Thousands of empty seats were visible in the final moments of the Penguins’ 4-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday, which was kind of a shame.
An otherwise ordinary, predictable victory ultimately produced something special, something worth sitting in traffic for.
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The Penguins have qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for a 13th consecutive season. It’s a franchise record, the NHL’s longest current streak and the second-longest streak in all of North American professional sports, trailing only the San Antonio Spurs.
Perhaps a few members of the fan base are so accustomed to winning in this unparalleled era of Penguins hockey that merely clinching a playoff spot is an afterthought. But it shouldn’t be.
“It’s very impressive to me,” said Jack Johnson, who has played in only four playoff series during his 13-year NHL career, tasting defeat each time. “To me, it’s just a culture thing that’s been established here over the years with some of these great players. There’s an attitude of winning here. The expectations are as high as they possibly could be.”
Sidney Crosby was drafted in 2005, and he failed to reach the postseason during his rookie season. The next year, he was joined by Evgeni Malkin. Together, they have never missed out on the playoffs.
“It’s not easy,” Crosby said. “You can see that it came down to Game 81. A lot of things happened over the course of the year. It’s a tight league. You’ve got to earn it. It’s a good feeling.”
The Penguins haven’t just made the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons, but have largely been the straw that stirs the Eastern Conference’s drink during that time.
Consider the following:
• During the previous 12 seasons, the Penguins have won the Stanley Cup three times
• They’ve won the Eastern Conference in four of those 12 seasons
• The team that defeated them in the playoffs — the Senators in 2007, the Bruins in 2013, the Rangers in 2014 and the Capitals in 2017 — has advanced to the Stanley Cup Final on four other occasions.
The Penguins are blessed with an embarrassment of riches in terms of talent, of course. Crosby and Malkin are generational players who came along in consecutive years. Other great players have graced Pittsburgh ice while ownership has almost always spent to the salary cap during this period.
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Still, there has been plenty of adversity.
For all of their greatness, Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang haven’t exactly been the healthiest of stars. The Penguins have had to deal with future Hall of Fame goaltenders like Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist in their division, along with a regular season juggernaut in the Capitals and consistently successful franchises like the Flyers.
Still, through all of the injuries, the firings of Mike Therrien, Dan Bylsma and Mike Johnston, and the emergence of so many many strong teams in the Eastern Conference this season, the Penguins have trudged their way to the tournament every single time.
“That’s special,” Matt Murray said. “It’s not easy to do. It says a lot about the team, the organization as a whole, all the way down to Wilkes-Barre. There’s a lot of highly developed players. The consistency. It’s pretty cool.”
This season has been particularly challenging. For one thing, the Penguins didn’t clinch a spot until recording their 98th and 99th points of the season, an unusually high number to merely claim a spot. The Eastern Conference, though, is a haven of Stanley Cup contenders. The Penguins, Capitals, Lightning, Bruins and Maple Leafs are deservedly on anyone’s short list of Cup possibilities. Even the Islanders and their 101 points can’t be taken lightly while the Cinderella Hurricanes are a blossoming story. The Blue Jackets, despite years of playoff failures, boast a potent lineup.
“This is the NHL,” Johnson said. “There are no bad teams.”
There has also been adversity for these Penguins.
Murray’s performance in the season’s first two months was poor, and then he missed four weeks with an injury. Letang has missed 18 games with injuries this season. Malkin has missed 14 games. Other key players, notably Brian Dumoulin, Olli Maatta, Justin Schultz and Bryan Rust, have missed considerable chunks of time this season.
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The Penguins’ roster has also endured significant turnover this season, as an antsy Jim Rutherford dealt away players such as Carl Hagelin, Daniel Sprong, Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan over the course of the season.
“We just kept working though,” Johnson said. “Lots of good players in this room.”
Letang, who returned to the lineup on Thursday after another bout with a neck injury, said qualifying for the postseason has never been a simple procedure.
“I think it’s always been the same,” he said. “Our division, through the years, has always been a tough one. Lots of big market teams, those teams spend to the cap. Automatically your division is a lot stronger. I think it’s always been the same for us.”
The expectations are the same, too.
This is just the first step for the Penguins, but Letang said it’s one that should always be taken.
“I don’t expect less than that,” he said of the 13th straight playoff appearance. “The roster we put together every year, with players like Sid, Geno (Malkin), Phil (Kessel) and these guys. I think we should be in the playoffs every year. The expectation is high in this dressing room. It’s not going to be any different now.”
Mike Sullivan has guided the Penguins to the postseason in each of his first four seasons as head coach. His record in playoffs series is 9-1. Before the Penguins can focus on the identity of their first-round opponent — the odds are they will face the Islanders, but if the Penguins lose on Saturday, there is a chance they could still get the Capitals in the first round — Sullivan took the time to acknowledge the achievement.
“It really is (impressive) because it’s difficult to make the playoffs,” Sullivan said. “It’s hard. There’s a lot of good teams. There’s going to be a lot of good teams that don’t make the playoffs. Every year there is, with the parity in the league. It’s not an easy feat year in and year out. The fact that this organization has had the long-standing success that (it has) had is a reflection of their leadership and their professionalism. It starts with our ownership with Mario (Lemieux) and Ron (Burkle). Our management team, David Morehouse, Jim Rutherford, they just do it right in my opinion. It’s a privilege to work for this organization. Their playoff success there is a reflection of that professionalism.”
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Whether the Penguins will make a Stanley Cup run this spring is anyone’s guess. But as is usually the case, they are part of the equation.
Some things never change.
“You want to be healthy,” Letang said. “That’s the main goal when you’re entering the playoffs.”
He speaks from experience.
Ten postgame observations
Red Wings left winger Tyler Bertuzzi battles for a puck with Penguins defensemen Kris Letang during the first period of Thursday’s game at PPG Paints Arena. (David Dermer / USA Today)
• Letang looked a little rusty in terms of decision-making, especially during the first period. However, he improved throughout the evening and finished with a team-high 25:52 of playing time. He also recorded five shots on goal. Letang’s importance to the Penguins goes without saying, and his presence played a big role in this victory. One day earlier, he sounded unlikely to participate against the Red Wings. It’s funny what a day, and a playoff race, can do for a player’s health.
• Malkin finished with an assist in 18:50 of action in his return from a rib injury sustained three weeks ago against the Blues. Much like Letang, Malkin appeared to gain strength as the game elapsed. He put on a 1-on-1 clinic during a scoring opportunity in the second period, and his legs looked understandably fresh. Malkin played on a line with Phil Kessel and Rust. I’d imagine that will be the second line when the postseason begins, as Crosby looks likely to be skating with Jake Guentzel and Jared McCann. Malkin looked perfectly fine and he gets one more chance on Saturday to fine-tune his game.
• It was a big night for Kessel, who now has three goals in his past two games. I’ll say this for Kessel: Hard work isn’t really his thing or what he is known for, but I think he’s worked very hard the past few games. The results haven’t always been there. They finally were in the past two games against the Red Wings. He scored on what essentially was a tap-in during a first-period power play, but give him credit not only for sticking his nose into the dirty areas but also for the patience he showed when the puck slipped away from Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard. A lesser player would have instinctively whacked at the puck. Kessel showed the patience of a great goal scorer.
In the second period, he scored directly off a Malkin faceoff win, rocketing a shot past Howard’s glove.
This is the version of Kessel the Penguins need in the postseason. He appears to be finding his game, right when he usually does. This is a good sign.
• There isn’t much else to say about Murray. He stopped 33-of-34 shots against the Red Wings, maintaining his wonderful current form. While the Penguins have been better defensively during the past month, the speedy Red Wings gave them fits in two consecutive games. The Penguins didn’t exactly clamp down defensively in this game. Murray was forced to make a number of outstanding saves and came through once again. I’ve covered Murray long enough to appreciate when he’s feeling good about himself. He’s feeling good about himself. This, too, is a good sign.
• The best player on the ice, as usual, was Crosby. He was sensational all night. Crosby ended his 10-game drought by scoring his 34th goal of the season, swatting in a rebound of a Kessel shot while falling into the net behind Howard.
He also picked up two assists and now has 98 points, something to keep in mind entering the season finale against the Rangers. Crosby was also a defensive wizard, which has become the norm. He also won 68 percent of his draws, winning 23-of-34 faceoffs. Crosby took 34 of the game’s 62 draws. Simply put, he’s doing absolutely everything right now.
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• Maatta told me in Detroit the other night that he wasn’t real thrilled with his recent performance since returning from a shoulder injury. He played a really nice game on Thursday, the best of his return. While skating with Letang, Maatta played 21:17 and set up Jake Guentzel’s first period tally with a pretty feed from behind the net. If the injured Dumoulin isn’t ready to play when the playoffs begin next week — I’m guessing he’ll be available, but that’s just a guess — Maatta will likely be paired with Letang. The Penguins would, in such a circumstance, leave the Johnson-Schultz and Marcus Pettersson-Erik Gudbranson pairings together. Maatta has enjoyed successful stints with Letang in the past and looked comfortable with him against the Red Wings.
• Patric Hornqvist is getting his game back in order. He led all players with nine shots on Thursday, he picked up two assists and was a general pest all evening. Like Kessel, Hornqvist typically plays his best hockey of the season in the spring. I think he’s finally pulling himself out of the funk that has trapped him during the past two months.
• Give Guentzel some credit. He scored his 39th goal of the season and, without question, No. 4o is on his mind. He passed up a couple of decent opportunities against the Red Wings, dishing to teammates instead of overzealously attempting to reach a milestone. There is something to be said for such unselfishness.
• While we’re dishing out credit, what a job Sullivan and this coaching staff have done this season. As I’ve written many times in this space, this isn’t an easy team to coach. Talented, sure. But it’s a difficult group of personalities at times and a team that is often interested in producing artistry more than substance. Currently, there is a nice balance of artistry and substance on display. I think the head coach, in particular, deserves much credit for this. “Since the outdoor game,” Johnson said of the overtime loss in Philadelphia in February, “we’ve played the game the way we’re supposed to.”
• So, what’s next? The Penguins host the Rangers on Saturday night while the Islanders play in Washington. Carolina plays in Philadelphia. Lots of possibilities. If the Penguins win against the struggling Rangers, they are assured of no worse than third place and will play the Islanders in the first round. The Penguins will have home-ice advantage if they beat the Rangers and if the Islanders lose in regulation in Washington. It must be noted, though, the Capitals have nothing to play for after clinching the Metropolitan Division title on Thursday. So, it’s likely Washington will rest some of its best players. Also, the Penguins could still be passed in the standings by Carolina, should the Hurricanes win in Philadelphia and the Penguins fall to the Rangers. If that were to happen, the Penguins would be bumped to fourth in the division and would begin the playoffs in Washington. In all probability, though, they’ll open the playoffs against the Islanders. Home advantage or not, if the Penguins are reasonably healthy, I’d make them a pretty considerable favorite. They possess a gear the Islanders don’t have and are far more gifted. That said, the Islanders have been quite a story all season and, under Barry Trotz, are quite stingy defensively. It wouldn’t figure to be an easy series. Still, the Penguins find themselves in a fairly good position right now.
(Top photo: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)