Despite outside noise, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins have clinched a berth in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
After four long years, the Pittsburgh Penguins have once again punched their ticket to Lord Stanley's dance.
With a 5-2 win against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, the Penguins clinched their first Stanley Cup Playoff berth since 2022, when they lost to the New York Rangers in the first round. In addition, with the Philadelphia Flyers losing, 6-3, to the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh also clinched home ice advantage for the first round.
The Penguins featured five different goal-scorers in this game - Bryan Rust, Tommy Novak, Egor Chinakhov, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson - and Chinakhov finished the game with a team-high three points.
With second place in the Metropolitan Division etched in stone, the Penguins turn their focus to the final three games of the regular season, which feature a home-and-home against the Washington Capitals this weekend before a Tuesday regular season finale against the St. Louis Blues.
The final day of the NHL regular season is Thursday, Apr. 16, and the first round is set to begin on Saturday, Apr. 18. Follow along with our playoff coverage on the THN - Pittsburgh Penguins site for updates, live game blogs, playoff features, and more.
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