The season hasn't been great, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are still very likely to make the playoffs.
As the NHL trade deadline approaches, there is a ton of talk surrounding what faces may be arriving or departing the Pittsburgh Penguins roster.
In the grand scheme of the NHL schedule, there is more to look at, and it involves more than just the Penguins.
Along with the trade deadline comes the discussion of the playoff race and who is in or out and the kind of ‘math’ that leans in team’s favors.
For the Penguins specifically, they have phenomenal math and despite the roller coaster season, have a great chance of making the postseason for the 17th consecutive season.
With a 27-17-9 record through 53 games and 63 standings points, the Penguins hold the first wild card position in the Eastern Conference.
It’s likely they don’t break past the wild card with the New York Rangers sitting nine point ahead of them, but it’s all of the teams behind the Penguins that we need to look at.
The important note is the amount of games played by each team; every team hovering around the Penguins has played far more contests.
Behind the Penguins by just a single point and holding the second wild card spot is the Washington Capitals who have played four more games.
Following up the Capitals is the Florida Panthers who also have 62 points, but have played the most games of any team in the NHL with 58.
That’s a whole five games behind the Penguins with just a single point separating them.
After the Panthers comes the Penguins next opponent and a team they play twice in a week, the New York Islanders.
Clearly, those are a pair of important games for the Penguins, but they have four games in hand on the Islanders who sit two points back.
The Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres have a fighting chance of reaching the postseason, but they’re further back.
The Red Wings are a game and three points behind the Penguins; the Sabres match the Penguins in games played, but are five points behind.
While the Penguins might not look like a strong team and are coasting around that mediocre level of threat, they have the best math of anyone in the Eastern Conference to reach the postseason.
Barring any colossal down fall, it’s likely the Penguins record setting postseason streak will continue for another year.
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