The Pittsburgh Penguins are right on the brink of taking a spot in the 2024 NHL Playoffs.

PITTSBURGH – With six games remaining in their season, the Pittsburgh Penguins are on the cusp of a playoff spot. Riding a three-game winning streak and thanks to a big win over the Washington Capitals, the Penguins are two points behind the New York Islanders, who hold the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Despite some poor play earlier in the season, the Penguins always hoped to reach the postseason. The odds of them making the playoffs still aren’t great, sitting at just 20%, according to moneypuck.com, but they look like a team on a mission.

What will it take for the Penguins to turn a longshot into a reality?

It’s a tight race for the Eastern Conference wild card. The Penguins, Islanders, Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, and Philadelphia Flyers are all within two standings points of each other, meaning every game could see a huge swing.

The Capitals and Red Wings have the advantage of a game in hand. Those two still have one meeting remaining this year and should have the attention of everyone in this race.

For the Penguins, winning out won’t guarantee them a spot in the dance. Sure, it would make things close, but six more wins would only have them finish with 93 total points. Other teams in the race could quickly jump that if they also get hot down the stretch.

There are a pair of games left on the Penguins’ schedule, however, that will carry massive swings. They still have a meeting left against the Red Wings, and the final game of the season will be played against the Islanders. Obviously, those will be must-win for the Penguins.

The Penguins will still need outside help. According to tankathon.com, the Penguins have one of the hardest remaining schedules in hockey. And it is undoubtedly a gauntlet of playoff teams, so winning out seems unlikely. Those two against the Red Wings and Islanders will be of utmost importance.

Tankathon believes those are the two “easiest” games left on the Penguins slate, which may work in their favor.

Essentially, the Penguins will need to come up big against the Red Wings and Islanders but also collect more wins than the teams they’re in the race with. Outside help will be needed, but the Penguins also need to focus on the games right in front of them.

The Penguins have the benefit of momentum as they are the hottest team among those in the race. Currently, on a 5-0-2 run, no one else in the running has played a better last 10 games. With a 6-2-2 stretch, the Penguins are quickly catching fire.

It will be an exhilarating final two weeks of the 2023-24 season. Many had the Penguins counted out, but they’re still alive and surging at the right time.

Sidney Crosby is back to his MVP pace, Evgeni Malkin is starting to heat up, the depth looks driven to be much better, and Alex Nedeljkovic has stepped up in a huge way in goal. The Penguins are a long shot but certainly have a lot falling in their favor.

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