won 2 straight yet here you are, all or nothing. If they dont win 3 you will feel vindicated despite the fact its only happened a handful of times in history. Youre fucken spare parts bud. Like I have said, worst “fan” in the entire base bar none. Go watch the Habs suck you fucken queeb.
Finally pens on board. Hope they know they need minimum 4 for Murray
Remember when Pens came back late after being down by 2 against the Caps in the playoffs last year? Sam doesnt.
3-0, just like the Buccos
Surprised you haven’t turned off your TV yet
Is what it is… Grubauer wanted this one. This Crosby save? Forget it, sometimes you just get beat
Another game pens might lose vs a backup goalie. Can you give us the stats how many backup goalies pens loss to this year
Worst fan in the base
Pens missing Brassard
Pens missing fleury
He is a pretty good regular season goalie
Caps could skate top 100 nhl players in playoffs and we could skate Slovakian woman’s team. We’d still advance past the 2nd round. The game is meaningless
0 for 5. Good luck getting anymore PPs. Washington is gonna get a few.
Tough one to pick up but thats a stop you have to make
Nice fucking PP!
Whose more at fault? Malkins so-so back check or Hunwick being one of three Penguins checking 2 Caps?
This is Hunwicks biggest issue, no idea what is going on out there. His in ability to read plays is frightening. Regardless of Malkin being in the area there has to be recognition of who the skater is and that he looks to be getting a step on the back checker… that and he wasn’t exactly needed where he was
I just heard a rumor on the radio that Letang made a bad turnover? This has to be fake news.
April fools he was no where to the puck on time to turn over.
When more teams make the playoffs than miss almost kind of harder to miss them.
It’s the Colby Armstrong era!
Crosby/Malkin era correct…
I’m not sure I would use the word automatic. Yes they’ve made the playoffs 12 years in a row and yes with the talent they have they should make the playoffs every year but there have been several years during this run where they’ve had to battle right down the last few games to guarantee their spot in the playoffs. As Depaoli pointed out a few years back they needed to win the final game of the year just to get in. That really negates it being automatic.
Then Pens have won a stanley cup every year during the Kessell era.
Brassard > Sheahan
Crosby/Malkin era**