HIGHLIGHTS
- Pittsburgh Penguins clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2021-22, ending a three-year drought
- Crosby, Malkin, and Letang all recorded points in a 5-2 win over New Jersey
- Full recap of the game, the trio’s legacy, and what’s ahead in Round 1 below
Playoff hockey is back in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins clinched a postseason berth Thursday night with a 5-2 win over the Devils at Prudential Center. It is their first trip to the playoffs since 2021-22, ending a three-year drought that felt a lot longer than it sounds.
Sidney Crosby had two assists. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist. Kris Letang added an assist. The three of them have been Penguins teammates since 2005-06, the longest-tenured trio in North American pro sports history. It was only right that they all showed up for this one.
Egor Chinakhov led the way with a goal and two assists. Bryan Rust, Tommy Novak, and Erik Karlsson also scored. Pittsburgh was a 6-to-1 longshot to make the playoffs before the season started, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
They didn’t look like a playoff team in December. An eight-game losing streak buried them, and the Eastern Conference race was a mess through most of March. Then the Penguins won five of their last six since March 30 and locked it up.
“A couple weeks ago, we recognized that it was truly in our hands because we were facing many of the teams in contention,” defenseman Connor Clifton said.
This is the franchise’s 17th playoff appearance in the last 20 years. That is the most in the NHL over that span. Washington is second with 16, Boston third with 15.
Pittsburgh finished 41-22-16, second in the Metropolitan Division. They will have home-ice advantage in Round 1 and are likely to face the Philadelphia Flyers or Columbus Blue Jackets.
Crosby, who clinched his 21st straight point-per-game season earlier this month, kept it simple after the game.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “You want to focus on finishing the season strong.”
Three more regular season games remain, including a home-and-home with Ovechkin and the Capitals this weekend. But the real season starts next week. Pittsburgh is back where it belongs.
