Penguins/NHL
1. The Penguins are Back!!!Playoff Hockey is going to be coming to PPG Paints Arena and an improbable season has truly transpired. Going from the so called ‘only team not trying to win last summer’ to a win away from locking up a playoff spot and this isn’t a team just inching into the playoffs. They are getting hot at the right time and while there’s no prime Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin or Phil Kessel skating around, this might be the deepest forward group since the 2016 Penguins in how they can attack you in waves. Pittsburgh ranking second in the NHL in Goals For with 277 is just remarkable and their 30 goals over their last five games is the most in a five-game stretch since March 16th-26th, 1996, according to the Penguins PR Team. Remember that 1996 club with the likes of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ronnie Francis, Sergei Zubov and Petr Nedved averaging over four goals/game.
Egor Chinkahkov’s ability to quickly mesh with Sidney Crosby has opened up enormous lineup possibilities come playoff time and we’re seeing the benefits with Rickard Rakell being a unique player who can create his own individual offense to drive a line whether he’s at wing or center.
The Penguins have showed over the last couple weeks, this is obviously not an elite team when they go head-to-head against true Cup Contenders like Colorado, Tampa Bay or Dallas. However, there’s not a team in that second tier in the East they can’t give a run for their money. And that’s the case even with horrific goaltending most nights.
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2. 
Jokingly, some buzz around the league is Pat Brisson deserves a partial share of Kyle Dubas GM of The Year Award if the Penguins GM deservedly takes home the honor in the coming months. Rival teams are adamant Brisson was a menace behind the scenes when the Crosby camp believed there was a strong likelihood Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust were getting traded last summer.
Don’t underestimate the pressure that the Crosby camp put on the Penguins that truly avoided this club tearing things down to the studs and the trickle-down effect it’s had on this season. Meanwhile, all the Evgeni Malkin hoopla, Sidney Crosby being extension eligible [hide] this summer is not getting talked about enough. [/hide]
3. One NHL executive on Erik Karlsson: 'He's worth 2 years- $20 million ($10MM AAV) to them" moving forward on an extension __ Latest NHL Buzz
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4. 
The New York Islanders saw the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 under John Tortorella and said hold my beer in ousting Patrick Roy with four games to go in hiring Peter DeBoer. This is wild NBA level type stuff we’re seeing in the NHL and its great theater. Whether it works to get the Islanders in the playoffs remains to be seen, but long-term what a fit for both sides and the Islanders are going to emerge as a top destination with Matthew Schaffer.
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Two division rivals that came extremely close to acquiring Egor Chinakhov were the To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Penguins Playoff Odds: Penguins 1st round matchup vs Flyers or Capitals suddenly in play