Can the Penguins Still Make the Postseason?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have two games remaining in their 2022-23 season, and they currently sit one point out of the playoffs. With a 16 year playoff streak on the line, the Penguins will need to win out. That alone won’t be enough to secure them a spot in the playoffs, however; they’ll still need a little help from their friends– or, in this case, rivals.

The good news for the Penguins is that both wild card spots are, theoretically, still in reach. The Florida Panthers and the New York Islanders both have 91 points, and they have two games left in the regular season. The Penguins need to win both of their final two games, and they need the Panthers and/or the Islanders to lose one. Here's a look ahead at the schedules for each team still in the hunt.

Let's start with the variables that the Penguins can control: winning their final two games.

On Tuesday, April 11th, the Penguins play the Chicago Blackhawks. It’s easy to write this game off as an easy win, seeing as the Blackhawks are currently the 30th ranked team in the league, but with their long-time captain Jonathan Toews hinting at retirement, Chicago has more than pride to play for. The Penguins won their only other meeting this year 5-3, courtesy of a four point night from Sidney Crosby.

The Penguins last game of the season is a divisional matchup in Columbus on Thursday, April 13th at 7 pm EST. Pittsburgh has won all three games this season, so Columbus will be looking to avoid being swept by the Penguins for the second year in a row. None of those wins came easy, however– all three have been comeback wins.

During the first matchup, the Penguins entered the 2nd period down 2-0. Pittsburgh got one back with a goal from fourth-liner Josh Archibald, but the Blue Jackets answered back just 14 seconds later with a goal from rookie Kent Johnson, his first national hockey league goal. Thankfully, that seemed to be the wakeup call Pittsburgh needed, as they rattled off five unanswered goals, winning 6-3 due in no small part to Danton Heinen, who had a two goal night slotted in on the first line with Jake Guentzel injured.

In their second meeting, the Penguins found themselves down 1-0 a minute in when Tristan Jarry let in the first shot he faced. Jarry stopped the next 38 shots he faced, and the Penguins won 4-1, led by a two goal performance from Sidney Crosby.

In their most recent meeting, Tristan Jarry was pulled less than three minutes into the 2nd after allowing four goals on twelve shots. Casey DeSmith saved all 15 shots he faced in relief, and the Penguins clawed their way back thanks to a two goal night from Jason Zucker, and a PPG from Sidney Crosby to win it in overtime. So, maybe the key to winning this matchup is to let Columbus score first?

Wild Card 1: The Florida Panthers

The Panthers face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at 7 pm EST. The Panthers are red hot and will enter tonight's matchup on a six game winning streak. The Maple Leafs have already secured a home-ice advantage in the playoffs, and will likely rest a few- if not all- of their stars for a game that means nothing to them and everything to the Panthers. It's worth noting, however, that Mitch Marner currently has 98 points on the season.

The Panthers game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, April 13th might be a little more interesting. The Hurricanes are currently first in the Metropolitan division, but are only one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils. The Hurricanes may be a bit more aggressive in order clinch the division title and to avoid a playoff matchup with the New York Rangers– the team that eliminated them last year.

Wild Card 2: The New York Islanders

On paper, the Islanders have a significantly easier schedule than the Panthers. Their final two games are against non-playoff teams- however, teams love to play spoiler against playoff hopefuls.

The Islanders play tonight at 7 pm EST against a team that could end up being an unlikely hero and saving Pittsburgh’s season: the Washington Capitals. The Capitals are set to face off against the Islanders tonight at 7 pm EST. The Capitals have played the Islanders three times this season, winning the first two meetings by a score of 4-3 and 5-1, respectively, and losing 2-1 in a shootout in the third.

The Islanders will play their last game of the regular season against the Montréal Canadiens on Wednesday, April 12th. The Canadiens have been decimated by injuries all year, and will be without Arber Xhekaj, David Savard, Kaiden Guhle, 2022 first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, Josh Anderson, Sean Monahan, and Alex Belzile.

So... will the Penguins make the playoffs?

Well, a lot of things have to go right in order for the Penguins to make the playoffs and extend their postseason streak. But crazier things have happened, and you should never bet against Sidney Crosby. One thing is for certain: the final days in the 2022-23 regular season won't be boring.